Two Out of Three Ain’t Good?

February 26, 2006

in music, newspapers, nyc bands, the strokes, white stripes, yeah yeah yeahs

Ouch! I was just reading an interview with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs from The Guardian, and the writer Lynsey Hansley contextualized the YYY’s place in modern rock by commenting on two of my other favorite American rock bands:

In the three years since Fever to Tell‘s release, their New York counterparts the Strokes have released two underwhelming albums, while the White Stripes, the band whom the Yeah Yeah Yeahs supported at their first-ever gig in 2001, have become one of the world’s biggest rock bands. While staying true to their cool, uncompromising attitude, YYYs’ Show Your Bones easily outscores the Strokes’ efforts in its combination of artistic ambition and poppy accessibility.

I didn’t realize this was a contest. Thoughts?

{ 14 comments }

Anonymous February 26, 2006 at 12:27 pm: Here is a ridiculous article pitting The Strokes against The White Stripes. Why must critics do this?

http://www.thelmagazine.com/4/1/musicology/feature1.cfm
anonymous February 26, 2006 at 12:32 pm: It just reflects the poor quality of writing in music journalism, where everything boils down to scandal or opinion.

sucky writer.

also all those bands are overhyped and get written about so much that writers can’t think of anything else to write about and
they regress into rivalries etc.
Tess February 26, 2006 at 2:03 pm: They are all great bands. End of story.
Karen C February 26, 2006 at 2:18 pm: i feel like the article is harmless. all of these bands received a lot of hype a few years ago so it seems like they all started together. and now it’s just a sort of ‘where are they now?’ thing… kind of tracking how far they’ve come.
Anonymous February 26, 2006 at 2:45 pm: Mike Conklin is clearly a Strokes fan. Was Jack’s mustache really that terrible, terrible?
Chris February 26, 2006 at 4:26 pm: I like the fact that writers pit the Strokes against the White Stripes. In the mid-1960s the Beatles looked to America to see what Brian Wilson was doing with the Beach Boys, and it inspired them to reach greater heights. Likewise, Brian Wilson has often been quoted as saying “Rubber Soul” inspired him to make “Pet Sounds”. Competition is good. I like to think that Jack and Julian try to top each other with each new release, and it’s fun to debate who came out on top.
Junior February 26, 2006 at 4:34 pm: It’s always a competition. Hype makes it that way.
peter February 26, 2006 at 11:16 pm: Room On Fire is easily a better album than Fever to Tell, and from what I’ve been reading/hearing so far, I think I’ll end up liking First Impressions more than Show Your Bones. I just wish they had kept the new awesome songs that they played live on the Fever to Tell tour… and had not “gone acoustic”
Junior February 27, 2006 at 12:54 am: Easily better? No need to be rude buddy.
Anonymous February 27, 2006 at 8:42 am: the stripes and yeah yeah’s are easily better and just plain more interesting bands than the strokes. anyone who believes the strokes have any influence on what either band is doing is fooling themselves.
Tess February 27, 2006 at 9:28 am: SHOW YOUR BONES LEAKED (sort of)

Nick Zinner came onto the official YYY board and said this leak isn’t the complete album, nor the album versions. I am guessing it’s demos or something along those lines. He doesn’t seem that bothered that it leaked, although he said he’d rather have live bootlegs being traded instead.

http://s59.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=16EP8POYADSVB2TD1WS7AUIG2R
strokesetta February 27, 2006 at 12:49 pm: Does anyone a link for the strokes Ramones cover?
Liz February 27, 2006 at 3:19 pm: They’re two completely different bands. I don’t understand how they can be compared.
Billy March 22, 2006 at 4:54 pm: Funny, the leaked version sounds just like the single. I don’t know if I believe it’s not the studio one… but it doesn’t matter. It’s not like I’m not going to buy one anyway.