THE STROKES: Hard to Explain

With Hammond was added to the lineup, they settled into a routine of ten-hour daily practices that would put most other bands to shame. It was only after rehearsing together for six months that they worked up the nerve to play their first public gig. They recorded a three song demo with Gordon Raphael, a local studio owner who would become the architect of The Strokes, minimalist, retro-sounding production style.

The finished demo found its way into the hands of Ryan Gentles, their current manager, then a booker at the NYC club Mercury Lounge. Through a contact at British label Rough Trade, Gentles was soon playing the tape for label president Geoff Travis over the phone. They were signed on the spot. Their demo, renamed The Modern Age, was release as an EP in the UK in January 2001 . Attracted to both their raw, visceral music and debauched rock star image, the British music press latched on to them instantly.

After scoring a record deal in the States with RCA, the band unleashed This Is It in late 2001; they soon became a household name. The Strokes toured relentlessly in support of Is This It, eventually reaching the point where they were exhausted and close to breaking up.

In an effort to keep the momentum going and justify the hype, the band rushed back to the studio to record Room on Fire, using Gordon Raphael once again as their producer. While the band flirted with new styles, such as the Motown flavored “Under Control,” critical reaction harped on the production and the fact that most songs rode the same trademark groove the band had perfected on Is This It. Ultimately, the album experienced sluggish sales.

“I think the music was going in different directions, but maybe it wasn’t a big enough step for people,” Julian tells American Songwriter. “On a lot of levels, Is this It and Room on Fire were sort of the same ilk. They’re pretty much 22 consecutive songs.”

“Ah, the wait is over, I’m now taking over,” sang Julian, and it sounded true, but it was just a tease. Room on Fire was a short burst, a fireworks show that ended early, only 33 minutes long. “Good try, we don’t like it,” he sang on Fire‘s final song, ‘I Can’t Win.’ “Hold on, yes I’ll be right back…?

Three years later, they were.

First Impressions of Earth is a thrilling rebirth for the band that everyone had pegged as crafters of three minute, lo-fi, four chord punk songs about underage sex and the city. On the surface, you’d think this is just more bored apathy from jaded rock stars who drink too much, but after multiple listens, you realize Impressions is the most passionate record they’ve ever made.