First, I received this NME article from Hanan, who most of you know as the author of MIE. She sent it to me a couple hours before The Strokes took the stage at Dingwalls yesterday and I’m pretty sure she thought I still hadn’t launched this site.
So, I’m sorry Hanan, but I can’t sit on this information any longer.
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Adam Green wrote an article for the latest issue of NME about the return of the Strokes to the festival circuit this summer. Green has been part of the band’s inner circle since Day 1, as you know from In Transit, so his support of their live shows is understandable and expected.
What’s not expected is what Green writes about The Strokes’ fourth album. I’ll just get out of the way and let you read…
OK, so let’s get to the quick-hit thoughts before everyone can discuss things in the comments.
- First, a Macaulay Culkin biopic? Really? It better include his relationship with Michael Jackson and not just Culkin getting beaten by his psychotic father.
- Each came in with around 20 songs? If that’s the case and it’s true that Julian is trying to open things up, it makes sense that this is taking so long. Moreover, 100 songs must mean they have at least snother album worth of material.
- I’d love it if Nick got his way and The Strokes went heavier. Heart in a Cage and Juicebox continue to be two of my favorite Strokes tracks and I think the heavier songs suit Julian’s voice really well.
- A children’s choir, fish sounds and saxophone? In the hands of almost any other band, I’d be scared. But I trust that none of these things will sound tacky. In fact, I’ll be honest: I’m kind of expecting the fourth record to be on par with a Pink Floyd album during their pinnacle.
What are your thoughts?
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Honestly this entire thing sounds like a joke or heavy exaggeration on Adam’s part. Sax? George Michael? Fish sounds? Kind of far from “thin lizzy/elvis costello in the future”. I don’t know what to think about this post, it makes me anxious. Also I know other people have heard some strokes stuff like Amanda whose tweeted about listening to new strokes music with her kids. We’ll see what happens but I’ll completely welcome a ‘heavier’ strokes as you put it, we need a break from the indie-pop-synth-rock thing. I want to feel punk-revival again.
Question: Do you think they’ll play new stuff at lolla?
I’m pretty sure Adam Green is joking?
When I read it, I was shocked too. But Adam’s one of the few people who have listened to it and the first to describe what it sounds like, so I’m going to go with what he thinks. And while most of us really liked the last record, I hope The Strokes make a record nobody sees coming. It’ll be one of the few things that can bond the guys together if the rift between the guys is as serious as Julian led on.
yeah i don’t think that any of those things should be taken seriously.
Then again, it could be one elaborate prank that The Strokes are still laughing about.
I have a hard time deciding whether I should believe anything that Adam Green says or not – but the fact that this was written for NME makes me think he did go into this knowing that it would be read, and he better say something with validity.
With that said, and under the assumption that Adam isn’t being an ass, I’m both very excited and very anxious to hear how all this will come together. The melding of metal flavored riffs, saxophone, and the George Michael whatnot could either be an absolute train wreck, or something that is so innovative that the critics and public are rendered speechless. I’m banking on the latter – especially with Julian’s side project in mind, it’s obvious that he’s gotten exponentially better in arrangements and the fusion of various styles. They’ve all got more advanced musical chops to bring to the table, and they are capable of doing something light years ahead of any of their past LPs. Hopefully they don’t get too starry-eyed over the possibilities. There’s a fine line between tasteful experimentation and an inaccessible disaster.
I don’t think that this will be a revival. I’m sick of revivals. Musicians have got to stop bringing things back, and look more towards making something new. It’s obvious music is in a rut, and honestly, indie these days is so watered down and disposable. Name one recent band that’s going to become an established classic someday. I can’t name a single one. Something’s gone wrong, and I hate to sound melodramatic, but the Strokes are poised for setting some things right in the music world. I hope they can do it.
I must admit, even though I don’t think much of any of this is true (maybe it’s half & half?), I’d actually be interested to see what Jules could do with a sax player…. (though I still think that’s something he’d experiment with on another solo project versus a Strokes record)
Holy shit I just found about this site xD
Well I don’t know, Adam like all members of the Strokes, likes to dick around but I want to see where this goes.
The heavier Strokes and metal bits just make me think of “River of Brakelights” which I LOVE so I’m already drooling.
This album can really go somewhere and I for one would rather see them keep exploring new avenues than make another garage rock revival record.
At the same token the saxophone and children choir parts worry me. I trust them to use these elements in a different way than the obvious but I just don’t know, only the most common and boring usages are coming to my head when I think of those things.
http://twitter.com/AverageCabbage/status/15912569194
Word of God: Adam claims he didn’t write this.
Everything that comes out of Adam Green’s mouth is bullshit, you’re fortunately not in on the joke.
eric you hoaxed us!!!!!
well im sure Adam is exaggerating a bit, and i think the “tribal chanting” may be something like the beginning of Thunderstruck by AC/DC
First off, welcome back everybody. I’m glad you found the new site.
I just saw the Adam Green tweet and, if it’s true (the tweets that read “I love my boyfriend” and “Don’t ever unremember fucking me to my face again” probably support that it is), I kind of suspected it. As I wrote, I got it from a source I trust so that’s why I posted it. But about an hour after I posted it, I got spooked and considered taking it down for a few reasons.
- It doesn’t say NME anywhere on the scan.
- It was strange to have his picture as a complete column without any text wrapped around it. Usually that’s incorporated into the article.
- The sub-head was really strange for a well-respected publication like NME.
Anyway, I’m sorry if this was indeed false, although it’s probably for the best. The Strokes doing tribal chants seems ridiculous.
Ahn…
Well. Adam Green said that he didn’t write this. And honestly:
Adam is not journalist! It can’t be Adam’s stuff.
I think someone is using false or precipitated informations and hiding in Adam’s figure to get credits.
I have this issue of NME and this is in it. Exactly as its shown up there. And on the cover it says “NEW STROKES ALBUM DETAILS By the one man who’d heard it”
And then on the inside cover page its got a picture of Adam and says underneath
“Only me and Macaulay Culkin have heard the new Strokes record” – Adam Green on his soon-to-be-back New York chums.
I know Adam takes the piss alot but surely NME would get in a lot of trouble posting an article like this saying he wrote it when he didnt?
Yeah, uh, I’m completely confused.
@Boges – I don’t think we hear any new stuff this entire tour.
your site and “news” sources suck. you leach off other legitimate sites, never have anything that hasn’t been posted elsewhere, and worst of all, your writing and comments are boring and unoriginal. Just make this a blog that links to other sites that you’re copying and pasting from, AND GIVE THEM CREDIT.
Really, who’s gives a fuck about what the Macaulay Culkin biopic SHOULD have?
I would argue that you’re wrong Joe and I also think that most of the people who read this site (I launched this site 7 days ago and my average traffic is already 800+ per-day) also disagree. The above article was something that I posted first out of everyone in The Strokes’ community. I gave credit to where I acquired it (Hanan) and where it was from (NME). So I really don’t understand the point of your capitalization.
I agree with you that no one really gives a shit about Macaulay Culkin, but that was the lead of the story. So it’s actually quite significant and warrants at least a mention because it’s so strange.
As for your other points, I don’t really care. If you don’t think what I write/post is interesting or original, then don’t read it. But I guarantee that if you’re a fan of The Strokes and seek out information about the band on a regular basis, you’re going to spend a lot of time at this site because I won’t miss anything.
I remember one of The Strokes saying it was going to be more like Is This It… Wish I remembered the source,
i’m not sure about this. like…i trust that the strokes will come up with something “cool” but i’m not sure if i want the metal in them…i wanna hear something like the modern age and barely legal mixed with some under control topped with some red light, i feel like i’m the only one who wants this, why is that eric, enlighten me
ohh and i just wanna say that I AM (in capitalization) a fan who checks this site on a regular basis, so thanks for launching this.
and @massigus, ive read about that too somewhere, i hope they do.
I thought that is was gonna sound like FIOE?
I’m really glad that the Strokes are finally done with their 4th album.
The thought that there is actual material ready to be distributed is overwhelmingly reassuring.
I have great expectations for the Strokes, but now that I have read this article by Adam Green, I am starting to doubt my interest in the album’s content.
I love the Strokes for their raw, garage 5-guy rock band aspect. Guitars, drums, bass guitar, vocals, and no other bull shit. None of that electronic hoo doo or ambient nonsense, or orchestral grandness. The combination of Julian’s vocals with the primitive rock instruments created a perfect counterbalance between simplicity (the band and its resources) and complexity (the amazing intertwining of every instrument to create that Strokes sound) for me. It is now somewhat disappointing for me that they seem to be taking a very experimental approach to their new album.
I love the Strokes for their amazing adaptability to their choice of style, and their ability to evolve their sound (apparent in their change in sound from ITI to FIOE), but underwater sounds and a children’s choir doesn’t sound much like the Strokes I fell in love with.
Nonetheless, I will be very excited for the release of the album, and I will most definitely PURCHASE the album. (A very rare occasion)
Thank you, Eric for the article. I feel like I can rest in peace now that I know that the 4th album is finished. haha
lols you got trolled