happy 10th anniversary to the strokes 'is this it'

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To this day, one of my favorite albums of the last 20 years is The Strokes' debut Is This It. Sure, it was over hyped and overplayed — and they've had their struggles living up to its legacy, but it was a seminal record at a pivotal time in 'alternative' music.

Released 10 years ago this week, the album is being celebrated over at Stereogum with a free tribute album. Every track has been covered, or reimagined, by the likes of Owen Pallett, Peter Bjorn & John, and former Dum Dum and Vivian Girl Frankie Rose.

Download a zip file of the whole thing here, or peruse some of the highlights below. We'll start with the aforementioned PB&J, who do a faithful rendition of the album opener and title track:

Peter Bjorn & John - Is This It


New Jersey psych-rockers Real Estate chose "Barley Legal," giving it a half-time beat and lazy vocal harmonies:

Real Estate - Barely Legal


Classicly trained synthpop songstress Austra turns "Alone Together" into something beautiful, yet hardly recognizable:

Austra - Alone Together


Perhaps the most fun is the mach 2 version of The Morning Benders with an autotuned summertime jam version of "Last Night":

The Morning Benders - Last Night


Good job, everyone.

coachella 2011 - the strokes

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Man, theaudioperv is working overtime. We've already thrown together, Tame Impala, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart and Arcade Fire from the perv's archives. Now here's another heavy hitter from the Coachella weekend.

That's right, The Strokes fresh off their first record in five years were the Sunday night co-headliners with Kanye. Here's how they closed things down:




I know, it's becoming overkill. We won't repost anything else.. unless it's Cut Copy, Chemical Brothers or Duran Duran. But nothing else.

Anyway, here's the setlist for The Strokes:

1. I Can’t Win
2. Hard To Explain
3. Under Cover of Darkness
4. New York City Cops
5. Games
6. Someday
7. You’re So Right
8. The Modern Age
9. You Only Live Once
10. Taken for a Fool
11. Juicebox
12. Under Control
13. Gratisfaction
14. Reptilia
15. Last Nite
16. Take It Or Leave It

stream angles now: new strokes leaked

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So far, all we've officially heard from The Strokes forthcoming album Angles is "Under Of Cover Of Darkness" — and "Life Is Simple In The Moonlight" from the band's Saturday Night Live appearance.

Unofficially, "Machu Picchu," "Taken For A Fool" and "You're So Right" have all been leaked, but those leaks were quickly cleaned up by RCA.

Today, however, the whole damn thing is out there. It's a full-on breach just a week before the official release date. While it lasts, we offer it to you to stream here. If this set dies, we'll venture to find another one.

At first blush, the moody "Games" is a standout. "Two Kinds Of Happiness" has some fantastic classic Strokes guitar interplay. Also check out the old time rock-n-roll of "Gratisfaction" and the positively awesome album version of "Life Is Simple In The Moonlight":



(via)


UPDATE:

You can now also stream Angles on the band's website.

the strokes angling for attention

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Early last month, The Strokes announced their return with the release of "Under Cover Of Darkness," the lead single from upcoming fourth album Angles.

Last night, a video for said single debuted online. The clip is a knowing nod to their trust fund origins, with an odd, conducted performance at the end:




This on the heels of yesterday's leak of the B-side of the single, "You're So Right."

It's a slap in the face of anyone who assumed this album would simply be a rehashing of Is This It? The call and response vocals at 1:45 and the phased guitar sound that follows is some of the most off-kilter stuff The Strokes have ever done:




This is a big month for The Strokes. This weekend, they're the musical guest on Saturday Night Live with host Miley Cyrus — that should be interesting. On March 22nd, the new record comes out, and the following Friday the boys have a homecoming show of sorts at Madison Square Garden.

Let's party like it's 2001.

the strokes return under cover of darkness

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It's been more than five years since The Strokes issued First Impressions Of Earth to decidedly mixed reviews. It was the work of a band who desperately wanted to distance from their "sound" but weren't exactly sure how.

In the aftermath of the album's relative failure, Julian, Albert, Fab and the fellas went their separate ways for what was termed a "much needed break." Now enough time has passed for fans to become restless for new material, and for The Strokes to be comfortable being themselves.

Today — and for the next 48 hours — The Strokes are offering "Under The Cover Of Darkness" as a free download. It's the first single from fourth album Angles, due out March 22.

It's a calculated return to form, with the classic Strokes time signatures, angular guitars and Julian's croon. Everything they do best, approached with the freshness of an extended layoff:


(via SKOA)

Angles will feature 10 songs, each a collaboration of five distinct viewpoints shaped by five years apart.

1. Machu Picchu
2. Under Cover of Darkness
3. Two Kinds of Happiness
4. You’re So Right
5. Taken For A Fool
6. Games
7. Call Me Back
8. Gratisfaction
9. Metabolism
10. Life Is Simple In The Moonlight

If they can recapture even half of the enthusiasm and immediacy of Is This It, it will be a resounding victory.