IMHO, The Strokes get a raw deal. Truth is, Is This It was impossible to top, so why should they? Remarkably for a guitar band, they haven’t grown into a lighter, lighter version of themselves — and, frankly, whenever they release music, it sounds fresh. And they still look fucking cool.
You can draw a line through the music that has defined New York city, and Casablancas, Hammond, Jr., Valensi, Fraiture, and Moretti form a big dot on the path that line connects; from disco to new wave, Blondie to Talking Heads and through to LCD Soundsystem. Anyway, they’re back (again), and whether that news forces you to eek out a shriek or a groan, they don’t care.
Flogging a ton of exclusives and rarities until Sunday, The Strokes Pop-Up Shop — on Bowery and 4th at 350 Bowery — does what it says on the tin; adding in malarkey from their Casablancas-founded label, Cult. Everyman Espresso are dishing out coffee, and that’s that really. The end.
