The quintet came with an interesting pedigree. Singer Julian
Casablancas is the son of modeling mogul John, while Albert
Hammond Jr.'s father scored the '70s pop hit "It Never
Rains In Southern California." Despite those connection,
the Strokes sound is influenced more by acts ranging from
Television, the Velvet Underground, and Iggy Pop to the
Doors and Tom Petty than runway fashion or '70s singer-songwriters.
Initially gaining notice with three-song The Modern Age
EP (released in the U.K. on Rough Trade and picked up for
U.S. release on Beggars Banquet), the Strokes soon landed
a U.S. deal with RCA, with the buzz about the band growing
on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Strokes lived up to the hype when they delivered their
debut full-length, Is This It, in the U.K. in 2001. Adding
to the band's appeal was a Spinal Tap, "Smell the Glove"-inspired
album cover, featuring a gloved hand on a woman's bare backside,
and the anti-police rave-up "New York City Cops."
Although the band went with a different cover and omitted
the controversial song in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks when the album was released in America, it was greeted
enthusiastically by the press and hipsters alike.
While the band scored a top 10 modern rock hit with "Last
Nite," landed dates opening for the Rolling Stones,
and was named band of the year in 2002 by Spin, Is This
It was only a minor hit on a commercial level. The album
was certified gold for sales of 500,000. Still, the Strokes
undoubtedly helped open up the door at commercial radio
for the garage rock sound favored by such acts as the White
Stripes and the Hives.
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