cool, i would like to hear about half of these.
― Bee OK, Wednesday, 27 July 2011 04:27 (thirteen years ago) link
Finally, some competition for this
http://www.cmhrecords.com/web/page.asp?pgs=product&catid=1&id=974
― ennui morricone (Whiney G. Weingarten), Wednesday, 27 July 2011 05:05 (thirteen years ago) link
lmao, it's on spotify
― markers, Wednesday, 27 July 2011 05:16 (thirteen years ago) link
(((d-_-b)))
John Doran of this parish isn't having it
http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=146&p=10830&title=why_the_strokes_is_this_it_changed_music&more=1&c=1
― piscesx, Friday, 29 July 2011 14:48 (thirteen years ago) link
The death of culture. http://sickmouthy.com/2013/03/25/the-strokes-is-this-it-2001/
― they all are afflicted with a sickness of existence (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 25 March 2013 22:07 (eleven years ago) link
So, I'm giving this album a listen for the first time since 2001 - I thought it was incredibly overhyped by the UK music press at the time, and I still think it's... well, not as great as people say it is. Not even the best record of 2001, let alone of that decade. The back half is stronger than the front half, but when it comes to the crunch, I've heard this thing done far better elsewhere. The production sucks, too.
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Friday, 21 July 2017 21:12 (seven years ago) link
i was resistant to the hype but it won me over eventually. still think it sounds great, the only weak cut is the track they replaced "new york city copes" with.
i like the production, it's kind of soft and muted, very "we're here in the studio" but not slicked out... reminds me of the smell of rooms that have been smoked in a lot for some reason?
― brimstead, Saturday, 22 July 2017 00:45 (seven years ago) link
Lol Turrican, you have the worst music taste.
― Frederik B, Saturday, 22 July 2017 00:48 (seven years ago) link
they have more in common with the cars than television or the vu, really.. though the vocals did get in that lou zone at times, the beat did get in the mo zone at times, and the overall playing did have a kind of vaguely stiff delineated "organized" thing going on that kinda reminds me of television's guitars
― brimstead, Saturday, 22 July 2017 00:48 (seven years ago) link
tom petty too, i guess. were people pissed off because they were promised revolution and were greeted with a tom petty ripoff?
― brimstead, Saturday, 22 July 2017 00:50 (seven years ago) link
xxpost:
This is a compliment coming from you, Frederik, so I couldn't thank you enough!
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Saturday, 22 July 2017 00:52 (seven years ago) link
I think people were pissed off because the music press had worked themselves up in such a lather to call it a classic that when they finally heard it they asked themselves, well, "Is This It?" ... It'd be so easy to attack these guys for being a bunch of poshos slumming it, but that's far down the bottom of the list. What it boils down to, for me, is that I'm just not convinced by the songwriting. There's a couple of strong moments at the back half but ultimately the record feels like a style-over-substance deal to me.
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Saturday, 22 July 2017 00:58 (seven years ago) link
Also, I find Casablancas' voice very inexpressive, and even when he emotes it sounds curiously empty - the production doesn't help matters either.
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Saturday, 22 July 2017 01:02 (seven years ago) link
it's only overrated in that it's not 10/10 best album of the decade etc., still pretty great
i do think if the production felt a bit fuller it'd be better but when they tried modern rock production on FIOE it was definitely not an improvement
― ufo, Saturday, 22 July 2017 01:58 (seven years ago) link
You do you, Turrican. But I'll laugh when you've also started threads on every early aughts also-ran. I mean, it's hard to argue that The Strokes isn't 'style over substance', since every time someone praises them, it's always the style that we end up talking about. It's a great style. But if the substantive alternative is supposed to be White Stripes and Maximo Park, then... I'm fine with some great style.
― Frederik B, Saturday, 22 July 2017 12:33 (seven years ago) link
I'll laugh when you've also started threads on every early aughts also-ran.
Then I guess you'll be laughing on the other side of your face when the penny drops and you'll find I actually haven't. Might take a couple of years.
Yes, Elephant and A Certain Trigger are superior records to Is This It?, and in fact to describe The White Stripes as "also-rans" demonstrates that you really don't know what you're talking about. Business as usual, then.
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Saturday, 22 July 2017 12:47 (seven years ago) link
Well, it certainly feels as if you have a thread for every also-ran, but if you haven't talked about The Rakes yet, then I profoundly apologize.
― Frederik B, Saturday, 22 July 2017 13:07 (seven years ago) link
None of the '00s indie bands discussed over the last couple of days were also-rans, come to think of it.
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Saturday, 22 July 2017 13:14 (seven years ago) link
I think people were pissed off because the music press had worked themselves up in such a lather to call it a classic that when they finally heard it they asked themselves, well, "Is This It?" ... It'd be so easy to attack these guys for being a bunch of poshos slumming it, but that's far down the bottom of the list.
this. all the snark and hostility upthread could have only come from people engrossed in the music press, reacting against hype. the songs themselves are very catchy and seem hard to dislike. room on fire is still better though.
fred's whiney impression itt gets a C-.
― Treeship, Saturday, 22 July 2017 14:03 (seven years ago) link
Also, I find Casablancas' voice very inexpressive,
this was intentional, i thought? their schtick is ennui, longing, rock n roll attempted underneath the weight of history
― Treeship, Saturday, 22 July 2017 14:05 (seven years ago) link
lizzie goodman's recent book meet me in the bathroom about the lead up to and 'fallout' of this album is super entertaining in its just kill me straight dope interviews and also deeply depressing when considering how conservative and limited the musical scope of this scene was. so many people involved in the rise of this album, in goodman's book, at least, are either bullshitting or really believe 'there was nothing good happening in music at all when the strokes came along' i feel sad when i look at my built to spill and yo la tengo etc records
― reggie (qualmsley), Saturday, 22 July 2017 14:11 (seven years ago) link
I hate that kind of "X was Year Zero" shit - it's stupid. The whole idea that one can just write off hundreds upon thousands of years of musical history by pressing some kind of reset button is just totally fucking dumb.
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Saturday, 22 July 2017 14:44 (seven years ago) link
xp in goodman's book, they were specifically talking about the New York rock scene, which certainly had hit a lull before the strokes and friends arrived. but yeah a few times I wanted to retroactively buy them a PATH ticket so they could see YLT at maxwell's
― Many men scream death (voodoo chili), Saturday, 22 July 2017 15:36 (seven years ago) link
I like Is This It but it's not a transcendent masterpiece like Turn on the Bright Lights or Antics.
― flappy bird, Saturday, 22 July 2017 15:59 (seven years ago) link
I don't think either of those records are much cop either, tbf.
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Saturday, 22 July 2017 16:08 (seven years ago) link
is this it has some pretty nice guided by voices guitar, ric o producing pollard/gillard backing lou reed moments, especially "hard to explain". julian is also a way more convincing lyricist, at least early on, than fellow rich kid banks
― reggie (qualmsley), Saturday, 22 July 2017 16:53 (seven years ago) link
I've been giving The White Stripes a concentrated listen that I've never really given them before - I actually saw them live at Roskilde 2002 when I was fifteen, one of the first rock shows I saw, and it was so bad I've never bothered with them since - and it struck me how the Stripes and the Strokes are almost opposites in a way. The White Stripes are riffs without rhythm while The Strokes are rhythm without riffs.
― Frederik B, Monday, 24 July 2017 11:35 (seven years ago) link
err I guess that would be another illustration of the ILM debate "what is a riff ?" but the strokes have plenty of riffs imo !
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 24 July 2017 11:43 (seven years ago) link
Well, sorta, in the same way that Television has riffs, but listening to a song like Someday it's striking that it's really just rhythmic cells stopping and starting. Of course it depends on how you defines riffs, but there's nothing like with Seven Nations Army which is constantly being driven along by this big fat guitar figure (though in a way Strokes has way more riffs than White Stripes, because they have at least five small ones per song)
― Frederik B, Monday, 24 July 2017 11:48 (seven years ago) link
Well, I don't know, just counting the first 2 albums, all these are various kinds of big riffs (for me) : barely legalalone togetherhard to explainnyc copsraptilia12:51meet me in the bathroomI can't win...
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 24 July 2017 12:45 (seven years ago) link
(argh I did it, I got in the "what is a riff" debate !)
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 24 July 2017 12:47 (seven years ago) link
Let's do Barely Legal :)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64-JxFMsbr0
What part of it would you call a big riff?
― Frederik B, Monday, 24 July 2017 13:02 (seven years ago) link
I kinda like this discussion, could be fun if we keep it cordial.
oh of course, don't worry, I don't get upset for that kind of things !again, it obviously depends on what one considers a riff is. for me, it's usually (but not set in stone) the musical phrase played by whatever instrument that is recurrent along a song and kinda defines it when you think of said song.In your example, it would be the opening lick by the lead guitar.to take your other example, seven nation army is obviously a perfect example of another kind of riff (the kind that most people consider IS a riff).
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 24 July 2017 13:10 (seven years ago) link
and for instance in NYC cops, the opening lead guitar also plays a big riff.
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 24 July 2017 13:14 (seven years ago) link
Well, nitpicking, but the opening lick never recurs, does it?I mean, I can't really disagree with you, it's definitely riffs as in it's - quite memorable - figures, and a lot of them define the song. But on the other hand, they're just small two tone figures, so simple, so mechanical, and really much more distinctive for the way they change the rhythm - the way the bass and rhythm guitar begins being syncopated right before the chorus.
― Frederik B, Monday, 24 July 2017 13:30 (seven years ago) link
ahah, right after writing about "barely legal" I though the exact same thing : I haven't listened to it in a while so yeah, maybe it doesn't come back... which makes it even stronger than I thought it was !so yeah, you might not count it as a riff then (that said, that reminds me of an interview with Bernard Butler about "animal nitrate" where he said that its opening riff was very important especially because it's only played once during the song).as for the other riffs, yeah, I totally get what you mean. of course, riffs like "seven nation army" are more obviously "riffs".but back to "barely legal" and its 4 notes riff, there's not really a difference in nature if you compare to classic riffs like "satisfaction".and the riff for "hard to explain" is also not essentially different from "sweet child of mine".(not comparing quality here obviously)
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 24 July 2017 13:41 (seven years ago) link
"soma" has a great riff
― reggie (qualmsley), Monday, 24 July 2017 13:58 (seven years ago) link
For me, the difference is that the riff in Satisfaction lives by it's singularity, the way it sounds like an alarm, the little human ways it's played differently through out the song. It communicates as a figure. The riffs in Barely Legal doesn't communicate on their own, but in their interplay. I would never say the opening figure defines the song, I remember the switch between verse and chorus, mainly.
But we are mostly just having different ideas of what riffs are.
― Frederik B, Monday, 24 July 2017 14:06 (seven years ago) link
I mean, clearly there are rhythms in a White Stripes song as well, but making totally accurate descriptions wouldn't sound so good.
― Frederik B, Monday, 24 July 2017 14:08 (seven years ago) link
Soma is one of their songs where I really don't get what is rhythm guitar and what is lead guitar
― Frederik B, Monday, 24 July 2017 14:10 (seven years ago) link
Is "Sweet child o'mine"'s lead guitar line a riff for you ?
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 24 July 2017 14:36 (seven years ago) link
i love that Hard To Explain gets away with only a single chord in the chorus
― ufo, Monday, 24 July 2017 14:43 (seven years ago) link
uh ? nah there are like 3 chords in there iirc.
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 24 July 2017 14:50 (seven years ago) link
But the rhythm guitar plays one chord only. Good trick. They do the same in Barely Legal opening riff, that stays the same though chords change around it.
Yeah, I'd say Sweet Child of Mine is a riff, and a kinda Strokes'y one at that, no? 12:51 especially sounds a lot like it. But it has that precise inhuman nature as well.
― Frederik B, Monday, 24 July 2017 15:00 (seven years ago) link
yeah it's only the bass that changes and it's relatively low in the mix,
there are a lot of strokes riffs/parts that sound very like sweet child o mine, but always in a much tenser context
― ufo, Monday, 24 July 2017 15:05 (seven years ago) link
yeah, they did that trick a lot. it's a good one to create some harmonic tension (and it was fun watching Albert Hammond Jr strumming his guitar like a maniac on these parts).
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 24 July 2017 15:06 (seven years ago) link
The whole thing is really just a G-chord, though, you're right it's true, with Julian traveling from D to H to G.
― Frederik B, Monday, 24 July 2017 15:27 (seven years ago) link
love them H chords
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Monday, 24 July 2017 15:30 (seven years ago) link