#114 The Strokes, 'Is This It' (2001)

Previously #199

Leading the pack of “The” bands in the early 2000s, The Strokes burst onto the music scene catapulting indie music into the mainstream. Vocalist and songwriter, Julian Casablancas (with a name like that he was destined for stardom), met guitarist, Albert Hammond Jr. at boarding school in Switzerland. The two bonded over music but lost contact when Casablancas moved back to NYC. Upon his return, he would connect with guitarist Nick Valensi and drummer Fab Moretti at school in Manhattan. Years later, he reconnected with Hammond Jr. who would be invited to join the group that would become The Strokes.

With songs like ‘Is This It,’ ‘Barely Legal,’ ‘Someday,’ ‘Last Nite’ and ‘Hard To Explain,’ the band set the tone for guitar music in the early 2000s. On its release, the album created some controversy due to its sexually explicit album cover. The album was released early in July 2001 in Australia to capitalize on a tour. It would also receive early released in Japan and the UK for the same reason. Originally due to be released in the US on 25 September, the CD was delayed, as due to the September 11 attacks, the song ‘New York City Cops’ was removed the CD had to be remanufactured. The vinyl was actually released on September 11th in the US and included that track. The album came out at a tumultuous time in US history and has gone on to become one of the great New York albums of the 2000s, influencing countless bands in years to come.

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