Equally inspired by classic tunesmiths like Buddy Holly and John Lennon as well as the attitude and angular riffs of fellow New Yorkers Television and the Velvet Underground, the Strokes were also equally blessed and cursed with an enormous amount of hype -- particularly from the U.K. music press, whose adulation for the group rivaled their fervor for Oasis in the early '90s. Barely in their twenties by the time their debut album, Is This It, arrived in 2001, singer/songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond, Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti's success wasn't quite of the overnight variety, but it still arrived pretty swiftly.

Casablancas (the son of Elite Model Agency Group kingpin John Casablancas), Moretti (who began playing drums at age five), and Valensi started playing together in 1998 while they attended the Dwight School, a private prep school in Manhattan. Soon thereafter they met Fraiture, who attended the Upper East Side's Lycee Français, and added him to their ranks. Hammond (the son of singer/songwriter Albert Hammond, whose songs include "It Never Rains in Southern California," "When I Need You," and "To All the Girls I've Loved Before") came from Los Angeles to attend film school at NYU and was invited into the band by Casablancas; the two met at L'Institut le Rosey in Switzerland when they were kids.

Casablancas officially christened the quintet the Strokes in 1999, and the group spent most of that year writing and rehearsing material in New York City's Music Building. They made their live debut that fall at the Spiral, and word of mouth about the Strokes' incendiary live show propelled them to gigs at venues like Under the Acme, Lower East Side clubs such as Arlene Grocery, Baby Jupiter, and Luna. The Strokes' December 2000 dates at the Mercury Lounge and the Bowery Ballroom not only gained them a manager (Ryan Gentles, who booked them at those clubs), but also helped Strokes mania reach critical mass in New York. Rough Trade released the group's three-song demo as The Modern Age EP in January 2001, which sparked a bidding war from which RCA emerged as the victors.

Meanwhile, the Strokes' acclaim reached the U.K. and grew to massive proportions over the course of the year. NME quickly became their champions, profiling them several times that spring and summer as the Strokes' live act and singles like Hard to Explain (which debuted at number 16 in the U.K. charts) won them a rabid British following. That spring, the band also completed its first U.S. tour as the opening act for the Doves and proceeded to play dates with Guided by Voices and ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead in the U.S. and the U.K. The group's popularity continued to snowball in the U.K., with a side-stage slot at the NME Carling Weekender changed to a main-stage performance for fear of people trampling each other to see the band.

In late summer of that year, Rough Trade released Is This It with an album cover featuring a sexy, Helmut Newton-esque photo of a woman's nude behind and hip with a leather-gloved hand resting on it; the U.K. chains Woolworth's and HMV objected to its controversial nature. The U.S. version of Is This It was released in October and featured a few changes from the U.K. edition. The Strokes opted for an abstract pattern on the cover and removed the song "New York City Cops," feeling the song was inappropriate in the wake of the terrorist attacks that struck New York prior to the album's release; the planned B-side, "When It Started," took its place. The group closed out the fall with an extended tour of the U.S., culminating with a Halloween gig at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom.

The remainder of 2001 and 2002 saw the group's profile continue to rise. Is This It and the Strokes were lauded in many ways, ranging from This Isn't It, an EP of instrumental versions of some of the album's songs performed by a mystery band called the Diff'rent Strokes (Pulp's Jarvis Cocker was rumored to be a member) to 2001 NME Carling Awards for Best New Act, Band of the Year, and Album of the Year. The band toured extensively throughout 2002, including a series of dates that summer in New York and Detroit with the White Stripes, summer festivals at Reading and Leeds, and a string of gigs supporting Weezer, some of which were canceled due to a leg injury Casablancas suffered. During these shows, their fall tour, and their dates opening for the Rolling Stones, the Strokes debuted some new songs, including "Meet Me in the Bathroom," "You Talk Way Too Much," and "The Way It Is."

By March 2003, the band was ready to start recording its new album, but instead of working with Is This It producer Gordon Raphael as previously reported, the Strokes began recording with Nigel Godrich of Radiohead and Beck fame. That May, however, the Strokes' sessions with Godrich came to an end, and they returned to Raphael to finish the album, Room on Fire. The single 12:51 introduced the more meticulous, new wave-inspired sound of Room on Fire, which arrived in fall 2003. Just before the album's release, the Strokes hit the road once again, taking Kings of Leon with them. Early in 2006, they returned with the even poppier and more polished First Impressions of Earth. ~ All Music Guide

For the Record...
Members include Julian Casablancas, vocals; Nikolai Fraiture, bass; Albert Hammond, Jr., guitar; Fabrizio Moretti, drums; Nick Valensi, guitar; Group formed in New York City, 1998; released EP, The Modern Age on Beggars Banquet, 2001; signed to RCA Records, 2001; released full-length LP, Is This It, October 2001. Addresses: Record companyCA Records, 1540 Broadway, # 900, New York, NY 10036. Websitehe Strokes Official Website: http://www.thestrokes.com.

Albums:
Is This It, Rough Trade, RCA, 2001.
Room on Fire, Rough Trade, RCA, 2003.
First Impressions of Earth, Rough Trade, RCA, 2006.
Angles, Rough Trade, RCA, 2011.
 

Sources: Heather Phares; Carol Brennan

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After learning that frontman Pascal Deweze of Belgian band Sukilove had described this record as "homo erotic rock without the glitter", it was obvious that this album wasn't going to be run of the mill to say the least. With a reputation as one of Belgium's most interesting and daring bands, 'Static Moves' really does show that they are forever trying to push boundaries and defy genre labelling with every effort.

Opening track 'New Beginning' eases you in relatively well, although an odd choice to begin the album with, and only subtly foreshadows the outright weirdness that the rest of the songs are about to throw at you. What it does share is the raw atmosphere that this entire record gives off. Being the fourth album for the band, it is however only the first to be recorded at Deweze's home studio - and yet with no strict schedule, Sukilove still recorded the entire album live. This is definitely reflected in '4am', brilliantly atmospheric with tinkering electronica, 'Greenwood'-esque guitar and Deweze's vocal delivery adopting a Thom Yorke slur, it's difficult to believe this isn't a Radiohead track.

'Rebel' is literally what is done in this track, starting with gentle chords, it then bursts into a fast paced, heavy riff that franticly works round the delivery of an equally unsteady vocal melody. Clocking in at just shy of three minutes, this song knows it's place, and is a highlight of the album as a short chunk of satisfying, aural angst. After enduring the oddly titled 'Teeth Fitness', which tops two minutes of eerie water noise, comes the single 'Choose Your Gods'. This is arguably the most contemporary effort on 'Static Moves', given the choice to release it in some hope of commercial recognition. The almost tribal main riff and jagged guitar solo still spark that unsettling feeling in the listeners stomach, however it compliments the accessible backing well and works on a level that you won't find elsewhere.

As far as bizarre goes, 'Memory As A Skull' pulls out all the stops. Beginning with whispering of the lyrics panned to the far left and right of the mix, this is something you wouldn't want to listen to through earphones in the dark. The dissonance of the chords as well as a slightly psychotic sounding refrain of the word "memory" render this song as far away from easy listening as possible, and is just outright odd. This said, it is so interesting that it does hold attention, particularly the er... "throat clearing" vocal solo.

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'Fear' is definitely a highlight of the album. The drum pattern and grinding bass line sound fantastic, as well as haunting guitar riffs that are strangely likened to a gothic Arctic Monkeys sound. As the track builds up, Deweze's confidence in his vocals follows suit, and he leaves behind the monotonous slurs for a ferocious rasp that culminates in the screaming of "we're all just meat; waiting to die". This is the kind of thing that Sukilove need to make more of, a whole album of this would really be something to look forward to.

Sometimes 'Static Moves' does sound like it's obscure just for the sake of being obscure, and it takes a lot of patience to eventually 'get' - easy listening this is not. Rest assured, there are some great moments here, the fury of 'Fear' and the infectious 'Choose Your Gods' are definitely worth more than just a listen. Let's hope that the future of this band holds such similarities.

Matt Fearon

Sukilove - Static Moves. Released on CD, download & limited edition clear vinyl on 2nd November 2009. www.sukilove.com

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Marillion are a very British band with a very British sound and were a product of the prog-rock revival of the early 80’s. They often drew comparisons with the like of prog rockers Genesis, for the most part because of the similarity in vocal style, between lead singer Fish and Peter Gabriel. However this never stopped Marillion from attaining success both sides of the pond, with 6 top ten albums in the U.K album chart, 7 UK top 10 hits singles and an enthusiastic cult fan base in the U.S.

Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire is the town that has become synonymous Marillion. The hit songs 'Market Square Heroes' and 'Lavender' make autobiographical references to the area of the town the band first performed together in 1981. The height of Marillion’s success came in the mid- eighties with the early line up of Derek. W. Dick AKA Fish (Vocals), Steve Rothery (guitars), Mick Pointer (drums) replaced by Ian Mosley after the debut album (Script for a Jesters Tears), Mark Kelly (Keyboards) and Pete Trewavas (bass).

In 1988 after what can only be described as a successful career up until that point, lead singer Fish left the group for pastures new and in particular a solo career. This left Marillion without a lead singer, but before long they had found their man in Steve ‘H’ Hogarth.

From 1988 onwards Marillion have maintained the attention of their fans by creating their own image and identity, the introduction of Steve Hogarth gave the band a new texture and direction without alienating the core fan base. The enthusiasm shown by Marillion fans was demonstrated in 1997 when the band announced that they would not be touring the U.S. due to lack of funds. As a result fans collected online donations to the tune of $60,000, which ultimately allowed the band to tour in America.

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This made the band realize two things; real fans will put their money where their mouth is and the Internet would be the avenue by which they could utilize that fact. Marillion would demonstrate Internet savvy long before Radiohead by asking fans on the web via email to pay for the album ‘Anoraknophobia’ prior to its release. 12,000 fans responded, with that kind of reaction twenty years down the line, Marillion’s future is in good hands.

Segun Murray Ogunsheye.

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The English band, Radiohead, was founded in 1985 in Oxfordshire, England. The 5 band members all met whilst attending Abingdon School.  At the time the band was called On A Friday as they used to meet on a Friday to rehearse. The line up consists of Thom Yorke (rhythm guitar, beats, piano and lead vocals), Ed O’Brien (backing vocals and guitar), Jonny Greenwood (keyboard, lead guitar and other instruments), Phil Selway (percussion and drums) and Colin Greenwood (synthesizers and bass guitar).

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Radiohead’s debut single was the song 'Creep' in 1992, which initially failed to impress but became a huge hit with the release of their debut album, 'Pablo Honey' in 1993. The release of their second album 'The Bends' in 1995 boosted their popularity in the UK. 1997 saw the release of third album, 'OK Computer', which propelled them to greater international fame and is now considered a landmark record of the 1990s. Their next 2 albums, 'Kid A' and 'Amnesiac' saw the group incorporate electronic music, Krautrock, post-punk and jazz influences. In 2003 the band released, “Hail to the Thief”, their last album through record label, EMI. 'In Rainbows', their seventh album was released independently and each customer could set their own price. It was a critical and chart success.

Radiohead have been nominated for numerous music awards including 8 BRIT award nominations (which they have never won), 14 Grammy award nominations (including 3 wins), 10 MTV awards nominations (of which they won 9), 3 Q Awards and an Ivor Novello award. The band are still active today.

WE'VE A GREAT RARE TRACK OF THE BAND WHEN THEY PERFORMED AS ON A FRIDAY,  CHECK IT OUT IN OUR RARE RECORD CLUB SECTION HERES THE LINK

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The boy who would become Bob Dylan was born Robert Allen Zimmerman on 24th May, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota. In a career spanning over 5 decades, Dylan has won Grammys, Golden Globes and Academy Awards, been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2008 for his impact on pop music and American culture.

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Zimmerman apparently coined the name "Bob Dylan" during his time on the Dinkytown folk music circuit in Minnesota, where he attended university. It's unclear why that particular name was chosen, although the presiding theory is that the surname was inspired by the poet Dylan Thomas. "You're born, you know, the wrong names, wrong parents," Bob Dylan is reported to have said in a 2004 interview. "I mean, that happens. You call yourself what you want to call yourself. This is the land of the free."

Dylan hitchhiked from Minnesota to New York in 1961, after dropping out of his freshman year. Dylan played harmonica on Carolyn Hester's third album, which brought him to the attention of producer John Hammond, who signed the 20 year-old to Colombia Records. Dylan's first album "Bob Dylan" made little impact, selling just enough to break even. 1962 saw Dylan change his name legally to Robert Dylan and sign a management contract with Albert Grossman, who remained Dylan's manager until 1970. Dylan’s second album, "The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan", was released in May 1963. By this time, Dylan was starting to make a name for himself, and "Blowin' In The Wind" became an international hit with Peter, Paul & Mary, another band managed by Grossman.

Possibly one of the most important facets of Dylan's career has been his inspiration of so many other artists. "Freewheelin" is said to have impressed The Beatles. "We just played it, just wore it out. The content of the song lyrics and just the attitude—it was incredibly original and wonderful," George Harrison said of the album. Dylan's songs have been covered by an estimated 2,000 artists. "All Along The Watchtower", for example, was famously covered by Jimi Hendrix, and "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" has been covered by over 25 well-known artists, including Eric Clapton, Guns 'N' Roses and Bob Marley. References to Dylan's songs are rife through contemporary music, such as Radiohead's "Subterranean Homesick Alien" (in reference to "Subterranean Homesick Blues", which, incidentally, takes the credit for being one of the first music videos).

On 29th July 1966 Dylan crashed his motorcycle, breaking several vertebrae in his neck. It is reported that he had been awake for three straight days before the accident, possibly due to a huge workload. For the next 19 months, Dylan withdrew from the public eye.

In 1967, Dylan began recording with a band called The Hawks, at his home and in their basement, known as "Big Pink". The recordings were intended to be demos for other artists to cover, but gradually the original catalogue was released or bootlegged. The Hawks recorded the album "Music From Big Pink" with material they had written in their basement and renamed themselves The Band.

Throughout the 1970s, Dylan recorded and toured a great deal. Many of his releases in the early part of the decade were criticised for shoddiness. The Jewish-born Dylan became a born-again Christian in the late '70s, but claimed to follow no religion in 1997. He is reported to have said that his religion is part of music. "I don't adhere to rabbis, preachers, evangelists, all of that," he told Newsweek. "The songs are my lexicon."

1988 was the start of Dylan's 'Never Ending Tour' which has played roughly 2100 gigs to date. In April 2009 Dylan released his 33rd studio album "Together With Life".

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