The Strokes - 'Is This It' LP (Black Vinyl)

Arriving on a wave of well-earned hype fueled by sharp musicianship and confident swagger, Is This It introduced The Strokes as a true Rock & Roll antidote to the era of boy bands, teen divas, and rap-rock excess. Despite the band’s prep-school background, their sound draws from the same raw spirit that shaped New York legends like New York Dolls and The Velvet Underground.

Clocking in at just 36 minutes, Is This It makes every second count with standout songs inspired by a wide range of influences. Highlights include “Last Nite,” driven by an insistent Motown-style backbeat and choppy Johnny Thunders-inspired guitar solo, “Barely Legal,” evoking 1980s-era The Cure fronted by Iggy Pop, and the jangly “Someday,” filled with vulnerability after a bad breakup.

Frontman Julian Casablancas delivers vocals reminiscent of Lou Reed through a busted intercom, while guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr. channel the interplay of Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd on the angular “The Modern Age” and equally neurotic “Alone, Together.”

With Is This It, The Strokes proved that rumors of Rock & Roll’s demise were greatly exaggerated.