What ever happened to Gay Dad?

this is the sort of talk, that I dig about music.

am on 'don't think twice, it's alright'....., beth orton trailer park, tasha lee's album, strokes, some african guy's soundtrack to an indie movie, where, if I were to try spelling it, I would get 'flamed', dj shadow, trashmonk, the temptations, the eels song 'everything is going to be alright this christmas, pattern 45 wet circuit city, the hives and gorecki.

i do love music. sometimes, it's my life. thus, am easy to take the piss out of.

By that definition maybe the Strokes do have soul, because they certainly have enough of mommy and daddy's money that they needn't create in order acquire riches. Shame about that money buying them access to music media and record labels and their passing themselves off as elegantly wasted boho Lower East Side types though.

:calms down from apoplexy::

OK, for those of you who haven't heard it a million times before, my problem with The Strokes is that they are being hyped as this continuation of the NY "Art Punk" tradition, compared to VU, through Television through Jonathan Fire*Eater all that stuff.

The Strokes are to the VU what Oasis are to the Beatles- a watered down imitation made palatable to the MTV generation.

What Tom said about "being too busy posing and worrying about looking cool to actually have any soul" is their very problem. They've aped the look and the style of that scene, but captured none of the substance.

If you want a band that *measures up* to those reviews, waste no time with The Sucks, but go out and get yourself a French Kicks record. Far superior, they back up the style and affectations with truly intriguing music.

Doompatrol, you are exactly the sort of person who *SHOULD* love The Strokes.

I rest my case.

[/eom]

One *possible* reason is also the solution to the NME's amazement at why a little-known band can be featured on the catwalks of Milan (in the lead to the I love NY) cover story: Because the lead singer's father is John Casablancas, the head of Elite modeling

So when they tell the NME "everything just sort of happened, we don't know how" and Rolling Stone that better get a record deal because they are "three months behind on the rent" they neglect to mention that they live in Gramercy Park and the Upper East Side. They neglect to mention that even though they can't pay the rent, the former assistant booker at the Mercury quit to become their manager, the guy who handles Rufus Wainwright, Elastica, Nelly Furtado and other major-label types is their publicist and that Courtney Love's lawyer is their lawyer. So while they feign surprise at the most rapid rise to prominance of any new band in recent memory (check the comprable rise of the Avalanches and Sigur Rós) and complain about how poor they are, who's paying all those people's bills? I'm not saying it's John Casablancas, but...

But they look adorable in that rakish Lower East Side way don't they?

by the way, you don't know me, masonic boom, so please refrain from those comments, that pretend that you do, indeed, know me in some way.

can someone please answer the question?

From an ill-tempered e-mail I sent last week:

"And then you get something like The Strokes coming up, and everyone on the 'scene' seems to go mad for them, because it's something familiar that they recognise and can label rock - I think basically any writer who starts frothing over a band like The Strokes should lose their job. Not that they're a bad band, particularly."

I think paid journos going mad over the Strokes is more laziness than enthusiasm. That may be cynical of me but so be it.

And Kate hates the Strokes, and Scott thinks they're fakers, and you think they're great, and I think they're OK and overrated currently - it's a spectrum of opinion and that's why we have a forum in the first place.

The Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody" is a good song.

The music isn't bad, I don't think it's great, but...It's the free pass that bothers me, the band being allowed to cultivate this image and everyone else happily pushing the prodcut for their own gain, but, hey why does that surpise me?

why the HELL did Rough Trade, of all people, actually fall for it? As a label and an institution, they have too good a rep to be sullied by this nonsense. Got any ideas? I want to be shocked by allegations that the resolutely indie but failing label has accepted a major cash injection from a shite band's father in order to fund the far more interesting output of bands like Moldy Peaches...

Now wouldn't that be an interesting conspiracy?

don't you find yourselves draining?

it's not like it's a britney spears record.

Things turned around for the Strokes (they had been playing in and around NYC for a couple of years before much notice, that's sort of out of the official bio these days) once Ryan Gentles, a former Mercury Longue employee who is very reputable in NYC as well as a very nice fellow, I'm told -- he's just doing his job I don't want to disparage him at all, became their manager it turned heads, they got bigger shows, and he got them the deal at Rough Trade. The thing is that he quit his full-time job to work for only them -- about the time they told Rolling Stone they couldn't even pay the rent. That's one of the places where the finances don't add up.

They don't fit on U.S. radio and they are too polished for most U.S. indie fans. In the future the Strokes will be...the Dandy Warhols.

Actually, the difference between the Strokes and the Dandys is that they Dandys have the actual secret weapon that is Peter Holmstrom (only member with actual *talent* as opposed to looks, 'Tood and nudity).

Me and my boy actually did both buy the single, for the same reason as you two did. ;-) See, that's the secret reason I'm bad-mouthing them so much. There are hundreds of bands I really loathe. I just want to give them the bad press so the disc will be worth something in a year...

But, to bring the thread full circle, what are the chances that The Strokes will be the next Gay Dad in a year?

signing off..

paul.

Patrick: Yeah, that's the ultimate irony in a thread in which I called a band "hypocrites." I bought the record early thanks to all of the kudos, and then furrowed my brow after the unanimous praise and got a bit curious.

Masonic Boom: Yeah, sorry, the Dandys aren't my favorites, but I meant to say that's the sort of level of fame the Strokes will get. (probably a big crossover in fan base as well, at least here where the Dandys get approval from the indiepoppers and Britpop kids)

Bill

Holy shit, I think I auditioned for them in about 1995/6. From what I remember, they were excellent garage/surf sort of stuff. However, this was five years ago. Didn't know they were still around. And Peelie played them? Will have to look them up and see if they're around.

Dammit, if *we* were American, Peel would love us. Sigh. Oh, wait... ::grins::

"I Hate Music" was taken, sadly.

Hey! Who would have guessed a Gay Dad thread would get upwards of 75 posts?

See, other people hate them too. Humph. And now I have substantiated *reason* to dislike them, well, what, apart from their lack of talent and all.

I do have to note that though the boy did not want to go out tonight, claims to loathe Pooptones with a passion, hates schmoozing, etc. etc. etc, it is now midnight and he's not back yet. Humph.

Are there any of Stevie Ray's ideas that Momus hasn't pilfered?

Lots of interesting comments about the Strokes in this thread... and months before the debut album came out (no pun intended)

i am kind of curious about gay dad though... any good?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C3rzu81UMAA_M5T.jpg

Wiki:

Since 2013, Jones has managed the Radiophonic Workshop, (a.k.a. BBC Radiophonic Workshop).

...what??!!

Does he employ the old drummer to make fresh funky beats for the shires?

I almost went along to see the Workshop recreate the Doctor Who theme with tapes (not sure if copies or the originals) of the multitracks for a BBC doc. then Covid happened.

I really like "Different Kind of Blue" off their debut