News

Patti Smith and guitarist Lenny Kaye delivered an impromptu performance of “People Have the Power” for early voters in New York City.

The punk legends took well to the busking environment, breezing through a ramshackle version of the 1988 song, while even getting some accompaniment from lined-up fans who knew the song’s chorus. At the end of the performance, Smith proclaimed, “Don’t forget it, use your voice! Vote!”

View this post on Instagram

⚡️ The People Have the Power⚡️ Singing to voters in the streets is so punk! We love...

Bruce Springsteen, Bob Weir and Lucinda Williams will help celebrate Joe Strummer’s birthday during a special livestream tribute/charity event August 21st, starting at 3 p.m. Et.

A Song for Joe: Celebrating the Life of Joe Strummer was organized and produced by NYC musician/bar owner Jesse Malin, radio DJ Jeff Raspe and Strummer estate manager David Zonshine. The two-hour show will stream for free on Strummer’s website and YouTube page, and all donations collected will benefit Save Our Stages, an organization helping independent venues during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pathway to Paris, a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing climate change, will be hosting a virtual livestream festival in celebration of Earth Day’s 50th anniversary.

Pathway to Paris Earth Day 50: A Virtual Festival to Our Planet will air this Sunday, April 26th at 4:00 p.m. Est on the Pathway to Paris Instagram account, with a lineup that includes Michael Stipe, Patti Smith, Flea, Cat Power, Ben Harper, Rain Phoenix, Nikolai Fraiture of the Strokes and more.

“As humanity faces an unknown future, we must recognize the fact...

The first Strokes album in seven years picks up pretty much where the last one, 2013’s Comedown Machine, left off — another study in what LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy once called “borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered Eighties.” Few bands so embody a place and time as the Strokes did New York City in the Giuliani-twilight/pre-smoking-ban era, but now they seem more interested in Martha Quinn’s New York than the one they once defined.

“And the Eighties bands, where did they go?” Julian Casablancas pines on “Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus,...

Lil Baby was performing across the field. Only two years after “My Dawg” launched the Atlanta rapper from his label’s glorified weed carrier to the leader of his city’s next generation, he was closing out the first night of Lollapalooza. He’s one of the most popular artists working today but, curiously, two 12-year-old boys didn’t bother flocking to the American Eagle stage to see the paragon of modern trap. Instead, they patiently waited for five rockers (arguably) past their peak to hit the stage.

“If they...

The Strokes have not planned a tour in support of "Comedown Machine, " the band's upcoming fifth studio album.

Bassist Nikolai Fraiture says the band is in a decent mood, welcome news to fans after years of reports that lead singer Julian Casablancas and the rest of the group hate each other. (A quick Google search for "The Strokes hate each other" turns up some 4.7 million results).

"It's kind of funny that new music doesn't feel as natural as it used to but for us," Fraiture told BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe (via NME), "[but] posting it when it is done feels like that is the way it should be done. When you make music you go up down, sometimes you feel strong and sometimes you feel scared. Right now, we just finished the album and I feel good about it and the atmosphere in the band. Hopefully it continues."

The group recorded "Comedown Machine" together,...

This may not seem like a big deal until you recall that Angles was made piecemeal; Julian Casablancas recorded his vocal tracks separately, then e-mailed them to the rest of the band with "vague" notes. Not so for Comedown Machine — at least according to bassist Nikolai Fraiture, who told Zane Lowe that the band recorded the album "mostly" together. "Like the good old days." Let's hope.

Billboard is reporting that The Strokes are in the studio working on their follow-up to 2011's Angels.

Gus Oberg, who also worked on parts of Angles as well as guitarist Albert Hammond Jr.'s 2008 solo album Como Te Llama?, is reportedly producing the effort, with the band logging time recently at New York's Electric Lady Studios.

Billboard notes that the album would likely be The Strokes' last under their current contract with longtime label home RCA Records.

The band has been more active in recent years than they had been throughout much of their career. Angles was the band's first album since 2006's First Impressions of Earth and they toured heavily in support of the set, including several stops at major festivals like Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits Music Festival and headlining slots at Coachella in 2011 and Spain's Festival Internacional de Benicàssim, where Nikolai Fraiture revealed to NME that they...

The Strokes have revealed that starting work on their latest album was like marriage therapy. The New York-based band, who headlined the Reading and Leeds Festivals at the weekend, said that they worked better together during the creation of Angles despite the songwriting process being difficult at times. Bassist Nikolai Fraiture told the Daily Star: "Some people are bringing in stuff, some are not. There aren't so many finished songs but we have many parts. We try putting them together like puzzles and making them stick. "What we do on our own is not the same as what we do together. We're in a good place (more)...

Consisting of Julian Casablancas (lead vocals), Nick Valensi (guitar), Albert Hammond, Jr. (guitar), Nikolai Fraiture (bass guitar) and Fabrizio Moretti (drums and percussion), The Strokes have been named one of the most prominent and influential rock bands to emerge in the 21st century. Having been around for 13 years the band’s debut album “Is This It” released in 2001 the band has gone through a series of releases and touring and through all of that they have released fourth album “Angles” and have an untitled fifth album on the horizon. As far as “Angels” is concerned it is the first album sine 2006′s ‘First Impressions of Earth” being the longest...

The Strokes have just released a music video in support of their latest single "Taken for a Fool". Julian Casablancas and his bandmates are multiplying into several figures while performing in a dark fake forest which is digitally splattered with some bright and dull colors.

The band recorded "Taken for a Fool" for their fourth studio album called "Angles" which represented their "return to the basics." Bassist Nikolai Fraiture once said, "Sonically, I feel it's the album which should have been made between 'Room on Fire' [2003] and 'First Impressions of Earth' [2006]."

Two years in the making, the new effort has made its way out across the United States since March 22. Led by a retro-sounding single "Under Cover of Darkness", the album peaked at No. 4 on Billboard Hot 200.

The Strokes' "Taken for a Fool" Music Video...

The Strokes are planning to record the follow-up to this year's Angles "as soon as possible", according to bassist Nikolai Fraiture. The band's fourth album was released in March, and Fraiture said that they are already preparing new material for their fifth studio release. Fraiture told Rolling Stone: "If we could do it tomorrow, that'd be great. But yeah, as soon as possible I think." He added that the New York band plan on recording the new album in the same way as Angles, with each member of the band putting their ideas forward. "It's (more)...

The Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture has revealed that the band have already started work on their fifth studio album. The 'Under Cover of Darkness' band reached number three in the UK and number four in the Us last month with their fourth record Angles, but were quick to reveal that they were planning a follow-up. Fraiture has now revealed that the recording process has begun, stating (more)...

The Strokes’ highly-anticipated new album Angles was only just released earlier this week, but it seems like the New York rockers don’t plan on stopping there. During an interview with Steve Harris of Xfm, Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture said the band plans to begin work on the follow-up to their first album in five years as early as next month....

The Strokes are to start work on their new album next month, they have announced. The 'Juicebox' band released their fourth studio album Angles this week, but are already planning to start their fifth instalment. "We were just talking about when we would get back together and start writing for the next album. It should be soon. April, mid-April," bassist Nikolai Fraiture told Xfm. Fraiture also revealed that (more)...

I never thought I’d be making this statement about a Strokes record, but the New York band’s fourth album is packed with surprises. Sure, the defining formal fundaments remain: the highly stylized, hermetic sound; the obsessively vacuum-packed rhythm tracks of drummer Fab Moretti and bassist Nikolai Fraiture; the meticulous guitar interplay of Nick Valenzi and Albert Hammond Jr.; Julian Casablancas’ detached, vampire-nocturnal vocals. But atop this aural/stylistic architecture, the band proceeds to toss one lively curveball after another....

After enjoying a much-needed time off, The Strokes now come back with a new album called "Angles". Two years in the making, the new effort will make its way out across the United States on March 22. "Sonically, I feel it's the album which should have been made between 'Room on Fire' [2003] and 'First Impressions of Earth' [2006]," bassist Nikolai Fraiture once said.

The CD is led by a retro-sounding single "Under Cover of Darkness". Capturing the original feel of the band with a few tweaks to keep it up-to-date, the song got positive reviews from music critics and became a good kick-start for this rock band to introduce the rest of the album.

A Radiohead-esque track titled "You're So Right" was released to follow up the first single. Of the sinister-sounding tune, frontman Julian Casablancas told NME, "I had some early R.E.M. vibes for a minute or two. It's a darker one.

Julian Casablancas thinks his decision not to attend recording sessions with his The Strokes bandmates made them a better group. The frontman surprised fans when it emerged he hadn't joined bandmates Nick Valensi, Nikolai Fraiture, Fabrizio Moretti or Albert Hammond Jr. in the recording studio last August, but he insists this was to make sure everyone got involved in the sessions.

"To get everyone to really collaborate and step in, it really takes me to step back from it all," he said. "Like fully step back. I think I just wanted to wait until they'd done their thing so I could do mine. When The Strokes are described more negatively, it seems like I come in going, 'This is how it is, and if you don't like it, back off.' But it's never like that."

"I just want to have a creative, fun conversation. And I just think that,...

The Strokes feared they would be "forgotten" during their hiatus. The band are preparing for the release of "Angles", their first album since 2006's "First Impressions of Earth" and the group admit they worried they would have to start their career from the bottom again on the new campaign.

"There was a fear on my part that, having taken such a long time off, people would have forgotten about us," guitarist Nick Valensi said. "Not forgotten, but that all the work we'd done would have been for naught, and we would have to start again at a lower level. But that hasn't been the case at all."

Nick was the only member of the band not to venture into other projects during their hiatus, so he admits he found their break more frustrating than Julian Casablancas, Nikolai Fraiture, Fabrizio Moretti or Albert Hammond Jr., but he appreciates why they needed some time out.

The Strokes have revealed that their long-awaited fourth album will be released "by March". Bassist Nikolai Fraiture confirmed that recording had been completed and told BBC Radio 1 that the album was "in the mixing stage". Fraiture suggested that the LP was a return to the band's "classic sound" and said: "Sonically, I feel it's the album which should have been made between [2003's] Room On Fire and [2006's] First Impressions Of Earth." Of the writing process (more)...

Edward Norton trounced his celebrity rivals in Sunday's New York Marathon, beating the nearest star entrant by more than 20 minutes.

The actor, running to raise money for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, finished in an impressive three hours, 48 minutes and one second - ahead of former E.R. star Anthony Edwards, who trotted home in four hours, eight minutes, and 20 seconds.

Christopher Reeve's son Matthew came in joint third in the showbiz race, crossing the line side by side with Strokes rocker Nikolai Fraiture after four hours, 23 minutes and 36 seconds. Reeve ran for his late father's charity foundation, while Fraiture raised money for a kids' cause.

Alanis Morrisette brought up the rear, finishing just five minutes later, clocking a time of four hours, 28 minutes and 45 seconds - also raising cash for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust.

Illusionist David Blaine and actress Teri Hatcher were expected to join their showbiz pals in the starting line-up, but pulled out ahead of the race - Blaine for unknown reasons, and Hatcher after coming down with laryngitis.

Edward Norton was the fastest celebrity in this weekend's New York marathon. The "Fight Club" actor crossed the finish line in the 26 mile race in 3 hours, 48 minutes and 1 second, beating other celebrity runners including Alanis Morissette and "ER" actor Anthony Edwards.

Edward, 40, described his experience running the race as "phenomenal" and was pleased he had achieved his personal goal of beating former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin's four hour marathon time.

Edward completed the run to raise money for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, which promotes conservation, education and health services in southern Kenya, and he had the opportunity to train with the warriors in Kenya ahead of the marathon.

He said of his training: "I'm often slower than the Maasai, which is to be expected. But then I see something like a lion print, and then suddenly, amazingly, I'm as fast as they are."

The Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture also ran,...

Late Superman star Christopher Reeve's oldest son, Matthew, is to run the New York Marathon next month to raise cash for his parents' charity foundation.

The 29 year old will join stars like Edward Norton, Anthony Edwards and The Strokes rocker Nikolai Fraiture on 1 November when the big race takes place.

And Matthew Reeves is sure his dead mum and dad will be very proud of his efforts.

He tells In Touch magazine, "My father would probably wonder what happened to his son, who’s this imposter? Hopefully, he’d be impressed."

Documentary filmmaker Matthew and his sister Alexandra were elected to the board of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation the day after their stepmother Dana died, and the marathon man admits he has felt compelled to do all he can for the charity ever since.

He says, "The injury happened to my dad, but all our lives were affected. We just do what we can to help."

The late actor was left paralysed after falling from a horse in 1995. He died in 2004. Dana Reeve lost her battle with cancer two years later.

The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas has reportedly reassured fans that his solo LP Phrazes For the Young is not a sign that the band are finished. The 'Last Nite' rockers have been quiet for several years and have not released anything since 2006's First Impressions of Earth. Guitarist Albert Hammond Jr, bassist Nikolai Fraiture and drummer Fabrizio Moretti have all also embarked on side-projects since the band's third studio album. Casablancas dismissed rumours to NME that the group have called it quits. He said: "The Strokes are still going, we're rehearsing now. I'm finding it pretty damn fun to do different things rather than be locked (more)...