Why Do So Many People Hate The Strokes?

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I Think They're The Best Act Out There Right Now. I Saw Them Live in 2002 at the roseland ballroom NYC and i have to say that it was pretty damn awesome. and they're ten times better than Linkin Park or Limp Biscuit. I Would Rather Eat My Own Leg than listen to any of they're albums. don't people realize that it's all the same song over and over again?. Rap, Scream, Rap, Scream. It All Sucks Assfarts.Well anyway i like the strokes and i'm gonna have to see them when they come back in march or may. this message is a little long isn't it?. Do you like Brownies with or without peanuts?.

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Thursday, 15 January 2004 05:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I'M so TIRED of HEARing SONGS where THE singER sounds LIKE a FRENCH poLICE siREN

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Thursday, 15 January 2004 05:47 (twenty-two years ago)

same song over and over again = strokes

― sym (shmuel), Thursday, 15 January 2004 05:49 (twenty-two years ago)

The real reason people say they hate the Strokes is simply because of the amount of coverage from the music press they've received over the last two years. It's really just a simple backlash thing. Since the Strokes aren't startingly original, some people don't understand what the fuss was about. But I like them, they have (mostly) good songs. And like you said, it's better that the Strokes be popular than all the shitty Limp Bizkits, Linkin Parks, and Kid Rocks.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 15 January 2004 05:54 (twenty-two years ago)

latebloomer is smart. he probably even finished school!!

I don't like the Strokes music but I am obviuosly more annoyed by them than I would be if they were only as big as say Birmingham Bill's Sweet Singin' Nephewz.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Thursday, 15 January 2004 06:05 (twenty-two years ago)

"latebloomer is smart, he probably even finished school!!"

eh, just barely.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 15 January 2004 06:08 (twenty-two years ago)

really though youre right on the money there. If something you don't like is trendy your feelings naturally seem to go from dislike to hatred.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Thursday, 15 January 2004 06:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I haven't met a lot of people who actively "hate" the Strokes. They just don't seem to inspire the same kind of vitriol as say a Dave Matthews, Creed or Justin Timberlake. It has been mentioned on other threads but myself and many others like me just don't understand all of the hype. It has never been about hate.

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Thursday, 15 January 2004 06:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't hate the Strokes, I was just disappointed by their new album.

― Debito (Debito), Thursday, 15 January 2004 06:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I was amazed by it, to keep things balanced

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 15 January 2004 07:07 (twenty-two years ago)

You need to post more, J-rock. The world needs it! Or maybe just me.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 15 January 2004 07:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't even remember the hype, really. If I was that hot I'd prob get "hype" for taking a walk down the road

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 15 January 2004 07:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I do remember the backlash got here before the hype, so the whole thing seemed pretty stupid.

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 15 January 2004 07:49 (twenty-two years ago)

They're not horrible, just redundant.

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Thursday, 15 January 2004 08:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah "songs", who wants that shit

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 15 January 2004 08:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I like them a lot. I hatee it when decent bands get so much hate, basically just because they're popular. The new album took a while to grow on me but it is (save one of two slightly mediocre songs) very good indeed.

― Chris Jones (Crackity Jones), Thursday, 15 January 2004 09:56 (twenty-two years ago)

i don't hate them, although i'm a little puzzled at the level of excitement they can whip up in some quarters. they're certainly a good singles band - i just find a lot of the album tracks a little dry and forgettable. an album of songs as good as "hard to explain" and i'll be as hysterical a fan as anyone.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 15 January 2004 10:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't hate the Strokes; just indifferent to them - as the current parlance goes, they're not "relevant" to me at present. Glimpsed the grief in "12:51" but then again, when I first heard it I thought it was Ash.

Although re. that sing-song vocal tendency - TS: Julian Casablancas vs Robert Kilroy-Silk vs Dev out of Coronation Street?

― Phoebe Dinsmore, Thursday, 15 January 2004 10:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Nobody hates The Strokes, but most people appreciate that they're not very good. They're too unimportant to hate.

― Stupid (Stupid), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:08 (twenty-two years ago)

They always reminded me of Billy Joel.

― Kevin Erickson, Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah "songs", who wants that shit

Yeah, a lot of people write songs. So what? It doesn't mean a damn thing. There's no science to songwriting.

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Thursday, 15 January 2004 12:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I like them for the same reasons Tom (Tico) does I think. I don't really understand what makes them 'not good' - except perhaps a regular problem of cliched lyrics run into the ground (Casablancas seems obsessed with time and wastage of for example).

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 15 January 2004 12:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah "songs", who wants that shit

Yeah, a lot of people write songs. So what? It doesn't mean a damn thing. There's no science to songwriting.

Of course not, it's a flipping art!!!!! (Mind you, they still have schools and colleges for that sort of stuff...)

― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Thursday, 15 January 2004 13:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Re: Original question: it's not "hate", just "bleh"!!!!

― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Thursday, 15 January 2004 13:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I really don't know what yr talking about Trotsky, I don't think Communism works

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 15 January 2004 15:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh fuck it Ok Slone what's redundant

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 15 January 2004 15:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm saying that song writing is irrelevant in making a positive argument for a band. "They write songs!" is a generic, overused defense, and actually pretty pathetic. Every rock band writes songs. Though I'm not entirely sure I know what you're talking about.

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Thursday, 15 January 2004 15:10 (twenty-two years ago)

The Strokes are redundant because the sounds been done and better. It's the same reason the Darkness and the White Stripes are redundant. If you like them fine, just don't pretend they're doing anything.

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Thursday, 15 January 2004 15:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Who are they replicating?

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 15 January 2004 15:13 (twenty-two years ago)

C'mon I'm about to go to bed

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 15 January 2004 15:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Pretty much any proto-punk, punk, or quasi-punk band out of 70s NY. They're the generic repackaging of any number of well established cliches, down to their drum patterns, chorus arrangements, chord progressions and clothing style.

I'm sure other people here would agree.

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Thursday, 15 January 2004 15:33 (twenty-two years ago)

And for the record, I don't hate the Strokes, so you might want to save if for someone else. I don't have enough hours in the day to discuss their merit or relevance.

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Thursday, 15 January 2004 15:37 (twenty-two years ago)

If they did something about the vocal production, that would probably clear up about 70% of my objection to them.

Don't hate them, but am uncomfortable with the concept of a reasonably skilled bar band who were reasonably well known in NY (Time Out picked them as better-than-average early on) going to another country, then being handed back to us as superstars because said other coutry's music press was bored with its local scene at the time.

Or at least that was my impression of how this all came to be.

― dlp9001, Thursday, 15 January 2004 15:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Pretty much any proto-punk, punk, or quasi-punk band out of 70s NY.

???

Yep, they sound exactly like The Dictators, Patti Smith, and James Chance and the Contortions!

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 15 January 2004 16:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Well obviosuly I don't literally mean every band. I don't want to be specific, because anytime someone mentions a band bt name it turns into a "does", "does not!" debate. If I actually names specific bands everyone would claim I was completely off.

Do you think they're actually original?

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Thursday, 15 January 2004 17:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Strokes fanboys are somewhat pathetic. You're so utterly offended by one off-hand comment.

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Thursday, 15 January 2004 17:10 (twenty-two years ago)

BTW: I'm not tryng to offend. I'm just a caustic person.

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Thursday, 15 January 2004 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Would we be having this conversation if they didn't have so much "sex appeal"? I'm not going to get into a pissing match over their looks, but it was a big deal at first. "They Rock and They're Hot!" seems to have been the marketing scheme for the first album, and that does have a backlash built in.
As to how I feel about them, the first record started off great but after, no shit, 5 listenings I would cringe every time someone would play my copy. The new one I've listened to once. I'm going to give it a better chance but I am initially disappointed at the sameness.

― Speedy Gonzalas (Speedy Gonzalas), Thursday, 15 January 2004 18:30 (twenty-two years ago)

They're good looking kids and alright musicians I have to admit.

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Thursday, 15 January 2004 18:53 (twenty-two years ago)

The Strokes just sound bored. They've been called the new Elastica which might only be relevant if we're talking career trajectory, since Elastica was better.

Also, White Stripes>>>>>>>>>>>>>Strokes, but that goes w/o saying! =D

― Gear! (Gear!), Thursday, 15 January 2004 19:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Strokes fanboys are somewhat pathetic. You're so utterly offended by one off-hand comment.

I'm not offended, I was just pointing out that your comment was wrong (or at least an overstatement)...

In any case, I feel that the Strokes sound - for better or worse (better in my op) - sound absolutely like THEMSELVES....Sure they have their influences (GBV, early Blondie, Television, The Cars)...but one of the reasons I like them is that they have an instantly Identifiable sound -- the minute you hear a song by the Strokes, you know it's them....just like AC/DC or The Ramones or any number of great bands....

If anything, I think they get slagged because of the hype...if they were on Lookout and sold shit for records, they'd be everybody's great indie hope like Ted Leo or New Pornographers.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 15 January 2004 19:11 (twenty-two years ago)

if they were on Lookout and sold shit for records, they'd be everybody's great indie hope like Ted Leo or New Pornographers.
Probably...

Their fashion sense verges on obnoxious, but I guess hundreds of bands have exploited a "look" to varying degrees of success.
As for the music, I gotta say it's pretty enjoyable. Their ripping off _______, _____, & sometimes __________?? Who isn't?

Who cares?

― Will (will), Thursday, 15 January 2004 19:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, it doesn't do anything for me. I feel content with riffy quasi-punk bands like Television, the Velvet Underground, Lou Reed solo, NY Dolls (I'm only listing these because they're pertinent to the topic); I don't feel that the Strokes are adding anything. But yes, ultimately it's a taste thing.

NP: P. Smith "Wave"

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Thursday, 15 January 2004 19:57 (twenty-two years ago)

It has been mentioned on other threads but myself and many others like me just don't understand all of the hype. It has never been about hate.

well put. end of discussion. next!

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Thursday, 15 January 2004 20:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, no shit! I'm not sure how hate factors in exactly.
The band I can take or leave.

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Thursday, 15 January 2004 20:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I've heard a lot more hate than hype about them. They get slagged by indie scenesters for being too trendy and contrived. They get slagged by the pop scenesters for being to boring and passe. For me, they're just right. They're damn fine musicians and songwriters, far ahead of most indie bands. But they're still just regular guys who like to rock. You can still sing along with them and imagine yourself writing a song like that. And to me, that's the appeal. If I had the slightest tinge of hatred for them it would stem from jealousy.

― BrianB (BrianB), Thursday, 15 January 2004 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, but do their critics actually hate them. I criticize them, but I don't have the energy to actively hate them. And quite frankly, isn't their huge fanbase and mainstream critical accalaim enough to override the negativity? I mean seriously, where are these hurt feelings coming from? The band is a raging success; do you think they lose sleep over this widespread "hate".

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Thursday, 15 January 2004 20:52 (twenty-two years ago)

James Slone, you are soooooooo OTM I cannot believe it!

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Thursday, 15 January 2004 20:57 (twenty-two years ago)

There songs are too similar. All the same tempo, vocals, drumming, etc. I would enjoy them if they could mix it up a little more.

The comparison I never got w/the Strokes is Television. Someone please explain to me the similarity musicwise. I just don't see it.

― christhamrin (christhamrin), Thursday, 15 January 2004 20:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Think about how silly this is. People are getting all worked up because someone doesn't like their beloved band. You know, people look for different things in music. This isn't even about the Strokes; it's about a whole worldview that requires that everyone like the same thing. Some critics don't like the strokes. And what do you say to them? "Oh, you must just hate them because they're popular," as if disliking them weren't even a legitimate option. Well boo the fuck hoo, bah bah blacksheep. Tough shit, crybabies. All this defensive energy on a fabulously lucrative hit band that will probably be gone in two years. Sorry, but this is ridiculous.

No more posting for me; I feel like a loser talking about this.

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Thursday, 15 January 2004 21:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 45 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

i'm waiting for their movie

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Mike Piazza. Jeter doesn't swing that way.

― sym (shmuel), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:42 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah baseball

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:43 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm waiting for their movie

Oh my fucking god, it'll be Head meets The Warriors!

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:46 (twenty-two years ago)

"STROOOO-OKES, come out and PLAAAA-AAAAAY!"

"But I wanna, shit, you know, look at mermaids."

"SOUNDS PRETTY WHITE!"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Alex in NYC should lead the make-up baseball gang equivalent, except they all have Jaz-in-extremis makeup on and they're called the Fire Honourers, of course.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:50 (twenty-two years ago)

You do realize that, like the Baseball Furies, they'd have to get they ass whooped

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:51 (twenty-two years ago)

That is actually a problem, we can't have that. Maybe the plot is that the Strokes cry and wet themselves all the way back to Coney Island.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:52 (twenty-two years ago)

The Knack didn't get to make a movie and they sold a LOT more albums than the goddamn Strokes.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:53 (twenty-two years ago)

And nothing on the new album is as fun as "Baby Talks Dirty" so FUCK 'EM. How dare they not live up to the promise of Is This It how DARE they.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:53 (twenty-two years ago)

would you like to go on a coney island steeple go out and have a good time.....sorry

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm just gonna go to sleep until Julian gets the HINT and collabo's with Xtina.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:55 (twenty-two years ago)

yes and jesus never had a bigger hit than my sharona so lets burn all copies of the bible

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Miccio, I don't got nothing against You As A Person, but I will never ever ever trust your musical taste, ever.

Also, Ned's idea is shit. I suppose waiting 12 years for my favorite band to release another album would make me a playa-hata of enormous magnitude as well but you gotta know when to shut it. Strokes-haters are the most unoriginal people on earth (and this includes the Strokes themselves, har)

I'm only being facetiously hostile here folx; Strokes-hate threads deserve nothing better

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:56 (twenty-two years ago)

(Julian collaborating with Christina would be a good idea in that he needs to look less ghoulish somehow)

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:57 (twenty-two years ago)

so....anyone up for scrabble?

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:57 (twenty-two years ago)

What, you're saying they shouldn't cry and wet themselves?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:58 (twenty-two years ago)

ok this is the kinda stuff that pisses me off.
who cares about what they look like?
it's all about the music.

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Xtina needs interesting music to sing over. Julian needs to shut the fuck up and let someone else sing. It's a match made in bugfuck heaven.

Strokes-hate tends to be fairly uninteresting, but it doesn't have to be. For instance, I like to start singing the riff to "My Sharona" anytime somebody starts mooning over the guys. Sure seems to piss Nate off!

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:00 (twenty-two years ago)

And I'm not really a strokes-hater anyway. I'm more disappointed by them and amused by the fact that other people are excited by Room On Fire.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:00 (twenty-two years ago)

No, they should challenge the Alex in NYC team to a game of Uno and cheat to win.

Pissing me off isn't much of an achievement, Miccio.

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:01 (twenty-two years ago)

No, they should challenge the Alex in NYC team to a game of Uno and cheat to win.

Hm. My Dinner With Julian.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:01 (twenty-two years ago)

they made a song with regina spektor it's called modern girls & old fashioned men or something like that. i downloaded it it's pretty cool. and your telling me that you actually wanna hear what bass player guy sounds like?

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:02 (twenty-two years ago)

dude the bass on the title track and "Trying Your Luck" on the first album kicks ass

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:11 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah i'm saying he's a good bass player. what i meant was do you really wanna know what his voice sounds like?

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:14 (twenty-two years ago)

ah I get it. Yeah, I don't really give a crap about these guys aside from their guitar/bass interplay hooks. I really kind of wish they were conceptually more like Devo. Best of the both worlds, that would be.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:17 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah they should wear little red hats and make videos about taking a french chicks clothes off with a whip!!!!.

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:19 (twenty-two years ago)

damn straight. nerds should revel in their nerdery.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:21 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah! and french chicks are cool!

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Wait, wait, wait--what do The Strokes have to do with Coney Island?

― Ian Grey (Ian_G), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:24 (twenty-two years ago)

i really don't know.
maybe....they like hotdogs and in their movie titled "The Strokes Have Nice Hair Look At Them And Say Hey You Guys Have Nice Hair"
they have magical hotdog powers?.

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:27 (twenty-two years ago)

(In the film The Warriors, the titular gang is in fact trying to get back home to Coney Island from a failed gang summit meeting.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:28 (twenty-two years ago)

oh yeah that was my second guess

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:29 (twenty-two years ago)

or maybe in their movie now titled "Julians Day Out While The Other Guys Gang Bang Drew Barrymore" the world runs out of already fucked up low rise boot cut jeans. and they have to.....get more

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Going back to Coney
do the hot dog dance
going back to Coney
to get them some pants

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I heart the Good Mr. Nate. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:48 (twenty-two years ago)

isn't it going back to houston? or something like that

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:55 (twenty-two years ago)

yay awesome

(locale altered for relevancy purposes)

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:55 (twenty-two years ago)

~~DARE YOU QUESTION MY BECK KNOWLEDGE?!?!?!~~

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:55 (twenty-two years ago)

okay--back from being morbidly interested in them on a wonk theoretical level to despising them again.

coney, the strokes--in the same sentence fragment, christ.

they probably get a limo ride to the mermaid pararde to check out the alternachick action

― Ian Grey (Ian_G), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 03:09 (twenty-two years ago)

i guess i should say something else about this.......sluts are nice

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 03:25 (twenty-two years ago)

And dude what is up with that Avril Lavigne chick and her skinny ties??

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 03:41 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah those ties are so skinny!
wha's up wit' dat?
nigga pleeze

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 03:43 (twenty-two years ago)

sorry about that last message....it just came out

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 03:46 (twenty-two years ago)

they probably get a limo ride to the mermaid pararde to check out the alternachick action

Yeah, you'd think they're rock stars or something

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 03:52 (twenty-two years ago)

haha "stars"

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 03:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, I forgot, you have to be constantly talked about and put on the cover of magazines and given slots on SNL and Letterman and Conan and have instant name recognition to be stars. Stoopid me!

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 04:24 (twenty-two years ago)

i'd rather listen to the strokes than to limp bizkit or good charlotte.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 04:37 (twenty-two years ago)

He burned ya there, Anthony

― applepie baseball, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 06:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm glad James Slone didn't return he was too too caustic for me

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Friday, 23 January 2004 11:41 (twenty-two years ago)

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