Julian Casablancas favorite philosopher, whose work, Casablancas claims, held truth as an important standard value. He recognizes Paul Robeson as someone who used his musical platform to help further his serious political intrigue and as someone who, therefore, serves as a role model for politically engaged musicians. Casablancas has been a guest on the Russian sponsored program "Redacted Tonight", as well as included its host, Lee Camp, as an opener for a Voidz show in Houston, Texas in October 2018. Casablancas, along with the Strokes, provided vocals on a cover of Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" with Joshua Homme on
Kraken (band) Kraken (band) Kraken is a rock band founded in Medellín, Colombia, in 1983. The current lineup consists of Andrés Leiva (guitar), Ricardo Wolff (guitar), Julian Puerto (drums), Luis Alberto Ramírez (bass guitar), and Rubén Gelvez (electronic keyboards). The sound of the band is characterized by a mixture of hard rock and heavy metal. The influence of the original lead singer Elkin Ramírez, was compared by some publications to that of Freddy Mercury or Bruce Dickinson. One of the bands that influenced Ramírez' musical taste was Led Zeppelin. Another well-known influence of his was classical music, which he self-taught upon the