Different Strokes: The Side Projects

The Strokes are back! According to the band’s official website, the group is in the early stages of preparing their fourth album, a follow up from 2006’s First Impressions of Earth. Members of The Strokes took their three year hiatus to work on solo projects and other musical endeavors, some I believe should not be overlooked. In celebration of The Strokes highly anticipated new album I’ve decided to spotlight some of the guy’s solo efforts that are just as pleasing to the ear as hearing the crackling from a Room on Fire.

- The Stroke’s Brazilian-born drummer Fabrizio Moretti released an album last year with vocalist and guitarist Rodrigo Amarante and multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Binki Shapiro, to form the alternative band Little Joy. Moretti adds a multitude of talents to the group than just his hard-hitting drum beats, some that include the piano, vocals, and even bass guitar.
- Guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. has released two albums since The Stroke’s break from the spotlight. The most recent being 2008’s Como Te Llama? an album that definitely has routes in the post-punk of The Strokes with tracks like “The Boss Americana” but also adds a little funk and hip hop into tracks like “Lisa”. It is quite an eclectic mix from the son of 1970s rocker Albert Hammond.
- Bassist Nikolai Fraiture also began a group of his own called Nickel Eye. Fraiture ventures away from his talents on the bass to tackle vocals, guitar, and harmonica while his band consists of members from the United Kingdom band South. Nickel Eye is very folk-rock inspired and the band’s debut album The Time of the Assassins includes guest artists such as Regina Spektor and Nick Zinner of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs.

With three years for the guys to really come into their own, The Stroke’s new album should be a refreshing sigh of relief for all of you anxious Strokes fans who have been patiently waiting in the wing.

- Jessica Cole

Currently Listening to: "Penelope" by Pinback from the album Blue Screen Life

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