Why are The Strokes making life hard on themselves? Doesn’t Julian Casablancas want to cash in on indie rock nostalgia and appease rock critics in the process? The New York band in 2026 is a more provocative and divisive force than ever in its career, even as the “indie rock sleaze revival” has become a dominant subcultural trend.
But what do I know? I’ve been writing for Alt77, a website for alternative and indie music, for more than a decade. I’ve reviewed more than 5,000 bands and written more than 4,000 music-related blog posts. In previous pieces, I ranked The Strokes’ albums from worst to best and discussed the genres that Julian Casablancas and his bandmates helped kill off.
The band is receiving backlash for the first time in their career. Here is why their stubborn refusal to live in the past will ultimately save the group’s legacy.
Is This It? The Strokes Go from Media Darlings to Industry Pariahs
Do you enjoy arguing? No? Well, then, don’t mention to any of the staff writers at NME or Rolling Stone that The Strokes’ 2001 debut “Is This It?” might not be the album of its era. And, for heaven’s sake, don’t dare to suggest that the New York group wasn’t the most important of its kind within indie rock.
Indeed, at the start of the millennium, “garage rock revival” groups were a mainstream force. And, while The White Stripes, The Hives, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, or Interpol scored hits, no group was more adored than The Strokes.
They hit all the right notes:
- The Look: The Strokes’ t-shirts and skinny jeans made them global teenage icons.
- The Background: The group members came from affluent families and expertly used their industry connections.
- The Sound: The songs were catchy and evoked nostalgia for the New York of The Velvet Underground and Television.
It’s impossible to track the ascent of indie-rock since the early 2000s without acknowledging the influence of “Is This It?” Even I did it when I placed it at number 3 on Alt77’s list of the 100 Greatest Indie-Rock Albums of the Early 2000s. And, in case you were wondering, I have The Strokes as runners-up when writing about the 150 Greatest Rock Bands of the 2000s.
But then something unexpected happened. The Strokes hung around far longer than most would have expected, slowly moving away from a choppy guitar-fueled sound to one that incorporated new-wave, disco, and post-punk influences. 2020’s
“The New Abnormal” should’ve been a step back commercially, but instead consolidated the fanbase.
The Astonishing Rise and Inevitable Fall of Indie Sleaze
Meanwhile, over the past couple of years, a powerful current of nostalgia for the carefree days of the 2000s soundtracked by minimalist dance-rock has been blowing. The days of complaining over so-called “indie landfill” songs are gone. Trending is a sound built on the template set by bands like LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture and, of course, The Strokes.
It’s a reawakening of electroclash, blohouse, and dirty garage rock. And, newish artists like The Dare, Snow Strippers, The Hellp and even pop superstar Charli XCX are reaping the rewards.
But everyone knows that this is a trend, a cosplay of celebrations past that never quite were what we now imagine. The Strokes are standing to the side. They’ve seen it play out before. Chasing fads, Julian Casablancas surely realises, will not help the band’s legacy.
The Strokes Delay the Release of New Album “Reality Awaits”
It is quite a legacy that the band has built despite many having them down back in the 2000s as a potential one-album wonder.
Yes, The Strokes play some of the old songs live, but they don’t overdo it. At a recent show in Boston, only four tracks from “Is This It?” were included in the setlist. Instead, some of the band’s more recent and exotic-sounding tracks became the highlight of the concert.
Julian Casablancas is so confident of his legacy, in fact, that he’s even made overtly political, anti-war comments in recent shows. As expected, these received both praise and criticism.
This new scepticism among some about The Strokes has been reflected in the group’s recent praise. New single, “Falling Out of Love,” received some negative reviews, most notably by The Needle Drop’s Anthony Fantano.
There are other issues as well: founding guitarist Nick Valensi is taking a “temporary break” from touring, and the new album “Reality Awaits” has been pushed back by four weeks from its initial release date.
But are all these setbacks meant to sound the death knell on Strokes? No, it won’t! And here’s why.
Why The Strokes Are Wise Not to Fully Embrace Indie Sleaze
The Strokes have been written off before. In fact, it is my belief that most of the critics who loved the debut would’ve loved nothing more than the band to give up shortly after it. This would’ve surely cemented the mythos of 2000s New York indie-rock.
Instead, Julian Casablancas, the band’s singer and leader, has opted to take a less trodden path. His work with the noted side project The Voidz is abrasive and daringly experimental. He has incorporated quirky pop influences into his solo albums. And, he’s turned The Strokes into a far more forward-thinking group than “Is This It?” announced. While I am not a great fan of the band, as a music critic, I cannot help but admire this bravery.
It’s worked, too!
The Strokes still play across the world. They’re not Foo Fighters, perhaps, in terms of live audiences, but they’re not far behind in ticket sales either. The group’s audience has opted to move along with The Strokes.
So, is this it? Indie Sleaze Revival is fun and getting people on the dance floors. But it’ll be gone soon. Bad reviews matter, but they’ve never derailed The Strokes’ career. The band is playing smartly by following its own path and ignoring the noise.
