Shazam’s Music Of The Decade
As we approach the end of the 00’s, we’ll be running through some of our favourite albums of the past decade. This is by no means a chart, more of a chance for us to highlight some of the artists that have really shone through in the past ten years. There may be some albums you’re already aware of, but hopefully – in true Shazam fashion – we’ll help you discover some gems you may have missed. While we can’t make any guarantees about the quality of the next decade’s music, it’s safe to say the noughties has given us several stand out albums that will continue to be heralded as classics for years to come.
Firstly we’ll be looking at how five sharply dressed young men from New York managed to set the standard for guitar music at the start of the new decade and influence almost every indie band that was to come after them.
The Strokes – Is This It (2001)
At the start of the decade indie music was in dire need of a shot in the arm. Established bands at the time were churning out repetitive albums and nothing seemed exciting or of the moment. ‘Is This It’ works because it is a great collection of songs, delivered by a band that had all the classic, necessary ingredients. It’s hard to imagine now, but when The Strokes arrived resplendent in skinny jeans, Converse and military jackets – it was a look that separated them from any other on the existing scene. While these days the vintage, thrift store look has been adopted by the high street, at the time it was new and exciting. Of course while your look can get you noticed, if you haven’t got the songs to back it up then you’re in trouble. Thankfully The Strokes’ songs were the perfect riposte to any naysayers.
‘Is This It’ opens with the misleadingly slow title track. Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr’s duelling spiky guitars driven by Fab Moretti’s metronomic beat and Nikolai Fraiture’s solid bass groove are the perfect backing for Julian Casablancas’ NYC drawl. The album quickly picks up pace with ‘The Modern Age’ – the track the first caught the attention of music publications such as the NME who recently touted the release as its album of the decade. Clocking in at just over thirty minutes, ‘Is This It’ was the handbook that influenced the likes of The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys and Razorlight. However this isn’t to say The Strokes aren’t without their musical debts. ‘Last Nite’, ‘Take It Or Leave It’ and ‘Barely Legal’ all bear the marks of Television and The Velvet Underground – but like all great bands, The Strokes took their influences and formed them into something new and exciting.
