Blueprinting: How The Strokes spent 25 years defining a generation with 'Is This It'
At the start of the 2000s, rock was everywhere but it had started to feel stuck. MTV was packed with nu metal and post-grunge: Limp Bizkit, Korn, Linkin Park, Creed and Nickelback selling heavy riffs, choruses and polished aggression. Woodstock ‘99 was billed as a celebration. It became one of rock’s most disturbing nights.
The Strokes formed in late-1990s New York and played rooms like Mercury Lounge and Bowery Ballroom, sharpening a stripped-back sound far from mainstream rock. Early demos, including The Modern Age EP, reached the UK press before they had released an album. By Camden’s Barfly, Britain was treating them like the future.
‘Is This It’ did not sound built for radio dominance. Gordon Raphael recorded the band together in one room, keeping the live feel instead of smoothing it out. Casablancas pushed his voice through a small Peavey amp and distortion pedal, making it sound distant, cracked and half-bored. The guitars were thin but sharp. The drums stayed tight. Most songs were under three minutes. The trick was how little they added.
Even the cover became part of the story. Outside America, Is This It used Colin Lane’s photograph of a gloved hand on a woman’s hip: stylish, suggestive and New York. In the US, it was replaced by a particle-collision image after concerns around the original artwork. Somehow, both covers fit the record.
The response was immediate. At the 2002 NME Awards, The Strokes won Best New Act, Band of the Year and Album of the Year. That same year, they won Best International Newcomer at the BRIT Awards.
For bands watching from the outside, Is This It felt like permission. Brandon Flowers scrapped early Killers material after hearing it. Arctic Monkeys took that fast, street-level guitar energy and made it their own. The Libertines and Franz Ferdinand carried that lean sound through the decade.
‘Is This It’ turns 25 this year, and is still considered the most influential rock debut of its generation. Now, six years later, the Strokes return with ‘Reality Awaits’ which is available for pre-order at The Revolver Club.
Comments
Billie Vargas —
Greetings to everyone on the Internet. Priest Alaska is a powerful and wonderful man here on earth. I lost my father a month ago, and we were preparing for his funeral so he could rest in peace. My siblings and I were organizing the burial ceremony, but at the time, I didn’t have the money for the funeral expenses, so I decided to look for information about lotteries online. That’s when I saw a comment from someone testifying about how Priest Alaska had helped them win the Mega Millions lottery and become a millionaire. I reached out to him, explained my problem, and he promised to help me win the Mega Millions draw; he kept his word and sent me the six winning numbers. I played those numbers and was the first winner to be notified. Just imagine: Priest Alaska helped me win $335 million! It all happened within 24 hours of him casting the lottery spell for me. Please join me in thanking Priest Alaska for the excellent work he did for me and my family. I was able to pay for all the funeral expenses for my late father. You can contact Priest Alaska via email at alaskaspellcaster44@gmail.com or WhatsApp him +233 59 274 5728
musette chastian —
HIRE BEST AI HACKER RECOVERY CRYPTOCURRENCY / BANK ACCT RECOVERY EXPERT OPTIMUM HACKER RECOVERY
I want to say a big thank to Wizard Hackers Recovery highly skilled professionals with backgrounds in cybersecurity, blockchain technology, softwares and law enforcement
I am aware that there were a lot of potential outcomes for the recent online investment and scams. When I bought a phony binary option and lost $270,000 in Bitcoin, I was in your position. However, with Wizard Hacker Recovery Pro’s assistance, I was able to recover my money. They helped me get my stolen Bitcoin back. Although they were recommended to me by a buddy whom I highly trust, at first I didn’t trust them. I was able to receive my refund in days . For your use, Wizard Hacker Recovery Pro has provided their contact information below
( TELEGRAM : @wizardhackersrecovery )
( +447347223720/ + 1-256-256-8636 for WhatsApp )
The
Thank me later
Richard Kee Jr —
I wish the best of luck to everyone reading this comment! Last year, I filed for bankruptcy after several business failures. I used to play the lottery just for fun, but as my financial situation worsened, I sought help to win a major prize; that was when I found a man named Priest Alaska, who has helped countless people around the world with their financial troubles. He cast a powerful spell for me that revealed secret lucky numbers. I played those numbers and, to my surprise, discovered I had won the $209.3 million Powerball jackpot after just 7 months and 14 days exactly as he had predicted. Today, I am debt-free and have various investments around the world. Without Priest Alaska, I would not have overcome the hardships I faced last year. Priest Alaska is truly a divine presence among us. If you are currently facing difficulties in any aspect of your life, contact Priest Alaska using the information below.
You can contact him via email: alaskaspellcaster44@gmail.com
Visit his website for more information: https://dralaskaspellcaster.mystrikingly.com
Billy Hansell —
Winning a multi million dollar lotto is a life changing event for almost any winner. My name is Billy Hansell from Chicopee, Massachusetts, and I would like to take this opportunity to tell you how I became the famous winner of the $758 million (£591 million) Powerball jackpot. I know many people wonder how I secured this lottery win. Would you believe me if I told you I did it with the help of a spell? I met a famous spell caster named Priest Alaska, and he was the one who made it happen for me. As surprising as it was even to me my famous comment to the press was, “I’m going to go crawl into bed now” I never imagined that Priest Alaska would make me rich overnight. If you, too, want to seize the chance to win big and achieve great wealth just as I did then contact Priest Alaska via email at alaskaspellcaster44@gmail.com or learn more about Priest Alaska on his website: https://dralaskaspellcaster.mystrikingly.com Fortune will smile upon you, too. Thanks for reading I hope to see you at the top.
Geo Gomez —
HOW I RECOVER $690,000 FROM FAKE INVESTMENT BROKER ONLINE
A few months ago, I found myself in a precarious situation when I fell victim to a deceptive trading platform. During my research on how to get my funds back, I came across WIZARD GEO COORDINATES RECOVERY through Google and YouTube. What caught my attention was that they said they would not require any upfront payment before providing their recovery service. I decided to contact them to discuss my case and understand their process. WIZARD GEO COORDINATES RECOVERY offers professional services in cybersecurity and digital recovery for individuals and businesses. I am deeply grateful for their support. If you have fallen victim to a Bitcoin scam or any other form of cryptocurrency fraud, don’t give up. Reach out to WIZARD GEO COORDINATES RECOVERY Contact:
Email: geovcoordinateshacker@gmail.com
Website; https://geovcoordinateshac.wixsite.com/geo-coordinates-hack
Telegram @Geocoordinateshacker
I was genuinely impressed by the professionalism and expertise and i consider myself incredibly fortunate to have reached out to them
Evelyn Lawson —
Nothing is impossible if you truly believe you can achieve it. I have been trying to expand my wine business in my hometown, White Plains. For the past eight years, I had played the lottery in my spare time, but on one blessed day, I came across an article about Priest Alaska’s lottery-winning spell. I contacted Priest Alaska to see if it would work, and after agreeing to his terms and conditions for the work, he used his magical powers on my behalf; he provided the numbers I needed to play, and I followed his instructions. At the store, I discovered that I had won a $123 million jackpot. For a moment I felt uncertain, but I looked again and saw that it was real. My life has taken an extraordinary turn going from nothing to prosperity and I have come to realize that life has a spiritual dimension; with Priest Alaska’s spell, winning the lottery is truly possible. Priest Alaska’s contact details are as follows: email alaskaspellcaster44@gmail.com or his website https://dralaskaspellcaster.mystrikingly.com.
anna alvanica —
HOW I GOT BACK MY HUSBAND FROM ANOTHER WOMAN WHO HAD A SPELL ON HIM.
I want to appreciate Doctor Vusi +27765871390 for what he has done for me and my family. I was passing through terrible things. The problem started when my husband return back from work and I discovered that his character has changed and few months after he said he is no more interested again in the marriage and I love my husband so much, all my effort to bring my husband back was abortive. I have concluded that my husband will never come back to me again. But I saw people comments on the net about Dr.Vusi how he has helped them in various ways and then my hope of getting my husband back increased and I contacted Dr Vusi about my issue and he said it is a small thing, I should relax my mind that within 48hours my husband will by himself come back home. I never believe Doctor Vusi because I have be hearing about spiritual power but don’t believe that the power work. To my greatest surprise I saw my husband from the window and I rush-out to meet him and he was crying that he never knew what came over him after seeing a lady outside our marriage. I was very happy and I promise to tell people about great and powerful DOCTOR VUSI Spellcaster who has returned my joy back to me. Here is the great DOCTOR Contacts: Call/WhatsApp: +27765871390 Email: drvusispells@gmail.com Website: www.quickresultspells.com
Linda —
(Linda’s Recovery story)
i lost a large sum to a fake high-yield investment platform that vanished overnight. Desperate, i contacted coinmattergroups@outlook.com. They verified my transaction records, traced the funds, and coordinated recovery without large upfront fees. After weeks of updates, a substantial portion of my stolen assets was returned. Relief finally replaced months of fear.
In summary you’re not alone if you’ve being a victim of any form of online scam report it today to coinmattergroups@outlook.com and you might have a chance at getting your assets back.