TS Countdown

We Have Moved

IsThisItX.com is no more.  I am now doing the same entertainment news that matters-type of thing over at ripcordnews.com.  If you’re interested in updates about The Strokes head over to The Ripcord and click on the category on the right-hand side of the page titled “The Strokes.”  It’s under music and pretty easy to find, so enjoy.

If you’re interested in more rare videos from The Strokes, check out ripcordnews’ youtube channel at youtube.com/ripcordnews.  I posted a rare demo of “Last Nite” this morning, so enjoy.

Update

Thanks to everyone who’s reading this.  The Strokes are hopefully progressing on their new album, and it should be done sooner rather than later because of their record deal with RCA.

I am currently in the process of switching URLs.  The process itself is not going very well because it has taken weeks to do, which stinks because I want to start producing rare videos again.  With this being said, I promise that once the transition is made, I will stick to the original schedule I promised.  When that will be is still up in the air.  It could be a day, it could be two weeks.  I have a feeling that when I figure out the problem, the process will be sped up drastically.

Thanks again and be sure to listen to The Strokes today.

The Strokes – “It’s Not My Place” – Rare Cover of The Ramones

The Strokes seem to have a lot of things in common with The Ramones, but early on they were reluctant to say that they were inspired by them.  Or even listened to them.  But, after you hear the following video, it’s obvious that they do.

Enjoy The Strokes’ covering The Ramones “It’s Not My Place”…

The Strokes’ “What Ever Happened”

Today’s video is the best version of “What Ever Happened” that I could find on YouTube, though this one in Brazil is pretty good too. It’s from a December 2005 performance in London, which was one of the band’s first in support of First Impressions of Earth.

I must confess that every time I grow a little sick of The Strokes’ track list, I listen to the guitar solo in “What Ever Happened” and I’m re-energized.  The way the entire band builds up to Nick Valensi’s solo is great, and then the rhythm guitar, bass and drums perfectly escort the solo up until frontman Julian Casablancas starts his third verse.

“What Ever Happened” is, in my opinion, The Strokes’ most underrated song.  Its tempo is much slower than “Reptilia” and even “12:51,” and is hurt, from a mainstream perspective, because it doesn’t have a chorus and the lyrics are hard to decipher.  “What Ever Happened” wasn’t ever going to be a single because of these three things, but the band was smart in putting it first on Room On Fire because it sends a message with its opening lyrics of “I want to be forgotten.”

These lyrics are smart because, after the success of Is This It and the quality of Room On Fire, The Strokes weren’t going to be forgotten.  Not with their second album, at least.

Enjoy…

Obstinate

Two Links From Albert Hammond Jr.

- Albert Hammond Jr. had a cocaine scare recently.  Says that he would never bring coke on holiday, but would probably bring some grass.  (I have no idea if this story is legit, but it’s fun to read anyway.)

- Speaking of Albert, he and girlfriend/rumored fiancee Agyness Deyn recently co-starred in a Vogue shoot.  It’s kind of cool, I guess.

Guided By Voices Sings “Glad Girls” With Julian Casablancas

Details surrounding  this particular version of “Glad Girls” – Julian Casablancas singing with kings of lo-fi Guided By Voices – are non-existent.  Early on in The Strokes’ existence, they cited two bands as what they wanted to emulate: The Velvet Underground and Guided By Voices.

The following is a very drunk Julian Casablancas singing with his idols.  Enjoy.

The Strokes – New York City Cops – $2 Bill Show

I thought I’ve seen all of the available YouTube videos from The Strokes, but then I was looking for a video for ISIX this morning and found the video below.  It’s The Strokes opening their $2 Bill show back in 2002.

The song they seemed to favor opening with during the Is This It days was NYCC – especially in the States.  As you certainly know, “New York City Cops” wasn’t released on the band’s United States CD because the album came out two weeks after the 9/11 attacks.

Which is really too bad, because, in my opinion, it’s one of their best songs.  I really like the raw power and simplicity, but also like the “they act like Romans, but they dress like Turks” line.  It’s not “The Modern Age” or “Someday”, but it’s still very, very good.

Oh, and before I give way to the video, it’s important to realize that this MTV concert was on a sound stage in Los Angeles.  It’s pretty lame, in terms of the set-up, but it still sounds really good.  If you’re looking for a badass crowd, check out this performance of “Take It Or Leave It” in Hawaii.  We’ll post that over the weekend.

Enjoy The Strokes performing “New York City Cops” in the relatively early days.

The Strokes – Rare Version of “You Only Live Once” With Different Lyrics

As I write this (on Feb. 11 at approximately 1:00 p.m CT), The Strokes are getting together in New York City to start working on a follow-up to First Impressions of Earth.

To pay my respects to the best rock ‘n’ roll band on the planet, I figured that I should share some rare material from The Strokes that I’ve accumulated since First Impressions of Earth was released.  The following is the first such video.

Before you click play, here are a few details about what you’re about to hear:  This is a primitive version of The Strokes’s “You Only Live Once,” which one can hear with Julian Casablancas’s lyrics.  The band recorded the following version of YOLO during their Zane Lowe sessions, and it is fantastic.

Lonely Island’s “Incredibad” Drops – Includes Julian Casablancas

The Lonely Island’s Incredibad comes out tomorrow, and because of my role as a high-profile music critic, I’ve heard the album.

There’s definitely some funny stuff on it, but there’s one song and one song only that stands out.

It’s “Boombox” with Julian Casablancas, the singer from The Strokes.

This is the song, which has the potential to be a “Dick in a Box”/”Jizz in my Pants” type of hit.

Here’s the song.

What do you think?

Julian Casablancas and Nick Valensi Have Already Started

According to an interview that Fabrizio Moretti gave to the BBC after a recent gig with band Little Joy, fellow members of The Strokes – frontman Julian Casablancas and lead guitarist Nick Velensi – have already started working on new music for the band’s fourth record.

“Julian has started writing and Nick has got some material as well,” Moretti said. “We’re the kind of band that it’s not finished until everyone’s in one room and everyone’s got their parts perfectly. We’re a very mechanical band.”

The first day that all members of the band will get together is, as we’ve written, Feb. 11 at 2:00 p.m.

At that time, Moretti, guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. and bassist Nikolai Fraiture will join Casablancas and Valensi in New York City to work on the new record.

So that’s good news if you’re a fan of The Strokes.

It’s taken so long to produce a follow-up to 2006′s First Impressions of Earth because of many reasons.  First off, the band toured from December 2005 to September of 2006 in support of FIoE. And then, Valensi requested a year to spend with his new-born twins in Los Angeles, according to NME. After the year was up, the band reportedly decided to take another year to work on their individual efforts (Hammond made two solo records, Moretti made Little Joy and Fraiture made Time of the Assassins under the name Nickel Eye).

But now the band’s almost back together, and a record’s not far off.

(Expect it by the Fall)

Stay tuned to updates on The Strokes, and, starting Feb 11th, Is This It X will release lesser-known music/videos of the band to countdown to the release of the fourth album.

And if you’d like to hear new music from Nikolai Fraiture, pick up Time of the Assassins, which came out today.

The Strokes Are Back on Feb. 11 @ 2:00 p.m.

The Strokes are getting back together on February 11 at 2:00 p.m. to get started on their fourth album.

I must editorialize for a moment, and say: Thank God.  I can only listen to the 39 songs on the band’s three albums so many times.  But now, with all of the band in a good place from both a family and health perspective, the “saviors of pop” are officially coming back.

“We’re getting back together for the first time in two years, and it’s very exciting,” Albert Hammond Jr. told Rolling Stone. “We’re just going to start working on songs. I mean, sounds — we don’t even have the songs. We got to get back to playing first.”

One would have to think that the recording process this time around, compared to that of First Impressions of Earth, would be much faster.  The band has had three years to write new riffs, lyrics and melodies.  And the last time that Julian Casablancas, the band’s singer and main songwriter (he wrote all the tracks on Is This It and Room on Fire), got this type of time was before the industry-changing Is This It.

With that being said, Hammond says The Strokes are simply getting back together in mid-February.

“Right now, it’s just February 11th at 2 o’clock we’re going to the studio to hang out and play music,” Hammond said. “I just know the date and time.”

The most underrated thing that fans of The Strokes should keep an eye out for (and check back here daily to learn more about) is who the band picks to produce the record.  My guess is that the band, and this is purely speculation, goes forward from what First Impressions of Earth was, in terms of the sound, and doesn’t revert back to the primitive style of their first two records.

All that I hope is that The Strokes don’t turn into The Killers and use saxaphones in the attempt to copy U2 and Bruce Springsteen.

UPDATE: Starting on Feb. 11, Is This It X will post unknown/unheard tracks from the band each weekday until the songs run out.  Do you want to hear the Alone Together demo?  You Only Live Once with Julian Casablancas’ original lyrics?  How about a version of Hard to Explain that sounds like a Christmas song?  If so, check back on Feb. 11.

In the meantime, enjoy Triumph the Insult Comic Dog interacting with The Strokes…