The Strokes

Artist Image: The Strokes
Attribution
Image Credit: Raph_PH (Commons (images are presented clockwise from top-left): 1. StrokesBelfast240220-78 (49617878112).jpg 2. StrokesBrooklyn311219-215.jpg 3. Strokes Opener 040719-125 (48247877452).jpg 4. Fabrizio Moretti 2019.jpg 5. StrokesBelfast240220-37 (49617114493).jpg), CC BY 2.0

Biography

The Strokes are an American rock band formed in New York City in 1998, consisting of Julian Casablancas (lead vocals), Nick Valensi (guitar, keyboard, backing vocals), Albert Hammond, Jr. (rhythm guitar, keyboard, backing vocals), Nikolai Fraiture (bass) and Fabrizio Moretti (drums, percussion). Met with wide-spread critical acclaim, the Stroke’s 2001 debut, Is This It in 2001, helped ushered in the garage rock revival movement of the early-21st century—and ranks number four on Rolling Stone's 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time, number two on Rolling Stone's 100 Best Albums of the 2000s, and 199 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. While a number the Stroke’s members have embarked on a variety of side projects, the band regrouped for a fifth album, Comedown Machine, released on March 26, 2013. The Strokes have sold over 5 million albums to date.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1999
Number of Albums 15
Record Label Cult Records
Website www.thestrokes.com
Wikipedia The Strokes on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

Nikolai Fraiture plays what instrument?

bass

...es lyrics. Members include Julian Casablancas, vocals; Nikolai Fraiture, bass ; Albert Hammond Jr., guitar; Fabrizio Moretti, drums; Nick Valensi, guit...
What is Fabrizio Moretti's job?

drums

...s; Nikolai Fraiture, bass; Albert Hammond Jr., guitar; Fabrizio Moretti, drums ; Nick Valensi, guitar. Fabled New York City rock quintet the Strokes ga...
What was the name of the mainstream newsweek that featured a tribute to the band?

Time

...dden stardom, which even included a tribute in the mainstream newsweekly Time , left its young membersaged 20 to 22slightly bewildered but nonetheless ...
Who noted that the band is wholly original?

James Sullivan

... bewildered but nonetheless pleased. San Francisco Chronicle critic James Sullivan noted, the Strokes are also wholly original. They can play, and the...
Where were the Stroke formed in 1998?

New York City

...and they can write a happening rock song. The Strokes were formed in New York City in 1998. Lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas, the son of ...
What was Julian Casablancas' father's name?

John Casablancas

...an Casablancas, the son of legendary Elite Modeling Agency founder John Casablancas , had known guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr., from their boardingschoo...
What was Albert Hammond, Jr.'s nationality?

Switzerland

...nown guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr., from their boardingschool days in Switzerland . Hammond, a California native, had moved to New York City to attend ...
When was The Modern Age formed?

1998

...Formed in 1998 , the band is composed of singer Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drumm...
What is the name of the singer in the band?

Julian Casablancas

...Formed in 1998, the band is composed of singer Julian Casablancas , guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drumm...
Who are the guitarists in the group?

Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr.,

...and is composed of singer Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti. ...
What was the name of the band's debut album?

Is This It

...signing to RCA Records. That summer, they released their debut album, Is This It , to critical acclaim and strong sales. It has since appeared on numer...
What label did The Modern Age sign to in 2001?

RCA Records

...a bidding war among major labels, with the band eventually signing to RCA Records . That summer, they released their debut album, Is This It, to critic...
What was the name of the second album released by the band?

First Impressions of Earth

... best album lists. It was followed by Room on Fire (2003) and First Impressions of Earth (2005), both of which sold well but failed to match Is This I...
How long did the band's hiatus last?

fiveyear

...d well but failed to match Is This It in critical success. Following a fiveyear hiatus, they released Angles (2011) and Comedown Machine (2013) to luk...
What label released the Future Present Past EP?

Cult

...ey released the Future Present Past EP (2016) through Casablancas' label Cult . The band were relatively inactive throughout the decade, making infrequ...
What was the name of the band's first studio album in seven years?

The New Abnormal

... projects. In 2020, they released their first studio album in seven years, The New Abnormal , produced by Rick Rubin and released through Cult and RCA....
Who produced The New Abnormal?

Rick Rubin

... projects. In 2020, they released their first studio album in seven years, The New Abnormal, produced by Rick Rubin and released through Cult and RCA....
When was the album Is This It released?

2001

...Upon the release of their debut album Is This It in 2001 , the group met wide critical acclaim. A number of members have embarked on a variety of side ...
How many copies of Comedown Machine have been sold?

over 5 million

...tled Comedown Machine, released on March 26, 2013. 6 They have sold over 5 million albums. 7 They are one of the many indie rock bands to hail from th...
What was the name of the bassist that the band had been friends with?

Nikolai Fraiture

...ntury and helped augment the garage rock revival movement. Bassist Nikolai Fraiture had been friends with Casablancas and was attending the Lycée Fran...
What was the name of the boarding school Casablancas attended?

Le Rosey

...ing the Lycée Français de New York. At age 13, Casablancas was sent to Le Rosey , a boarding school in Switzerland to improve his academic performance....
Where did the band first perform?

The Spiral

...is academic performance. They started a band which first performed at The Spiral and then Luna Lounge on the Lower East Side of New York, and at Manha...
What was Ryan Gentles' job at the Mercury Lounge?

booker

... Manhattan's popular Mercury Lounge. Ryan Gentles, the Mercury Lounge's booker , quit his job to become the band's manager. Most of these songs now fea...
Where was the Luna Lounge located?

Lower East Side of New York

...ich first performed at The Spiral and then Luna Lounge on the Lower East Side of New York , and at Manhattan's popular Mercury Lounge. Ryan Gentles, th...
What did the EP spark?

a bidding war among record labels

...er. Most of these songs now feature different lyrics. The EP sparked a bidding war among record labels , the largest for a rock and roll band in years....
Who did Albert share an apartment with?

Julian

...k to attend NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and shared an apartment with Julian . Together with Nick, Fab and Nikolai, they started a band, which, like ...
What magazine gave away a free MP3 download of the single Last Nite?

NME

...new label called Rough Trade Records and things began to roll from there. NME magazine gave away free MP3 download of the single Last Nite as a teaser...
When was Is This It released in the U.S.?

October 2001

...r. Their debut album Is This It was released in the United States in October 2001 after several pushbacks. One of its songs New York City Cops which h...
The Velvet Underground and Ramones set trends even as it looked back on what?

rock history

... Velvet Underground and Ramones set trends even as it looked back on rock history . With their acclaimed 2001 debut, Is This It, the Strokes reinvigora...
What year's Comedown Machine was released?

2013

...st Impressions of Earth, a trend they continued with later releases like 2013 's Comedown Machine. The Strokes' roots go back to the late '90s. Soon th...
Where did Nikolai Fraiture attend?

Lycée Français

...ey met bassist Nikolai Fraiture, who attended the Upper East Side's Lycée Français , and added him to their ranks. At the time, the thenunnamed band's ...
When did the Strokes play their first gig in New York?

Spiral

...l in New York City's Music Building. They played their first gig at the Spiral , and word of mouth about the Strokes' incendiary live show propelled th...
Where did the group spend most of their time writing and rehearsing material in 1999?

Music Building

...ost of that year writing and rehearsing material in New York City's Music Building . They played their first gig at the Spiral, and word of mouth about...
Where is Arlene Grocery located?

Lower East Side

...s' incendiary live show propelled them to gigs at venues like Under the Acme and Lower East Side clubs such as Arlene Grocery, Baby Jupiter, and Luna....
What club is around the corner from Irving Plaza?

119

...At 119 , a dive around the corner from the Manhattan club Irving Plaza, light from the street creeps through horizontal blinds in the front room, where...
Where do dusty red velour couches sit?

vacant near the door

...tal blinds in the front room, where dusty red velour couches sit vacant near the door . Theres a pool table illuminated by a single hanging lamp, but n...
How many people are in the Strokes barroom?

three

... hanging lamp, but no ones playing. In the adjacent woodpaneled barroom, three of the five Strokes along with their sevenperson entourage are crowded ...
What does the drummer admonishe?

Your hands are cold

...e cracks with a smile as he tears the paper to find a CD Walkman. Your hands are cold , the drummer admonishes. You know what they say, Julian counters...
What does Julian counter?

Cold hands, cold heart

...he drummer admonishes. You know what they say, Julian counters. Cold hands, cold heart . The two pretend to smack each other hard across the face, perf...
The Strokes were composed mainly of who?

privileged sons of the New York City elite

...ghandtumble life, the Strokes were composed mainly of privileged sons of the New York City elite . Its debut EP, The Modern Age (2001), earned the ador...
What was the name of the debut EP?

The Modern Age

...mainly of privileged sons of the New York City elite. Its debut EP, The Modern Age (2001), earned the adoration of the British music press, most notab...
What was the name of the song that cracked the top 10 of the British pop singles chart?

12:51

...ring another crop of infectious but coolly delivered rock songsincluding 12:51 , which cracked the top 10 of the British pop singles chartthe album was...
What was the name of Moretti's rock trio?

Little Joy

...ars pursuing side projects, including Morettis wellreceived rock trio Little Joy and solo efforts by Casablancas, Hammond, and (under the name Nickel ...
What name did Casablancas, Hammond, and Fraiture have?

Nickel Eye

...tle Joy and solo efforts by Casablancas, Hammond, and (under the name Nickel Eye ) Fraiture. The reassembled Strokes followed with Angles (2011) and Co...
How many New York friends formed a band called the Strokes in 1998?

five

...In 1998, five New York friends Julian Casablancas, Albert Hammond Jr., Fabrizio Moretti, Nick Valensi, and Nikolai Fraiture formed a band called the S...
In what year was the album called Is This It named Album of the Decade?

2009

...called the Strokes. They released a debut album, Is This It, in 2001. In 2009 , NME named it Album of the Decade; Rolling Stone ranked it No. This is a...
Rolling Stone ranked the album as what?

No

... 2001. In 2009, NME named it Album of the Decade; Rolling Stone ranked it No . This is an account of what happened in between, starting in 2002. We wer...
When did this account begin?

2002

...anked it No. This is an account of what happened in between, starting in 2002 . We were really stoned because we were basically always smoking pot. Fab...
What instrument did I bring to the apartment?

acoustic guitar

... beautiful, romantic song. I said, Come to this apartment. Bring an acoustic guitar . I really want to hear your new song. I didnt tell them that Id do...
What is Nick Valensi on?

lead guitar

...arly 21st century. The lineup of the band consists of Nick Valensi on lead guitar , Julian Casablancas on vocals, Fabrizio Moretti on drums, Albert Ham...
Who is on drums for The Strokes?

Fabrizio Moretti

...ists of Nick Valensi on lead guitar, Julian Casablancas on vocals, Fabrizio Moretti on drums, Albert Hammond Jr. on rhythm guitar and Nikolai Fraiture...
Where was Dwight School located?

Manhattan

...arted playing music together whilst they all attended Dwight School in Manhattan . Casablancas and Fraiture were also friends, though Fraiture attended...
What was the name of the Lower East Side venue where The Strokes started out?

Mercury Lounge

.... The Strokes started out gigging at a Lower East Side venue called Mercury Lounge . The manager of the venue, Ryan Gentles, later quit the venue to be...
Who was the manager of the Mercury Lounge?

Ryan Gentles

...wer East Side venue called Mercury Lounge. The manager of the venue, Ryan Gentles , later quit the venue to become the band's full time manager. 'Last ...