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Don't Believe The Hype
2001 was a strange year for music. There really was no musical explosion. Things were pretty laid back. So the music fans and critics from around the world had fewer choices on what was new and innovative. This caused the lion's share of hype to be thrust upon two bands: The Strokes and The White Stripes. But, Don't Believe The Hype.
Tekst: Pat Wensink
Publicatiedatum: 08 januari 2002
It is my personal opinion that The Strokes are not as deserving of the
buzz as the White Stripes are. Don't get me wrong, I think that The Strokes
are a fine band. I am not saying that the band or its music is bad. I just
don't believe that they deserve to be thrust into the spotlight of music
around the world.
Here are the facts as I see them through my red and white striped
vision. The Strokes seem to be a band that is not comfortable in its own
skin. They appear to be Lou Reed's bastard children of the street. When in
actuality they are a group of prep school chums. Singer Julian Casablancas'
father actually owns a modeling agency in New York. While I agree appearance
and background should have little to do with a band, it is something that
gives the listener some insight into the music. These facts make me feel as
if The Strokes are not what they appear. More importantly let us discuss the
music. I feel 'Is This It', The Strokes debut, is a weak representation of
garage rock in America. While the album has its moments, the songs felt like
they had no enthusiasm, and the music felt like it was coming from a
forgotten 60s garage band trying to make a sad comeback. The production is
thin, almost a vain attempt to replicate the Stooges Raw Power--which has
long been criticized for its anemic sound. I have not seen the band live so
I have no ground to criticize them here.
My final point is the band's label. This may account for some of The Strokes
hype. The band signed to RCA records after only releasing a 3-song EP. Leave
it to major labels to throw money at something until it sells, it appears.
Clever marketing can move any music, just take a look at the Billboard top
10 at any point in the past year. It is almost guaranteed that the bizarre
pop craze dominated the charts this year. A simple case of big money moving
products. Now if you think that The Strokes are different you are wrong; it
seems to me that the marketers are targeting a different audience with this
hype. It seems to me that people who are trying to find rock and roll's
saviors are searching in the wrong place if they are looking towards The
Strokes for guidance.
Now comes The White Stripes. The band that I believe is rock and roll¹s
rescuers. The Detroit based brother and sister duo has been churning out
stripped down, blues-based rock for a few years. In 2001 the group released
its third album 'White Blood Cells'. This band got a lot of attention this
year, but I feel it was well deserved attention. Let me go over the facts as
I see them on The Stripes. First, Magnet Magazine made a claim that the duo
is in fact a divorced husband and wife team, not brother and sister. I will
agree that that is kind of odd if it is true. I can't say I understand the
reasoning behind it. Also, they have created an image for themselves as
well. The band is never seen without some combination of red and white on.
Sure this is kind of hokey; but at least it is more interesting and original
than dressing up in retro gear. Now, on to the music. The Stripes are a
drums and guitar band and nothing more. While its previous albums were
deeply rooted in the blues, this album was much more rock oriented. Each
song changes on the album and becomes its own entity. Whether it is the folk
stomp of 'Hotel Yorba' or the distortion drenched 'I Think I Smell a Rat'
the album shifts and moves while keeping its thick riffs and catchy hooks in
tact. The Stripes are on California based label Sympathy For the Record
Industry, the fiercely independent home of more than 600 releases (White
Blood Cells was #660). The band has stayed on this label and risen from
total obscurity in its three releases. Only to be courted by ever label
imaginable, major and indie, and stayed loyal to SFTRI by releasing this
album. The band is so independent that they were offered $75,000 by Crest
Toothpaste for the rights to the website Whitestripes.com and told them no
thanks. I had the opportunity to see The Stripes live, too. It is absolutely
amazing how such a small band can produce so much intensity and power. I feel
that The White Stripes are the finest band in America right now.
The White Stripes are a band that takes refreshingly original material and stanch independence to make the best band of 2001. They deserve every word of praise that they have gotten. On the other hand, The Strokes are a young band that seems to be having a problem finding its true identity. Given a few years and a some room to grow they could become the band that people want them to be. For now, at least in my mind, 2001 was the year that belonged to The White Stripes.
» Read our review of The Strokes' 'Is This It'
» Read our live review of The White Stripes
» Comments? Express yourself in Vent
http://www.kindamuzik.net/achtergrond/709/don-t-believe-the-hype/982/
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