The story of Indie Rock titans The Strokes could one day make a great movie — the band built a million bee colonies’ worth of buzz on the New York City music scene right before 9/11, released its seminal debut album right after that date in 2001 and went on to become one of the biggest groups of the young Millennium, a status that they’ve impressively retained despite reportedly checking off most of the more dangerous boxes on the “Rock Star Clichés” chart.
But even before the music begins, the Strokes story is fascinating; one early subplot involves singer Julian Casablancas befriending a future bandmate, guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. (son of a famous British singer/songwriter and former Argentinian model), in Switzerland where both were attending boarding school. The pair (and the singer’s earlier school chums) would later form The Strokes after becoming roommates in Casablancas’ native New York City.
In between Strokes albums and tours, all of the musicians have indulged a variety of interesting outside musical projects. Hammond Jr.’s solo albums are among the best, showcasing his talents as a songwriter more completely, while also (of course) spotlighting the artsy, Post Punk guitar work that is a cornerstone of The Strokes’ sound. Hammond Jr. is currently touring in support of his fourth solo album, Francis Trouble, which was released in March and is themed around “the stillborn death of his twin brother, Francis, and the lingering effects that event has had in his life and music,” according to a press release from his record label. The album has received positive reviews from outlets like Paste and Pitchfork, which called Francis Trouble “some of the brightest and scrappiest music he’s ever made.”
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This article appears in Nov 28 – Dec 5, 2018.