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Underground > Radio & Music >

The Strokes=Worst Band Ever???

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19:20 / 02.10.03

Very possibly.

Though Creed does come close.

Matthew Fluxington

19:28 / 02.10.03

Room On Fire = solid follow up.

01:08 / 03.10.03

The strokes are a decent, if not solid, band, imo. Of course, no band (or almost no band) van live up to the absurd hype they've been having for, what is it, two and a half years now? Haven't heard anything from the second album; it's good then, Flux?

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

08:46 / 03.10.03

I hate the Strokes. Daddy buys them everything and they're so "cool" they couldn't emote at gunpoint. They're killing music for me: what are people going to have as influences in 10-20 years from now? Some second rate Stooges rip?

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

08:51 / 03.10.03

On reflection though I think The Darkness are far worse.

Regrettable Juvenilia

08:56 / 03.10.03

An ancient and cobweb-covered discussion of The Strokes - wow, we were really all very equivocal back then, weren't we? Let's try and be more like that now.

I liked the first album a lot at the time. Finding it hard to get very excited at the prospect of a second one - the ceaseless over-exposure has finally worn me down, and post-Echoes, post-Fever To Tell, yer Strokes don't seem the most exciting NYC band in any sense - but I suspect I will like at least some of it...

Killing music? Wait, I thought Britney already did that? No, hang on, it was reality tv shows that killed music, wasn't it? Or maybe punk rock, that's what my Dad tells me. I wish I could find the rant I posted here about the "[popular band/trend X] is killing pop/rock/music!" hysteria, and how the supposed culprit changes, but the tone never does, and the argument never gets any smarter. Elvis Presley killed music, Radiator: everyone knows that?

And if 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' hasn't brought you round to The Darkness, then I despair.

Matthew Fluxington

11:33 / 03.10.03

Radiator, I hate to be very condescending, I truly do, but I really don't think you have the best grasp on a) musical history or b) the difference between what a magazine writer says is influential and what actually is.

The peculiar thing about Room On Fire is that it's extremely similar to Is This It, which sort of forces the listener to realize that hey - they are clinging to this very specific sound that they carved out on their own, and this time it's the same thing, only more intensfied. They have a lot of obvious antecedents, but no one actually does sound quite like them. They have their own thing going on, built on the back of some pretty well-chosen influences. Isn't that what a good band should do?

Wait til you hear "Under Control" - that might change your mind. "Maps" : Yeah Yeah Yeahs :: "Under Control" : The Strokes

Seriously, it's important to get over this press hype. It just fucks with yr head and makes you say really dumb things.

12:06 / 03.10.03

ooh, plenty of room for ranting and raving in this thread.

Some second rate Stooges rip?

STOP SAYING THAT! People will end up thinking the Stooges were a bunch of new wave wieners fergodssake! The only thing the Strokes have in common with the Stooges a name that begins with 'St' and ends in 'es'! If you're looking to pin comparisons on them try Television or Blondie.
(Or for that matter French Kicks, who would be perfectly within their rights to complain "We formed a couple of years before the Strokes, and sound almost exactly like them! We feel cheated!")

I do have a soft spot for the Strokes though - I don't think their sound is very interesting and they're more or less totally undeserving of the hype they've recieved.. but they've written a few good songs, and you can't say fairer than that. So what Flyboy said basically.

Well.. up until he said;

And if 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' hasn't brought you round to The Darkness, then I despair.

God, I can't stick the Darkness. I mean, I love dumb rock n' roll but.. they're just rubbish at it. They sound to me like Starsailor or someone like that pretending to be an OTT cock rock band for a laugh. They're a pastiche band - the musical equivalent of a Topshop Motorhead T-shirt - and I'm just not buying it. And there are so many great bands out there that do the same kind of thing but really fucking kick it - Why aren't the Midnight Evils or the Hellacopters famous instead?? It vexes me mightily.

Regrettable Juvenilia

12:13 / 03.10.03

Well... I wrestled with the 'comedy' side of The Darkness, and how I felt about it, for a while. But in the end the most recent single is just so obviously enthusiastic - they're not being 'ironic', they're just acknowledging the ludicrous side of the music they genuinely love. It also seems to make more sense to me if I think of them as a pop band instead of a rock one - see also Electric Six. (Still can't stand the artwork for the album, but hey.) This is probably matter for another thread, though.

12:21 / 03.10.03

thanks, Flyboy, for identifying for me a song I heard on the radio the other day that was so freaking, as you say, ludicrous I had to like it. The Darkness. "I believe in a thing called love." Nice.

Matthew Fluxington

12:22 / 03.10.03

Or for that matter French Kicks, who would be perfectly within their rights to complain "We formed a couple of years before the Strokes, and sound almost exactly like them! We feel cheated!")

Oh come on. The French Kicks sound very little like the Strokes if just because of the fact that their singer can (and does) sing more than four notes in any given song. Perhaps the most memorable/grating thing about the Strokes is that Julian Cassablancas vocal style is the equivalent of playing three or four notes in variation on a blown-out toy keyboard with only your pinkie finger.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

14:35 / 03.10.03

The peculiar thing about Room On Fire is that it's extremely similar to Is This It, which sort of forces the listener to realize that hey - they are clinging to this very specific sound that they carved out on their own, and this time it's the same thing

Really? Sort of told me what I already knew- that they don't have a single original idea in their empty rich kid heads.

The Strokes are the dullest band alive. Seriously. I refuse to compare them to Blondie, because Blondie were really really good. Blondie pushed stuff forward (that rap/rock crossover on rapture before rap/rock went shit, in fact before many people really knew what rap was) while The Strokes (as in I'd rather have a stroke than listen to their terrible music) (as in look at us our bassist has a friggin comb-over) (as in look our career is only held up by Daddy's cheque book) merely push us back. All these cool forward thinking bands like Muse, The Mars Volta or The Icarus Line and you care about the Strokes? The Strokes have no sound of their own. They have no soul of their own. They just peddle "Lust for Life" except they slowed it down too much because they can barely play and they don't like Iggy Pop anyway but the record company thought it was a good idea. They're jackasses.

As for "Maps", I really would love that song were it not for the fact Karen O ruins it with the dumbest lyrics ever and that awful yelping. Great guitar though, maybe that guy could leave and start a good band. I'm being serious here.

The Darkness are disgustingly terrible. Horrible, horrible. "A Thing Called Love" IS the worst single ever made. God, I can feel the bile rising now. Makes me feel sad that say, Biffy Clyro or Solanoid can slog for years getting nowhere while a horrible 80's pastiche blow up like a fart in a methane plant. I'd go further but I want to leave the lid on that can of worms for another day.

Regrettable Juvenilia

14:40 / 03.10.03

Okay... so Muse are a "cool, forward-thinking" band, but 'Maps' has the "dumbest lyrics ever"? Congratulations: you are the anti-me.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

14:52 / 03.10.03

Muse are great though, and Bliss is more moving and beautiful than anything Karen O could ever produce in a thousand million billion years. That stupid yelping!
Everyone needs an anti-them I guess.

Matthew Fluxington

14:56 / 03.10.03

Oh come on. There are a LOT more dull bands than anything being mentioned in this thread. You clearly haven't heard the Saddle Creek roster, for starters...

Can we cool it with the hyperbole? Being reasonable and cognizant of context are very good things which you may want to try out, Radiator.

How foward thinking are The Mars Volta, by the way? They sound like fucking Dream Theater!

Anyway, isn't it cute when uptight rockists end up hating bands who like the same stuff that they do?

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

15:08 / 03.10.03

Come ON, Flyboy... it was quite blatantly home taping that killed music.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

15:09 / 03.10.03

Oh god Flux, have you ever heard of Irony?

I cannot be dispassionate about music. I will always get worked up over bands, because that's what they are there for. I seem to recall NXM having a similar effect on you (reasonable and cognizant of context being two planets you do not visit often in the comics thread). Have you actually heard The Mars Volta? That album is mindblowning! (Liked ATD-I better but you can't improve on perfection, right?). Admittedly the grim spectre of prog raises it's head but Ward (RIP)'s electro stuff really gave that album an edge. He'll be missed.

Uptight rockist? Um, no. The next gig I'm going to is AFRIKA BLEEDING BAMBATTA.

If anythings uptight around here it's the general air of forced cool and people perma-dropping the names of terrible acts like Peaches because it will "enhance their image" or whatever.

Anyway, can't we not be personal with this? Remember, caring and emoting aren't cool!

But seriously man, let's keep this about the music, huh?

Matthew Fluxington

15:20 / 03.10.03

I listened to the new Mars Volta. It was kind of lame. It sounds just like Dream Theater. You should buy some Dream Theater records, because you might like them. It's all a little too "Angry Mr. Bungle Fan" for me.

Peaches has a lot of great pop songs. That's why so many of us love her. Get over it. It's not a 'cool' thing. It's a good song thing.

It's all about the muuuuuuuusic, man. Let's start another thread - Music Today=Worst Music Ever???

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

15:29 / 03.10.03

If Deloused in the Comatorium doesn't raise the pluse, then you ain't got one Fluxy. Track 6 man. TRACK 6!!!!!!!!!!

Peaches is absolutely terrible if pretty funny to watch live. Were it not for her fashon victim fanbase she would be nowhere. The two tracks I heard off Fatherfucker (nice title... not) were abysmal. She's the fem Har Mar- a funny live act let down by a complete lack of good songs. I guess she caused Elastica to split, that's one pro for her.

If you want good electro, listen to Ladytron.

Matthew Fluxington

15:37 / 03.10.03

Why Ladytron, I'm wondering? Is it because they are the least fun electropop group currently on the scene, and are maybe a bit too literal in their reinterpretion of "classic" canonized electronic music from the 70s and 80s? I suspect that may be it.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

15:40 / 03.10.03

No, it's because they have great tunes and they finaly have a decent live act these days (hated em til Leeds 2003 ) with a real drummer and guitarist. And because stony-faced electro embraces the spirit of the cold, dispassionate electric keyboard in a way that no "wacky" teacher in a leotard ever could.

And I want to marry one of the girls.

She can sit and play synth while I wrestle bears for food. We'll live in the rockies. It'll be awesome.

Matthew Fluxington

15:52 / 03.10.03

Yes. Real guitars. Real drums. Real music.

Oh, and they've got hot girls? That's automatically way better. You're right.

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

19:37 / 03.10.03

None of the new stuff I've heard by the Strokes has excited me too much, I still think "the modern age" might be the best song I've heard by them. But I'm definitely interested to hear the new record. Have you managed to find most of it online flux? I can only find pretty shitty sounding live versions...

I really think they might have missed their chance though, they should have released something ages ago - at least an original single - to keep people wanting more. I don't think the first two pages of the NME every week quite cuts it coverage wise... It'll be interesting to see how the new stuff fares.

And radiator... regurgitating all the things you read in the music press (that you probably confess to hate but read anyway) as criticisms of the strokes does not a valid point make. Like Iggy! But slow! Because they're rubbish! No ideas of their own! Unoriginal sound! Because they're like all those 60s bands aren't they?! But rubbish! It's just so tired. And not true. And stems from lazy journalism.

And ladytron? I'd be more inclined to go for kylie. Or is that pop?

19:40 / 03.10.03

Whoa.

Let's back up a bit -

This guy praises Muse whilst at the same time dismissing the YYYs for "stupid yelping". In the same sentence no less!

Ze proceeds to diss both Peaches and Elastica whilst praising the "hard slogging" of, um, Biffy Clyro (an unintentionally brilliant two word description of their musical output, imho).

You so are the anti-Flyboy, and I'm getting my crucifix..

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

19:46 / 03.10.03

Also: any band that has Guided by Voices in their video at least know what's up...

20:02 / 03.10.03

Also, you know nothing about chains. I invented chains. Your Chains=Worst Chains Ever. Should we ever meet I will wrap an ice cold chain around your neck with my left hand and thrash you with the red hot one in my right.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

09:36 / 04.10.03

Jings Crivens David Nivens! Seems some of you folks are pretty defensive here!

Listen up: I do not read music magazines. I might browse the singles reviews from time to time at the newstands but I haven't bought one in about two years. Could it possibly be then that SHOCK SHOCK HORROR HORROR SHOCK SHOCK HORROR I actually form my own opinions about music? Is that really such a far-out concept? If I took all my opinions from the music press in the UK I'd be into The Strokes... and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs... and Peaches.

And regarding Muse yelping vs YYY yelping: Matt Belamy actually yelps real words, while Karen O (the O is for overated) seems to be having an attack of tourrets in the recording studio. Admittedly the first time you hear Muse his voice sounds like all the nails in the world being dragged down a gigantic monolithic universal chalkboard (and I always have and always will hate Showbuisness), but if you give the boy half a chance something wonderful happens: you adjust and realise just what the guy's on about (watch the wonderfully kenetic video for Bliss if you don't believe me) and it all makes so much sense.

Flux, you misunderstand my comments about the 'tron. The drum and the guitar serve only to rock up the live show (previous to seeing them at Leeds 2003 I would have agreed with you!). Whether or not an artist uses real or sampled instruments is irrelevant to me.

Also, you know nothing about chains. I invented chains. Your Chains=Worst Chains Ever. Should we ever meet I will wrap an ice cold chain around your neck with my left hand and thrash you with the red hot one in my right.

I'd like that.

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

10:56 / 04.10.03

Quote the chains: SHOCK SHOCK HORROR HORROR SHOCK SHOCK HORROR I actually form my own opinions about music? Is that really such a far-out concept?

Well seemingly yes, because you attempt to validate all your opinions by using all the mis-information and poor journalism that stems from the music press. Do you see? You just turn it the other way around. The Strokes are rubbish because they are a crap stooges knock off! Or, alternatively, they don't sound like the Stooges at all, and never did. Just because a band might like something doesn't mean that's how they sound.

And I'm glad Matt Bellmay yelps real words (which makes his yelping alright) as opposed to Karen O who just yelps rubbish (which makes her the devil). Now I know what kind of yelping is acceptable, and what is not. Although really the question should be: does Karen O actually yelp at all on Maps?

And to clarify, I don't really care for any of the bands involved here. But your misguided words are just designed to be annoying.

Like the NME.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

11:11 / 04.10.03

But your misguided words are just designed to be annoying.

Hang on Suedehead. These are my opinions. They are not designed to be annoying, they are the thoughts in my head. You can argue the pros and cons of the bands all you like, but there is simply no way you can claim to know what I think.

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

11:17 / 04.10.03

Sorry, bad choice of word.

Your misguided words... are annoying. And misguided.

But that's ok. I just checked out the thread on the Strokes linked up there, and the first post made me cringe.

Funny what difference a few years can make, eh?

17:03 / 04.10.03

I like the idea that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs sing stupid made-up nonsense words..

17:27 / 04.10.03

Biffy Clyro or Solanoid can slog for years getting nowhere

biffy clyro slogged it out for about five years. in any business, you expect a five year wait before you make a profit. anything less is good, but not exactly to be expeceted.

they are getting all the press they deserve and more. and if they had had a better attitude when playing local gigs, they might have grown more quickly and retained a larger, more loyal fanbase, but they didnt.

have you noticed how they sound like 'far' quite often? this is because they are their favourite band. and they copy.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

09:11 / 05.10.03

You'll have to forgive me for not knowing every band ever.

09:59 / 05.10.03

Have you actually heard The Mars Volta? That album is mindblowning!

Bollocks to that record. It's the first album in a long time that actually made me angry. Angry at the wasted potential, at the second rate prog ideas, at the bizarre Dream Theatre rehabilitation movement that seems to be gaining pace, angry at that fucking awful artwork and stoopid album name. There is genuinely nothing, nothing, nothing good about this record. There certainly isn't anything inventive about it. Listen to early Genesis and you'll get the point.

Oh, and it also seems to continue Rick Rubin's recent trend of working with artists once they've gone way off the boil. Sadly, even a piss poor Fugazi cloneband like Sparta are way better.

13:01 / 05.10.03

Having read this thread, I have realised that everything I own by anyone who wasn't working class is irrelevant art and I'm in the process of building a big bonfire in the back garden, where I plan to burn any record, book or film by someone who is rich.

I can't wait for the new Michael Moore book to come out, for instance - because then that rich motherfucker's going to keep my nice warm bonfire burning all winter.

Same with that Strokes record - I don't know if I like the music yet, because, well, I haven't heard it. But I've taken the decision the album can't be any good anyway because some of the Strokes went to finishing school. So I'm going to burn it.

What gets really taxing for someone like me is working out what to do when a band starts of really poor but then earns enough money to be rich - because, of course, this must negate their music as the rich can't do anything worthwhile. But I'm sure I'll find a way, hopefully one which includes setting stuff on fire. Like rooms.

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