The Strokes are an American rock band from Manhattan, New York. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of singer Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti. They are one of the more prominent bands of the garage rock and post-punk revivals, aiding in the resurgence of indie rock in New York City.
After the release of their EP The Modern Age in January 2001, a bidding war ensued among major labels in order to sign the band. Eventually, RCA Records,signed them and released their debut studio album, Is This It later that year. It earned them international commercial success and critical acclaim, appearing on several year-end and all-time album lists. It was followed by Room on Fire in October 2003 and First Impressions of Earth in January 2006, both receiving similar commercial success. They then entered a hiatus for several years.
Toward the end of their original record deal with RCA, the Strokes released Angles in March 2011 and Comedown Machine in March 2013. Both received lukewarm responses from critics. They released their first collection of material after their departure from RCA, the Future Present Past EP, in June 2016 through Casablancas’ independent Cult Records label. Despite these studio projects, the 2010s were a relatively quiet period for The Strokes. While the band was in the studio together throughout the decade, they performed live relatively infrequently and directed most media attention to individual projects.
Near the end of the decade, the Strokes began working with Rick Rubin on a new album. In April 2020, the Strokes released their first studio album in seven years, The New Abnormal, through Cult and RCA. Critics generally considered the album a return to form.
Sacramento’s K-ZAP 93.3 FM plays The Strokes. All part of 50 years of Rock, Blues and More, 24-7 on our station’s stream at K-ZAP.ORG/LISTEN/
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