PAS Series: In this Passion blog series, I will be broadcasting my top eight artist(s) that influenced the way I play and write music. As a music theory appreciator, I enjoy playing in my band and writing musical pieces. I want to appreciate the artist(s) that helped inspire my musical hobbies by ranking them in a series of blog posts. Each post, I will feature an artist/band that helps me craft my style. Stay tuned to each post to see who is at number one!
Finally, my dramatic countdown series comes to an end. The top band has been around since 1998 when they formed in New York. They still produce music to this day which is adored by the pop and alternate world. Here’s a hint: They are widely considered one of the cornerstone alt-bands. Did you guess it? Well if you haven’t odds are you still know The Strokes. Julian Casablancas, Fab, Nick Valencia, Albert Hammond Jr., and Nikolai Fraiture have produced six highly rated albums. Their critically acclaimed music has defined the genre. I first listen to The Strokes my junior year; I was hooked from that moment.
My favorite Strokes song is “You Talk Way Too Much”. This track off Room on Fire is super catchy and is relatively new to me. I’ve listened to all The Strokes songs in ten folds. For some reason, I never really played this song on repeat so I am not fully sick of it yet. The instrumentals on this song are basic, but it’s in their simplicity that I find comfort. The song gives me this nostalgic feeling of winter. The song reminds me of night drives with my friends and skiing trips. I find this ironic since I never really enjoyed this song back then. For some reason, it made a place for itself in my heart.
My favorite Strokes album is “The New Abnormal”. This was the first Strokes album that came out while I was a fan. This album is the greatest album ever created in my opinion. There is a perfect blend of old Strokes fashion with a new funky style. The album is so diverse yet each song is just as good as the next. This is the only album I´ve listened to where there were no bad songs.
The main reason I got into music is the strokes. I’ve been learning different instruments all my life, but never with a clear purpose. When I started playing music with my friends (around the same time I heard of The Strokes), my life changed. I started to invest more purposeful time into music. I started to learn how to drum and then added guitar. After that, I bought a MIDI and me and my friends got to work. The Strokes channeled my love for music into the creative production sphere.
So why should you listen to The Strokes? The Strokes are fundamental musicians; their music is a demonstration of the full potential of music theory. Not to mention they’ve created some of the best songs in existence! “You Only Live Once” so go give The Strokes a listen.
