walking upstream…
The Strokes
photo: raph_ph · cc by 2.0 ↗The Strokes
sourcesWikipedia · Far Out Magazine · Rolling Stone
Five New York kids in vintage leather jackets, the Strokes turned scuzzy CBGB-era swagger into 2001's most influential three minutes of guitar music, Julian Casablancas singing through a deliberately blown-out mic pre-amp like he'd rather be anywhere but the spotlight. Is This It arrived lean, unpolished, and utterly assured, and it single-handedly relit the fuse for a whole generation of garage-rock revivalists on both sides of the Atlantic.
the sound in question
2001
Last NiteThe Strokes
walk the tributaries ↓
The Velvet Underground1960s-70s · Art rock / Proto-punk / Experimental rock
Casablancas has said the Strokes 'definitely drew from the vibe of the Velvets' early on, admiring how matter-of-factly Lou Reed could sing about drugs, sex, and the people around him without moralizing about any of it.
listen: upstream & here
1970
Sweet JaneThe Velvet Underground
2001
SomedayThe Strokes
listen forLine up the Velvet Underground's Sweet Jane against the Strokes' Someday — both ride a simple, chugging chord pattern under a half-bored, half-charming vocal, the sound of downtown New York not caring whether you're impressed.
The Doors1960s · Psychedelic rock / Rock
Casablancas has cited the Doors as an early influence on the band's sound and arrangements rather than Jim Morrison's rock-star mythology specifically — a template for turning a small combo into something moody and cinematic.
listen: upstream & here
1967
Break On Through (To the Other Side)The Doors
2001
The Modern AgeThe Strokes
listen forPlay the Doors' Break On Through (To the Other Side), then the Strokes' The Modern Age — listen for how both bands build a whole song's tension out of a tight rhythm section and a restless, unresolved lead line.
Ramones1970s · Punk rock
Critics writing about Is This It repeatedly reached for the Ramones as shorthand for the record's brash, no-frills economy — three chords, no solos, songs over almost as soon as they start.
listen: upstream & here
1976
Blitzkrieg BopRamones
2001
Hard to ExplainThe Strokes
listen forPut on the Ramones' Blitzkrieg Bop next to the Strokes' Hard to Explain — the tempos and haircuts differ, but the same stripped-down, all-forward-motion attack is doing the work in both.