Washington Post Reviews the Wavves Backlash

[nickg]

first time i heard of the strokes was in Rolling Stone. i remember it clearly, i was sitting at my computer in my dorm room and i decided i'd get the album when it came out. i seem to remember MC5 and Stooges comparisons, and then getting the record and deciding those were only apt in the hair department. still loved that record, though. may have to put it on today.

[nickg]

well, okay..."loved" is a strong word. i thought it was pretty rad.

[vint]

I definitely loved the record. It made me feel like a thirteen year old girl. I couldn't help but smile and bop my head around or dance about while listening to that album.

[Whet Bull]

Being the children of the wealthy NYC fashion/culture elite probably helped them out a bit on getting a record deal.

That goes without saying.  Those guys had a manager from Day One.  Theirs was kind of an old-fashioned "industry" success story in that respect.  They played a bunch of gigs around town, recorded a demo, their manager shopped it around, they got signed, and blew up.  I think about six months passed between the time The Modern Age came out and the LP coming out on RCA.  It was fun at the time!  We saw them live on Halloween, 2002 and they just played the record from start to finish.  It was a good time.  Saw them again on New Year's Eve that year w/ Guided By Voices at the Apollo, which was weird.  That was probably the most fun I've had on New Year's Eve in New York.  

[chrizow]

the "modern age" EP and "is this it" are both rad.  if "is this it" were limited to 300 copies, it would be a termbo white whale.  the band was too smart for that, though, and opted for more money and hotter chicks.  

i just remember they were a big deal at the college radio station i worked at.  i went and saw them live in lawrence, ks right before the LP came out.  there were probably 800 people there.

i actually hated them and their music for a long time after that show, because the show was boring as shit.  they just played the record, standing still, and it didn't even sound very good.  

[Vince Clortho Keymaster of Gozac]

When the first Strokes record came out my then roommate knew a girl who did merchandising for RCA. Basically she would drive around to major record stores like Tower all over NY and NJ and create elaborate window displays for whatever was being pushed hard. She hooked us up with the Strokes album and a whole bunch of other promo items like a giant window decal and some other stuff. If I had the foresight back then I would be flipping some of that shit on the 'bay right now. I think their stuff still gets a little money.

That said I like their first record a lot and could probably get into it right now if I could only figure out where the CD is. Still holds up for sure and songwriting-wise is miles above a lot of the shit that gets hyped2DETH around these parts. They do have awesome dynamics in their songs. Whether you credit that to the band or producer is your thing.

Never checked out anything else beyond that first album though. Also around the same time when the Electric Shadows were starting we shared a rehearsal space with a band that was snatched up and subsequently buried by Capitol Records in the wake of the Strokes/White Stripes success circa-2002 and Capitol pretty much subsidized that spot for a few years so I have the Strokes to thank for that. Sickest rehearsal space ever too, right by Port Authority and all the pornography and jack off booths one could ever need plus a liquor store and fried chicken take out place right on the ground floor.

[Vince Clortho Keymaster of Gozac]

Also I should add said RCA employee also hooked me up with a 3 or 4 disc Waylon Jennings box set that is miles above any record released in the last few decades.

[AYL08]

Tom Petty should have sued for them ripping off "American Girl" at the start of "Last Nite", he'd be rollin' in some extra dough right now... not that he needs any more dough.

[Vince Clortho Keymaster of Gozac]

I sold my promo only White Stripes turntable slipmat for over 100 bucks on eBay last year. THANKS THE STROKES!

[sarim]

"RS: Have you heard the Red Hot Chili Peppers song ?Dani California? yet, because obviously it sounds a lot like ?Mary Jane?s Last Dance.?

Petty: Yes, I have. Everyone everywhere is stopping me. The truth is, I seriously doubt that there is any negative intent there. And a lot of rock & roll songs sound alike. Ask Chuck Berry. The Strokes took ?American Girl? [for their song ?Last Nite?], and I saw an interview with them where they actually admitted it. That made me laugh out loud. I was like, ?OK, good for you.? It doesn?t bother me.

RS: There have been news reports that you were going to sue the Chili Peppers.

Petty: If someone took my song note for note and stole it maliciously, then maybe. But I don?t believe in lawsuits much. I think there are enough frivolous lawsuits in this country without people fighting over pop songs."

also the solo from this song is fuckin sick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM2Ssne97ek&feature=related

i got in a verbal argument on avenue a one time with the one guitar player when he denied bein in the band.  he ran into a cab as his girlfriend flipped me off and called me an asshole.  the same week the bass player came in to my work and we had a very friendly conversation about how to make falafel.

[Vince Clortho Keymaster of Gozac]

Around the time the Strokes were getting popular I was banging this girl who always wanted to listen to Coldplay who were also taking off around the same time. Spent a good amount of time in 2001 and 2002 in a beautiful co-op apartment across the street from The Strand naked listening to Coldplay. Now there is a band that needs a backlash. I'm sure Acapulco will defend them to the death.

[vulture]

My gf listens to the first Strokes album waaay too much.

[nickg]

i heard the second strokes album once or twice...the first half is okay, then i realized it's just kind of a re-hash of the first record but not as good. i think i heard a single a couple years ago that was way different, and i didn't hate it, but it didn't do enough to make me find more. i saw it on t.v. and i liked the fact that casablancas or whatever had some kinda throat thing so he was just kinda wailing and not singing at all.

[AYL08]

so back to Wavves... are we looking at a potential Kurt Cobain situation here?

[erickelric]

The Strokes suck. Get over it.