The Strokes use to rule my world back in 2001. Raw, edgy guitar sound that I had never heard before. And they looked so totally utterly cool. No one sounded or looked like them.
Now of course, it’s different. After The Strokes came a whole slew of guitar-heavy bands. Even bands that didn’t come from New York (like Phantom Planet, the California poster boys) started to copy The Strokes in look and sound. Unfortunately for The Strokes, they started to pale in comparison to the copycats. Because they never reinvented themselves album after album; and worse, their albums never could capture the raw spontaneity of their original EP, the one that blasted them to fame.
If you want to hear what The Strokes should sound like, take a listen to The Harlem Shakes. Lo-fi garage rock that sets your feet (and heart) thumping! The rawness is all there, and they sound genuine rather than manufactured. They’ve actually been around for at least 2-3 years, but are still unsigned. But there’s starting to be a buzz about them in various music blogs, so hopefully things will change for them.
The Harlem Shakes – Disco 5000
The Harlem Shakes – Eighteen
The Harlem Shakes official site.
An interview with the band at Gothamist.
The one all the way to the right just doesn’t look right.
Comment by Ali Hassan — December 17, 2007 @ 10:20 am
woh, you don not know what you’re talking about. do some more research before posting an article like this!!!
Comment by Tyze — March 5, 2008 @ 8:04 pm