Wednesday with the ‘Side Projects’ of The Strokes

By B Wednesday December 17, 2008

Since January of 2006 when The Strokes released their third album First Impressions Of Earth the band has been cruising under the radar and possibly suffering from severe laziness or inability to create. This lack of synergy has not kept all members of The Strokes in hiding, however, as side projects have seemingly taken the spotlight in the past couple years. The two most notable projects include that of Strokes’ guitarist, Albert Hammond Jr. in his self-titled band and drummer, Fabrizio Moretti’s brainchild, Little Joy. Though the two bands are very different, several of their songs are signature Strokesy ballads and audience members at live shows (similar to the call for “Freebird”) still call out for Strokes songs.

Albert Hammond Jr. has had far more success in his project as he has already released two full-lengths, Yours to Keep and Como te Llama? closing in on The Strokes unimpressive three releases. Little Joy has recently released their first self-titled LP and are touring to spread the word. Finally, as not to leave out Julian Casablancas, lead singer for The Strokes, good work on your recent side-project, a Converse commercial with N.E.R.D. and Santogold, where you were undoubtedly the least hyped of the three.

I don’t mean to sound coarse in this mid-week blip of mine, I really actually like The Strokes quite a bit. My undertones can be attributed to my impatience with a talented band that cannot seem to make music. The Strokes are supposedly going to be working on material for a fourth album early next year, though no potential release date has been announced. So, put a cigarette on your lip and smile.

The Strokes – Razorblade