Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Bands That Suck Balls: THE STROKES


When I was in college in the early 2000's I was young and naive, and still held out hope for the future of rock and roll. So when magazines and music channels everywhere proclaimed the "Return of Rock" to mainstream music, I had faith that maybe we were about to hit the new decade's first new wave of cool rock music. After all every era before had ushered in some cool new musical sound, brought to the forefront by a bunch of revolutionary cool bands. So I went ahead and bought all of the cds released by the so called "The" bands in an effort to open my mind to a new era of Rad rock music. So one day, on a chill Tuesday in the dorm, my roommate and I decided to just chill out, drink beers, play Madden and definitely NOT smoke any marijuana while analyzing this new wave of cool bands. Shuffle between The White Stripes, The Vines, The Hives, and The Strokes see which bands/songs caught our ear. Well the only band that really grabbed our attention were The White Stripes. They turned out to be a Rad band that churned out a couple of pretty solid rock albums and gained a rep as one of the best live bands in the biz before calling it quits today. The shittiest band of the bunch, of course ended up being the one with the most staying power, as they are still filling concert halls playing dipshit rock jams for all the cool kids to bop to. And still getting blown by the music media everytime they release a fart. This week's Band That Sucks Balls: THE STROKES.

It really is appropriate that the same week The White Stripes call it quits, The Strokes would release a new shitty single that receives critical praise, and announce the upcoming release of their next garage rock masterpiece. You know, just to completely piss me off and further question my faith in the future of rock. The Strokes absolutely suck dick. They don't write good catchy hooks. They don't have a unique sound. They can't play their instruments for shit. Their music is not enjoyable in any situation or context. So obviously they are critical darlings, every hollywood dickhead's favorite trendy band, and the hippest rock band from the Big Apple. The Strokes are basically what I would define as Andy Warhol hipsters. They are hipsters that actually got rich and famous for being artsy and trendy, and now get to hang out drinking champagne at art exhibits and fashion shows with supermodels without having produced anything of substance. I mean look at these fucktards. With their leather jackets, sunglasses, slightly long girly hair, and tattered t-shirts. No doubt wearing Converse Chuck Taylors and retro vans. The Strokes' look screams "Whoa check us out we're just an average band from the big city, scraping by in a studio apartment, that saves up enough money a week for beer and ramen." Even though they are actually rich and famous and get to hang at all of the hot spots and A-list parties.

The Strokes' tattered look is actually a clever marketing ploy to make them look like a young Rad band struggling to make it playing shows in dive bars, and drinking PBR. When in reality they are spending the weekend partying with Tommy Hilfiger and Kate Moss drinking $200 vodka. This look of course distracts everyone from the fact that their music is no-talent 3 chord garage rock bullshit. Since they kinda look cool and got famous enough to party with all the stars of US Weekly covers, they get name dropped a lot by celebs as this revolutionary awesome band whose latest CD is always what's "spinning in my (their*) stereo on repeat." All those assholes that will name off The Clash and Velvet Underground as musical icons way before joining all the conformists that happen to enjoy Rolling Stones records. Yeah they BLOW The Strokes constantly. There is nothing cool about The Strokes actual music but as long as they give off an aura of cool, it lends credibility to their complete mediocrity in the musical chops dept. The Strokes are basically "socialites" except they actually have some occupation (member of shitty rock band). Other than that all they are paid to do by their record label is look cool walking in and out of clubs at night wearing sunglasses and leather jackets, while smoking cigarettes.

Oh sorry did I forget to mention that all their music is completely awful and sounds EXACTLY the same? I don't know if you can even call their music "3 chord rock." Half the time each dickhead with a guitar plays one jangling repetitive note, that happens to be slightly higher than the chord being played by the assfuck to the left of them. The drummer doesn't really do anything other than slowly tapping one or two pieces of his kit while swinging his girly curls in the air. Their singer "Julian Casablancas" is your typical craptastic douchebag rock "frontman" that brings nothing in his repertoire that urges the crowd to pump their fist. First of all, his fucking name is "Julian." I don't care how much rock and roll heritage you have running through your veins, if your name is "Julian" there is zero chance that you rock...at all.


Julian brings his own unique brand of "singing" to the table which entails switching his voice into random octaves in a scatterbrain matter that doesn't flow in any logical fashion. He starts out by kinda crooning like a hipster Sinatra meets Lou Reed. More talking in a monotone voice than "singing" per se. Then at the hook he screams in some weird screechy yelp like a poor man's Iggy Pop after consuming few too many vodka tonics and American Spirit cigs. Basically this is every Strokes song ever written:

Dipshit guitarist 1: dang dang dang dang dang dang dang dang...

Dipshit Guitarist 2: ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding...

(Incompetent drummer starts tapping away)

Julian: "last night I..was..standing..there..and taking..you over to me. And you said...lets go..and I said..."raaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh taaaaake meeee toooo theeeeeere raaaaaah!!!!!!"

(Repeat steps 1-4 twice to complete shitty 2:46 long track)

Look I can take The White Stripes calling it quits as long as in some sort of grand fair compromise in the world of rock and roll, we can get the above assholes to stop making music. Or at least get some of the dipshit celebs and fuckface critics that laud their work to get off their knees. The ability to look trendy and discuss New York Dolls records with Madonna at the Versace party doesn't make you a rock star. It makes you a socialite cock with an overpriced Stooges t-shirt that happens to know how to play an instrument as effectively as a 3rd grader.

31 comments:

  1. BY THE TITLES OF YOUR LABELS, I CAN TELL THAT YOUR A SAD, LONELY, PISSED MOTHERFUCKER.
    YOU INSOLENT PIG!!!!!

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  2. I've yet to hear a song from the strokes but all I can say is they fkn suck dix and dix and dix. Fuck u everyone who adores them!

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  3. The Strokes Suck? No!!! The Strokes are some of the best damn musicians I've ever seen. They are flawless live and write kick-ass music. THe White Stripes? Haha the same things you said about the strokes can be said to them. Alot of people cited them as a crappy rip-off of the strokes style. You sir are a little jizzstain that won't come out of the carpet. You fat donkey you

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  4. I cannot agree more. These guys ruined jazzfest 2011 in New Orleans. Lucky for me, a real, local artist named Shammar Allen played before these cocksuckers so at least I got my money's worth.

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  5. I found your blog looking for something to reinforce my dislike of The Strokes (they call it confirmation bias).

    I was not disappointed. It's so refreshing to see someone rant against the status quo with such piss and vinegar!

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  6. So uhh, I don’t even know where to start. I’ve never seen so much bullshit written in one place. Firstly, you’re reasoning for hating on most bands is so ridiculously shallow. Your arguments are based almost entirely on their appearance and background…things that have nothing to do with a band’s sound. Sometimes reading this shit makes me wonder if you’ve even bothered listening to whatever band you’re “reviewing.” And I’m sorry to be the one to break this to you, but this immature name-calling that you seem to think is so clever, does not, in any way, make your brainless arguments any more valid. Seriously, “dick holes,” “cock gobblers?” It’s like you’re a grade school kid who just learned a couple new swear words. I find it ironic that one of your “articles” goes on a tangent about pitchfork reviews being useless and telling you nothing about a bands sound when I don’t think I’ve ever read something where you make an actual attempt to describe a band without making fun of their appearance, questioning their sexual orientation (bringing me back to the ‘grade school kid’ simile) or hating on them for having a higher education (a. How does that in any way affect their music? And b. Why do their college degrees piss you off so much? It’s like you’re out to get them for it. Seems to me that someone received a few too many college rejection letters for their liking…) or questioning their sexual orientation (Again, really fucking mature). I’m not even going to go into you’re closed-mindedness when it comes to music, and really just closed-mindedness in general. I will however say this one last thing…If you think there’s no good rock music anymore, it’s simply because you don’t want to face the fact that your glory days are gone and you’re just a washed-up old fart who just can’t keep up with music anymore.

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    1. Why is it shallow to judge people based on the depth of their character? Are you literally stupid? Its shallow to just like something to like it with no consideration. Way to post a huge wall of STUPID.

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  8. "If you think there’s no good rock music anymore, it’s simply because you don’t want to face the fact that your glory days are gone and you’re just a washed-up old fart who just can’t keep up with music anymore."

    No, no... the problem is we can keep up because we've already heard it. If I wanted to listen to something like the Strokes, I can go back to a dozen different albums from the NYC bands in the late 70s and hear the real McCoy.

    I'd love to not be able to keep up. That would mean something innovative was happening. Instead, I've just become disgusted with the musical parody that rock and roll has become. Rock used to piss off one generation to the next because it was edgy and vital. Now it is just boring and cliche. That is why a lot of us hate The Strokes and their ilk. They are critical darlings and the next big thing simply because they are little more than a poor facsimile of the last big thing. Influenced is one thing. Being a terrible clone is another.

    People like you propping up what is little more than a farce allowed to happen by critics and the cultural intelligentsia are who have killed rock. It's turned something once reckless and fun into nothing more than a genre of standards. The Strokes have far more in common with a bunch of music school students soullessly belting out jazz standards than Little Richard or Joey Ramone.

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  9. Great blog, but of all the CDs that you bought, didn't you like Queens of the Stone Age?

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  10. You took the words right out of my mouth, your description of The Strokes' awfulness is absolutely spot on. I'm a musician myself and I just can't STAND these guys. Worst "band" ever.

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  11. If you dont like the strokes then you're taste in music prolly sucks. I'm a lead guitarist and there is by far no other band that can play rhythm and lead like the strokes. If you don't like that kinda indie rock then go back and listen to your Metallica cd you douche fuck

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    1. If you actually think the Strokes play great rhythm and lead then you must be one lousy lead guitarist.

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  12. bahaha. nothing better than seeing people getting wound up when their favourite bands get burned. its just one mans taste people, dont take it so personally. in saying that i totally agree with the author - the strokes suck mad dix. seriously, blah. unless you're shallow, boring, small minded or sub 20 years old you should be ashamed of being in love with a band like the strokes. im ashamed to say i kind of liked them (mostly because some of my friends loved them so much and so desperately wanted to be cool and accepted back then) back when i was young and dumb, but now im a grown man of 30 and have grown some balls and independence of mind and genuinely love good music because of how it makes ME feel when i listen to it and appreciate the beauty, complexity, simplicity or blah blah blah whatever it is about certain bands or musicians that make them so good - and not what other people like my friends, celebrities, the general public or the "cool kids" think is good. if you really cant keep from jizzing in your pants you're either too young to know better, are thick in the brain or you have a shit (or just plain average) taste in music and are too scared for whatever reason to wander off the tracks for a bit and find something better than this mediocre middle of the road "safe" horseshit. rant complete.

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  13. Finally someone who hates The Strokes, everyone are just mainstream sheeple who listen to the Strokes, theyre the most polished off hipster band that ever tried to wear a leather jacket. God i hate them so much, pompous cock rockers.

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    1. Stokes have like one or two songs. I'm so sick of people thinking one hit wonders are good. If I threw 100 songs at the wall at least one of them would get a cult following. The fact the ICP exists should prove that. Imagine if weird Al had a real following that dressed like him and rode on segways everywhere. fucking stupid.

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  14. The strokes are shite and I don’t understand the hype they get- im so desperate to find good new rock bands or any good new music and I literally haven’t been able to find anything that isn’t shitty. The only remotely good band rn are the arctic monkeys and they’re nothing incredible. It’s so depressing that the future of music is Shawn mendes and asap rocky

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    1. It's time to expand your horizons outside safe rock music. I can reccomend dozens of excellent musical acts if you're interested.

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  15. All these butthurt fan boys that couldn't pick a good song if their life depended on it. Fucking hilarious! The strokes had one good album which was their debut and it really wasnt that impressive in the scheme of impactful music.

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  16. guys stfu, he hates the strokes so much because most old and wrinklies have to watch themselves or their friends lose themselves to strokes. but the strokes did at least do a bit to make a huge dent on the indie market, as theyve inspired many popular indie bands. their music get experimental on angles, an album that i think you were too stiff to hear back when it came out, julian casablancas is a talented musician, he know the ins and outs of music theory, he is probably the last " rock star" of our era. his new band "the voidz" actually gives you a look into his talent, he has good range, he is a good composer, he helped change fashion and rock as a whole. ill gladly get the fuck out of your overgrown, snake-infested lawn. not to mention how could one express their full opinion on something only by their looks, its a shallow and mostly baseless arguement that you made you wrinklied balled motherfuck.

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    1. Oh, what an accomplishment! They inspired a bunch of other idiots who suck at their respective instrument to give it a go. "Hey, if these dipshits can do it, so can I!"

      The success of an act these days has little to do with tallent and everything to do with marketing... drill crap into enough people's head for long enough, and they'll start to like it... (Thank you dumb masses) That's the strokes; that's most modern music.

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    2. Also:

      "not to mention how could one express their full opinion on something only by their looks, its a shallow and mostly baseless arguement that you made you wrinklied balled motherfuck."

      Do you not see the irony in this statement? You complain about the author's baseless insults, only to spew your own... Nice work.

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  17. i dislike the Strokes but Julian Cope disproves your 'Julians don't rock' theory

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  18. I wonder what this guy (OP) is up to now, he hasn't been active in 10 years...

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  19. couldn't agree more haha. how do people seriously like their music

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  20. I agree with comments decrying the shallow approach the author takes: Insulting the look and the name of the people in the band is just childish insults which erode the credibility of the article.

    That said, the authors comments about their sound and tallent stand regardless of the their obviously biased distain for the band. Their musicianship IS mundane, their songs DO all sound the same, and they really DON'T deserve the credit they get.

    Dang dang dang dang dang dang dang dang dang dang dang dang dang
    Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding
    Tap tap tap tap tap
    Blah

    That about sums it up... this band's popularity really does highlight how the masses have gotten dumb... they just want simple crap that's easy and predictable... something their short attention span can handle and that they can remember... Someone said the author "can't keep up with modern music." Quite the opposite, he can't dumb himself down for it... and it's only gotten worse since this article was written.

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