I used to be really into these guys. Can't figure out whether they fell off or me. Anyway, here's a piece about how I went from Nas to The Strokes. I think a lot of black folks my age can relate.
The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood 
Copyright © 2009 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. All rights reserved.
The Strokes suck -- badly played, fake retro. Please don't nominate them to represent white music.
I nominate The Arctic Monkeys and Lily Allen to represent White Music.
I probably shouldn't have gone to the pub at lunch..
gorillaz. They're like the melting pot we're truly becoming.
Sort of like with The Killers, I really dug them for a bit, and then moved on.
There are a few cuts of theirs I still play a lot tho... "Hard to Explain," "Under Control," "Barely Legal."
I think it seems like they feel off for a couple of reasons...
1. When "Is This It" came out, they were so much better than most music that was out at the time, they seemed as though they were on another level. I would now say rock music is very, very strong right now. And if its not better, its certainly more accessible. They just don't stand out as much.
2. They haven't released an album in about 3 years.
What the hell is Fred talking about?
You probably stopped being into them because the second album only had one good song--the straight R&B song whose title I don't remember (if it's the video in the post I'll be embarrassed; it's blocked by my work servers)--and the third album was produced by a guy who produced Sugar Ray records and it sounded that way.
I dunno, Ta-Nehisi. I'm not so sure that white people have the feelings of believing that certain music represents us culturally. Undeniably, different genres of music are largely listened to by certain subgroups of white people, but very little of it has to deal with the cultural baggage people often hang on hip-hop. Without that baggage forcing us to defend the music, to reconcile it with our reality, it's easier to just listen to it as music and not try to see it as a deeper reflection of our culture.
It could just result in less reflective listening, but sometimes that's a good thing.
By the way, TNC, judging from your non hip-hop posts on music, you should definitely be listening to My Morning Jacket. Not sure if you are already, but lead singer Jim James knows no bounds. They are the best music white people have to offer right now.
For half a second, I thought this was going to be about Billy Squier's "The Stroke".
The Lily Allen video for Alfie was one of the funniest videos I have seen in a long time. Reminded me of my cousin.
I think I read that piece on Time Magazine back then.
I agree with the Arctic Monkeys comment - pop punk at its best.
I second the My Morning Jacket recommendation. That album rules.
I actually think the Strokes are still pretty good. Their first album was a once-in-a-lifetime deal -- very few bands would have a lifetime of songs that catchy. But the more recent ones kinda rock, actually. They're definitely underrated.
knowing that you are a 'tv on the radio' fan, it makes sense that you like the strokes. definitely 'yeah yeah yeahs' too. i was real into that (strokes) for a while. for me it brings to mind a certain '04 NYC atmosphere.
it makes me really happy to see black people at NYC rock shows and black/chinese/white/asian NYC kids skateboarding all over the place these days.. i guess i'm being a little sentimental about something that's totally natural but i grew up in a fairly culturally/racially segregated time+place. suburban jersey in the 90's.. especially as related to music.. i didnt get into hip-hop for years because the rap kids at my school happened to be assholes while the punk/metal kids were my friends.. dumb in retrospect, but hey better late than never.
I found your piece in Time very interesting—as a black male, I had almost the exact opposite experience with music, rocking out to baggage-free "white" music first and only later realizing that music can also help bind together a culture. I never could understand how otherwise 'bout-it brothers could listen to some of the more ridiculous stuff out there, but a friend of mine explained it to me this way: it's important to know what's hot for the simple reason that it provides a set of common reference points for one's community. On some level, the content doesn't matter as long as most members of the culture accept it. Which kinda sucks, but it helps me feel a little better about listening to the truly vulgar stuff.
Ha ha, 3rd Bass. I loved those guys. Cactus Album, Derelicts of Dialect. Before feuds got serious, they went after Hammer and Vanilla Ice. MC Serch!
I made my transition to Rock n Roll in the late 80s. Mostly attributable to 4 words: Corey Glover. Body Glove.
Illmatic stands the test of time.
Too much hip-hop is utterly nihilistic, and too many MCs these days can't rhyme or flow. A friend coined the mocking phrase "the perfect rhyme" to describe the laziest of lyrics, the rhyming of a word with itself. Lots of pop MCs do that. And some who can rap don't say much with it (Ludacris, I'm looking at you!). Despite these flaws, I still find hip-hop compelling. Rock and roll lyrics don't match the cleverness and convolutions that good hip-hop lyrics have, and I'm a sucker for a good beat. But it is tough to find good stuff.
As a brother whose first album was "Back in Black" I'm so glad that Black people are finally letting go of their provincial attitudes towards music. I was always annoyed that it was OK for White guys to groove to Run DMC and the Fat Boys, but is was verbotten for me to listen to U2. Now with dudes like Pharrell out there proclaiming their love for Steely Dan, I know that I was just ahead of the curve musically.
Every single one of my black guy friends like Steely Dan a lot. I'm not exactly sure what this means, but I assume it has something to do with Steely Dan being some smooth motherfuckers...
"The Cuervo Gold, the fine Colombian, let's make tonight a wonderful thing"
Happy hour time. Peace.
Read your piece. You know, lots of us have a complicated relationship with Led Zeppelin. They are truly awesome, yet horrifying and kind of disgusting all at once. It all comes down to straddling the line between art, beauty, truth, and rock on one side, and endless, meandering guitar solos on the other. With Zeppelin, there’s just enough of the former to make up for the latter.
Strokes are okay, I guess.
Strokes are good, they had one great album and then one pretty good and then i stopped paying attention. Funny you mention the Bends in your article - my best black friend said he didn't listen to any rock whatsoever until his hallmates in college got him into the Bends. Now he's in a punk band.
And wow, "best black friend" sounds horrible. This guy I know, he's among my best friends and he's the only one of that group who also happens to be african-american? Jesus. I should have just said "This black dude i know"...
"Well timmy, you are prejudiced...because you referred to him as your jewish friend, and not just your friend..." PSA from WAY back...
If we're gonna nominate an official "White" musician or band then I have a few nominees:
1. The Beatles - Stupifiyingly obvious, I know. Still...
2. The Beach Boys - Great music, plus mental illness and dysfunction, too! Very white.
3. Willie Nelson - Like your laid back on uncle; on weed.
4. Elvis - Was a hero to most.
5. The Carpenters - Sappy songs, bad clothes, and anorexia - another winning combination.
6. Guns n' Roses - One hair metal group had to be nominated. And besides, Slash qualifies as our vaguely ethnic but not TOO ethnic buddy.
7. Frank Sinatra - Nobody got more tail than Sinatra. Plus, he made white people feel good about themselves because he stood up for Sammy.
Mostly agree with others on the career path of the Strokes...great album, to decent album, to where have they gone?
Best thing going right now is the Avett Brothers. Punk-folk-rock band that goes fast-slow, hard-soft and every other direction and do it all well. Amazing energy at their shows and they are about to blow up...jump on while it's still cool.
Enjoyed the article.
I love the Strokes. Still one of my favorite bands. I listen to everything under the sun. Even music in other languages.
Ta-Nehisi, if you want to hear some great, pre-hipster rock, meet us at Roseland on September 14th to see The Cult. I've seen that band live a few times and they still kick ass.
Let's mix up Ta-Nehisi's loves up a little bit... Biggie x Brit Pop = Dan Black's cover of Hypnotize.
What is wrong with you? God, stop with this black-white binaric bull shite. There is One Cool Culture. (Learn from Obama, he gets this.) It is heterogeneous. We want to read your blog but because of your "upbringing" we can't. Let it go & be free. Yet, love Kenyatta & your son & get married.
Thanks for the measured, considered advice. I shall think on it.
Ta-Nehisi, if you haven't seen this, you might find it interesting: Jonathan Coulton doing an acoustic folk/rock of Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back".
Sorry, messed up the HTML on that last comment. I tried to post a corrected version with a link to the Coulton cover of "Baby Got Back", but the comment got "held for approval".
The Strokes didn't exactly fall off, they just kept making the same album over and over. Good if you like consistency, bad if you want innovation.
Mr Coates:
It's been a long time since I played frisbee inside a computer, too.
Yours,
Michael
Yo ta-nehisi,
I am a supreme White Music Dork. I mean, that times article is like my experience in reverse. In High School I bought Jay-Z's black album and hid it from my parents. My rap collection has expanded by leaps and bounds since then, and I have a true and deep love of funk as well as a few jazz albums.
The third strokes album is very different from the first two. Nowhere near as good as initial pair, "First Impressions of Earth" is really interesting and has a few great tunes (i.e.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk1fl_U1dKU )
Anyway, Ta-Nehisi if you're into the strokes and tv on the radio and the yeah yeah yeahs, you need to get yourself some post-punk.
Listen to some Wire, Gang Of Four, "50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong," Talking Heads and Joy Division.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S46XKa3uj2U
I'M TOTALLY WIREDDD
Speaking of Joy Division, put "24 Hour Party People" in your Netflix queue. Fine, fine film.
Oh yeah, you also need some Liquid Liquid and ESG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL45YOtbuy0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7WKmsPluEY&feature=related
(annoying video, great song)