Hey everybody! You may already know this, but I'm Liah from Twilight Collective, and this is my new series, Band Breakdown. In this series, I'll be going through the basics and things you should know about my favorite bands, and maybe some bands suggested by commenters. I'm starting off with a band I've loved for years and have accumulated a lot of knowledge and random facts about, and that band is The Strokes. Members and Origin StoryThe Strokes consist of frontman Julian Casablancas, lead guitarist Nick Valensi, rhythm guitarist Albert Hammond Jr (commonly referred to as AHJ), bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti (also known as Lil Fabrizio according to many fans). They met in high school in New York City's Lower East Side (my freshman year math teacher actually taught Nick Valensi and his sister, how cool is that?). They decided on the name The Strokes because they wanted their name to be ambiguous. The word 'stroke' can be interpreted in many ways, from a romantic context to a medical context to even an athletic context if you're a field hockey player like I am. DiscographyThe Strokes have five studio albums: Is This It (2001) Room On Fire (2003) First Impressions Of Earth (2006) Angles (2011) and finally (for now), Comedown Machine (2013). The Strokes also released an EP, called Future Present Past, in June of 2016. All of the Strokes, excluding Fabrizio Moretti, have ongoing solo or side projects. Julian Casablancas - JC And The Voidz, Solo Career Nick Valensi - CRX (on my radar as one of my favorite rock bands of the 2010s) Albert Hammond Jr - Solo Career Nikolai Fraiture - Summer Moon Songs You Should Know:The songs listed below are classic Strokes hits that every listener should know. You don't have to like, dislike, or have any opinion on them. Someday - Is This It Last Nite - Is This It Reptilia - Room On Fire The End Has No End - Room On Fire You Only Live Once - First Impressions Of Earth Macchu Pichu - Angles Two Kinds Of Happiness - Angles My Top PicksThese are my personal favorite songs by The Strokes. Again, you don't have to agree with this list, and they're in chronological order rather than a countdown because that's too stressful for me, to be honest. Luckily, I've included at least one song from every album. Yay! Barely Legal - Is This It Between Love And Hate - Room On Fire You Talk Way Too Much - Room On Fire Heart In A Cage - First Impressions Of Earth (if I had to choose a favorite Strokes song, this would be the one) You Only Live Once - First Impressions Of Earth Two Kinds Of Happiness - Angles Gratisfaction - Angles All The Time - Comedown Machine Oblivius - Future Present Past ConclusionIf you want a New York City 2000s band that brought the rate of haircuts down for the city from 2001 to 2006, the Strokes are the way to go. If you want something a bit more mellow, how about Interpol? Maybe some Yeah Yeah Yeahs?
Okay. Maybe eventually. But right now, on a sunny summer day on the east coast, the Strokes are the way to go. Please comment some bands I could write about in the next Band Breakdown, or even some more fun facts about The Strokes that I could include in an updated version of this article. Bye for now. I'l be off reminiscing of that one 70 degree day in February when I walked all around NYC wearing a sleeveless dress, just because I could. That's how The Strokes make me feel. Peace out.
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Honestly, I don't really have many moments where music just ~clicks~ with me anymore. I found the genre and time period I liked and just stuck with it. The thing is, Hidden Gems don't have to stick to any time period or genre. They're just artists I think deserve more recognition. Hidden Gems are the artists who make me think "yeah, I like this, okay, more of this!!!" Cut Off Your Hands made me have that ~musical clicking~ moment. I watched the music video for their song Turn Cold and instantly fell in love. I mean, just TRY to watch this video without falling in love. Yeah. I know. You just clicked, didn't you? Another reason I love Cut Off Your Hands is because they are often compared to the Smiths, another band I've started listening to this year. Cut Off Your Hands have two full releases, titled You And I (2008) and Hollow (2011). They also have two EPs, titled Shaky Hands (2006) and Happy As Can Be (2008). (Shaky Hands was originally the name of the band, but they had to change it due to copyright. I like the new name better.) Another song I love by Cut Off Your Hands is Oh Girl, which was released on You And I. The music video for this song is linked above, so I highly suggest you give it a listen. This music video reminds me a lot of Ok Go, and I really love the sound of the song, too. Although many comparisons have been made to other bands, Cut Off Your Hands have a truly unique and energetic sound that can't be done justice by comparisons. The above link is their newest song, titled Hate Somebody. The vibes in this song have switched from the Smiths to Talking Heads and Franz Ferdinand, according to a few YouTube commenters. Cut Off Your Hands have recently informed us via Twitter that they are in the studio working on new material. Now is the perfect time to become a fan, so you can appreciate their new releases as soon as they come out. So, yeah. If you like any of the artists I've mentioned in this article, or even if you don't like any of them, I strongly encourage you to give Cut Off Your Hands a listen or two (or three, or four, or as many as your heart desires. My heart's at about nonstop repeat for eternity).
I just downloaded the rest of their discography because I had $25 in iTunes and I have no impulse control when it comes to music. Anyway... Give Cut Off Your Hands a listen. I'm sure you'll love them. Peace out and see you soon! |
About The AuthorLiah is a high school senior who plays guitar and loves the color yellow. She doesn't post much, but when she does, it's awesome. We promise.
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