The Strokes The Strokes The Strokes are an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of singer Julian Casablancas, lead guitarist Nick Valensi, rhythm guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti. Following the conclusion of five-album deals with RCA and Rough Trade, the band has continued to release new music through Casablancas' Cult Records. Met with widespread critical acclaim, the Strokes' 2001 debut, "Is This It", helped usher in the garage rock revival movement of the early-21st century—and ranks number eight on "Rolling Stone"s 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time,
Julian Casablancas Casablancas' father John Casablancas was a business mogul who founded the Elite Model Management. His second wife, the 1965 Miss Denmark Jeanette Christiansen, is Julian's mother. They divorced when Julian was 6 years old. After the divorce, Jeanette married a classical painter Sam Adoquei. As a stepfather, Sam was a positive influence on Julian and helped him shape his artistic taste. Commenting on Adoquei's influence, Casablancas has claimed, "He taught me everything about art and philosophy. He taught me that the best artists were the ones that worked the hardest.” Julian has several half-siblings, including an elder sister from his