Biography: Julian Casablancas
When the Strokes hit in 2001 with the scene-seeding, 35-minute, retrofitted LP Is This It, the music media gave NYC license to reclaim a long lost sense of cool. For a year or two, anyway: The endless parade of copycat "The" bands and general Velvet Underground/Television/'70s garage band redux didn't take long to wear thin, but over two more albums, the Strokes remained ahead of the pack, at the very least holding their own, due largely to chief Stroke Julian Casablancas's effortless, instant vintage songwriting. And it's not just self-consciously stylish rock kids taking notes from Julian's songbook -- we've seen bluegrass, singer-songwriter, even hip-hop artists celebrate his entire catalog. The last Strokes record First Impressions Of Earth was released in 2006. Since then, Julian's bandmate Albert Hammond, Jr.'s released two solo albums, while Casablancas hasn't offered much more than a guest vocal. Recent rumors suggest there will maybe be a Strokes album in not too long.
Videos: Julian Casablancas
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Pictures: Julian Casablancas
Discography: Julian Casablancas
You Only Once
2006
First Impressions Of Earth
RCA Records (USA)
2006
You Only Live Once/ Mercy Mercy Me
RCA Records (USA)
2006
Songs 4 Worship - En Espanol Sendas Dios Hara
Sony BMG Latin
2006
Juicebox
RCA Records (USA)
2005
Maximum Strokes
Chrome Dreams (USA)
2004
Last Nite
RCA Records (USA)
2003
Room On Fire
RCA Records (USA)
2003
12:51
RCA Records (USA)
2003
Someday
RCA Records (USA)
2003
Observer Exclusive 5 Track CD
The Observer
2003
Is This It
RCA Records (USA)
2002
Hard To Explain
RCA Records (USA)
2002
2001-06-08: Peel Sessions
2001
Last Nite/When It Started Pt.1
Rough Trade Records (UK)
2001
The Modern Age
Beggars Banquet (USA)
2001
2002-02-28: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
n/a
Melting Pot
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The End Has No End
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Hard to Explain EP
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2003-10-12: UMBC Fieldhouse, Baltimore, MD, USA
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2002-08-23: Reading Festival, UK
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2000-06-20: King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, UK
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non-album tracks
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2001-10-27: 40 Watt Club, Athens, GA, USA
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2001-10-13: Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY, USA
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2002-10-02: Fleet Pavillion, Boston, MA, USA
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2001-08-06: Live at the Wireless
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Heart in a Cage
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Modern Girls & Old Fashioned Men
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Hear It or Leave It
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Reptilia/Modern Girl
Rca Music Group
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2001-08-06: at the Wireless
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2002-03-18: Paris, France
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End Has No End
Rough Trade Records (UK)
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Reptilia
Rough Trade Records (UK)
n/a
You Only Live Once
Rough Trade Records (UK)
n/a
2001-08-06: Triple J: at the Wireless
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RECENT POSTS ABOUT JULIAN CASABLANCAS
The Stroke's first solo gigs were in Japan this summer, and Monday's Spaceland show was a last minute surprise, so while last night was JC's 4th ever solo show, it was most stateside fans' first shot to see his synth-pop makeover in person. With elaborate stage backdrops and light-up costumes for their encore, Julian and band played the 8-track Phrazes along with b-sides like "I'll Try Anything Once." (Sadly "Christmas" didn't come early.) Perhaps the real spectacle was Fabrizio Moretti and Albert Hammond, Jr being mobbed by fans upstairs. The pair posed for pics, signed autographs, and -- since they arrived separately -- fans cheered when they hugged. Andrew Youssef delivers these shots, where you'll also see openers Rainbow Arabia and Julian's drummer's oh-so-controversial Mets jacket. Maybe it's his only jacket, you guys! We've also got the tour itinerary after the jump; NYC shows haven't been announced yet, but we're told those'll happen in January.
Continue reading Julian Casablancas @ Downtown Palace Theatre, LA 11/6/09...
Posted on 11/07/09 at 07:04 AM by Scott in , ,
Tags: Albert Hammond Jr. | Fab Moretti | Julian Casablancas | Rainbow Arabia | The Strokes
latest by bebe
A big part of what made Saturday Night Live's recurring yuletide classic "I Wish It Was Christmas Today" so perfect were the sight gags: Tracy Morgan's dead-eyed dance, Chris Kattan's head shake, even Jimmy Fallon's inability to keep a straight face through triggering the Casio presets. Horatio Sanz's blissfully silly vocal was just the ornament. This version doesn't have any of that -- in fact the vocal is played as straight as "Boombox" -- but it's hard to fuck up a classic. As reported yesterday, Julian Casablancas continues to epitomize NYC awesomeness (even while paying rent in Los Angeles) with a straight-laced downtown rock take on the last decade's finest contribution to the Xmas canon. It sounds like an early Strokes b-side, which is weird! As the malls of America have taught us, it's never too early to get into the gift giving spirit, so give one to yourself with JC's holiday tune.
Continue reading Julian Casablancas Covers "I Wish It Was Christmas Today"...
Posted on 11/04/09 at 05:13 PM by amrit in
Tags: Chris Kattan | Horatio Sanz | Jimmy Fallon | Julian Casablancas | Saturday Night Live | The Strokes | Tracy Morgan
latest by caroline
Julian Casablancas Plans Awesome Christmas Single • The solo Stroke (who surprised Spaceland last night) has covered SNL's yuletide earworm "I Wish It Was Christmas Today," original performed by Horatio Sanz, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Kattan, and Tracy Morgan. Download/7" is out 12/21 (via NME).
latest by jay
Performing complexly synthesized compositions on record is one thing... I like the way Julian Casablancas lays his voice out over Phrazes For The Young's electro backdrops, partially because it feels so insulated and obsessive, a man and his bed of keyboards, drum machines, guitars, etc., alone in the studio. Watching him do it live with a bunch of folks who aren't the Strokes? Less exciting. (And points off for the drummer's L.A. Dodgers hat. Ludlow Street's in NYC, sir.) If you can look beyond an awkward beginning, things do click here/there in this thin-sounding take on "11th Dimension." At the very least you can watch Casablancas do his deadpan robot dance.
Continue reading Julian Casablancas Visits The Tonight Show...
Posted on 10/28/09 at 09:34 AM by brandon in
Tags: Conan O'Brien | Julian Casablancas | The Strokes
latest by ben wah
Julian Casablancas' solo debut is an 8-song, 40-minute collection. On first glance the brevity makes the protracted promotional campaign -- its preview trailer, dramatically cut onscreen interview with its lofty claims of trying to harness "the power and seriousness of classical music" while "captur(ing) the catchiness of modern music," and sanctioned snippet stream -- seem oddly out of place. Of course, people are so hungry for new Strokes material, that the pre-release hype's inevitable. That, and Casablancas shoves so much into Phrazes For The Young, it has enough ideas for three albums twice its size. Unlike the ADD "River Of Breaklights" suggested with its weird arpeggios, breakneck beats and sudden shifts, the collection's (mostly) tastefully done, things falling more into the realm of the chipper (almost ballpark synthesized) "11th Dimension," maybe the best song on the collection. We still have lots of dissecting to do, but so far it's the most interesting of the Strokes members' solo projects. (Sorry, Nikolai.)
Continue reading Premature Evaluation: Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For The Young...
Posted on 10/26/09 at 05:24 PM in
Tags: Julian Casablancas | The Strokes
latest by Ample
