The Strokes
USA, 1998–now
New York City rock band formed in 1998 — Julian Casablancas, Nick Valensi, Albert Hammond Jr., Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti. Their debut Is This It (2001) reignited guitar rock for the 2000s with lean, interlocking riffs and cool detachment, becoming the touchstone of the garage-rock revival and a direct spark for a generation of indie bands.
MusicRoots documents 3 artists who influenced The Strokes and 4 artists The Strokes influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.
Who influenced The Strokes?
- The Velvet Underground — Julian Casablancas named Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground the band's guiding light — 'our dream revolved around taking the Velvet Underground and thinking, if only they were really famous.'
- The Stooges — The Stooges' raw garage-punk drive was one of the templates for The Strokes' lean, hooky sound.
- Ramones — As fellow New Yorkers, the Ramones' brash two-minute blasts fed directly into The Strokes' short, hooky, no-frills songs.
Which artists did The Strokes influence?
- Arctic Monkeys — The Strokes' Is This It was the record Alex Turner played constantly as Arctic Monkeys formed — the band consciously borrowed and then pushed away from its blueprint.
- Kings of Leon — Kings of Leon were initially embraced as 'the Southern Strokes' — the New York band's garage-rock revival set the template they gave a Southern accent.
- The Fratellis — The garage-rock revival the Strokes ignited — raw energy, lo-fi swagger — shaped the Fratellis' Costello Music.
- Editors — Among the band's main named influences, with Joy Division and Echo & the Bunnymen.