Blog: PopMatters

The singer-songwriter of the Strokes has finally released his solo debut. The wait was worth it. From the beginning: I read a review of Is This It, which my father handed me. It said, "put on the Strokes. Bounce" and I did. I saw the band live at the Avalon in Boston that year; Julian Casablancas, their lead singer, had dirty, long hair and a leather jacket. The girls were in love. There were too many bands called "The [somethings]" (White Stripes, Hives...) that year. Walking from the Charles River up...