10 Best Debut Rock Albums Of The 2000s
3. Is This It - The Strokes
Did you know that Julian Casablancas is his real name?
No wonder he became a rock star.
In 2001, JC and pals released the album Is This It under the name The Strokes. Aside from its eye-catching cover (which definitely wasn't the reason teenage boys were interested in it), the album breathed new life into the indie rock scene that many assumed was long dead.
Building on the hard work done by acts like The Smiths and The Cure, The Strokes not only brought back the single-word band name, but also brought the genre up to speed for the 21st Century.
Songs like Last Nite and Hard to Explain sounded happy and bouncy on the surface, but a deeper listen revealed a subcurrent of sadness and nihilistic dread.
Is This It essentially kickstarted the indie guitar band explosion of the 2000s, paving the way for bands like Franz Ferdinand, The Libertines, and Kings of Leon later down the line.
If you like groups in tight jeans brimming with vacancy and wearing enough hair gel to kill a small mammal, then you have this album to thank.