The Strokes – What Ever Happened

The Strokes reunited on February 11, 2009 to start working on their fourth album.  To celebrate the return of the best rock ‘n’ roll band in the world, IsThisItX is posting one rare Strokes video per (week)day.  On Monday, Wednesday and Friday these will songs you’ve never heard from my personal collection. On Tuesday, Thursday and (possibly) once over the weekend, this will be a lesser-seen YouTube video.  Any tips? E-mail IsThisItX@gmail.com.

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 “Whatever 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.  “Whatever 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…

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For more updates on The Strokes, follow author Eric Van Dril at www.twitter.com/isthisitx

Also, be sure to check out the The Strokes Countdown tab for all of ISIX’s news on The Strokes and their upcoming album.

Finally, check out IsThisItX’s YouTube channel.

Albert Hammond Jr. – Rare/Early Version Of “In Transit” Called “Obstinate”

The Strokes reunited on February 11, 2009 to start working on their fourth album.  To celebrate the return of the best rock ‘n’ roll band in the world, IsThisItX is posting one rare Strokes video per day.  On Monday, Wednesday and Friday these will songs you’ve never heard from my personal collection. On Tuesday, Thursday and once over the weekend, this will be a lesser-seen YouTube video.  Any tips? E-mail IsThisItX@gmail.com.

This song, titled “Obstinate,” is an early version of the song that eventually became the track that played during the opening credits of “In Transit” – the movie filmed by and about The Strokes.  That film is something that I would suggest to all fans of The Strokes, even though it gets a little long at the end.

“Obstinate” eventually became Albert Hammond Jr’s first single – also titled “In Transit” – on his first album, “Yours To Keep.”  Rumor has it that Albert made “Obstinate” for a project during his first year of college.  If that’s true, then well done Albert.  Well done.

Even if the vocals are pretty rough.

Here is “Obstinate”…

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For more updates on The Strokes, in addition to ISIX’s news and opinion, follow author Eric Van Dril and this site at www.twitter.com/isthisitx

Also, be sure to check out the The Strokes Countdown tab for all of ISIX’s news on The Strokes and their upcoming album.

Finally, check out IsThisItX’s YouTube channel.

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.

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For more updates on The Strokes, in addition to ISIX’s news and opinion, follow author Eric Van Dril and his site at www.twitter.com/isthisitx

Also, be sure to check out the The Strokes Countdown tab for all of ISIX’s news on The Strokes and their upcoming album.

The Lonely Island’s “Boombox” With 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?

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For more on Lonely Island, The Strokes and Julian Casablancas, follow ISIX and author Eric Van Dril at www.twitter.com/isthisitx

Julian Casablancas, Nick Valensi Have Started Writing Songs

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.