After five long years, the Strokes have returned with “Angles,” their fourth album out this week on RCA Records. It marks the comeback of a group whose debut album, 2001’s “Is This It,” was crucial in the garage rock revival that invaded U.S. shores and brought fuzzed-out guitar back into vogue in the early aughts.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Although groups like the Strokes, the White Stripes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs might have longer legacies, bands like the Von Bondies, the Subways and the Hives all have a place in the garage-rock canon. Check out the 10 most meaningful members of a fondly remembered music movement, and see what they’re up to now.
The Strokes
Legacy: Hailed as the saviors of rock and roll when they arrived on the scene in 2001, the New York five-piece offered a front-to-back classic debut with “Is This It,” which featured singles like “Last Nite” and “Someday.” A Rolling Stone cover story, a romance between drummer Fabrizio Moretti and Drew Barrymore, and a pair of mildly disappointing albums followed before the group opted for an extended hiatus in 2006.
Where they are now: After four of its members devoted themselves to side projects, the Strokes regrouped for “Angles,” their fourth album preceded by the single “Under Cover of Darkness.” The band will bring the new disc to Coachella and Bonnaroo this year.
The White Stripes
Legacy: After bursting into the spotlight with the Lego-filled video for “Fell in Love with a Girl,” Jack and Meg White became arguably the most consistent rock duo of the 00s, with hit singles (“Seven Nation Army,” “Icky Thump,”) six Grammy awards and performances that made rock fans shrug their shoulders and say, “Who needs a bassist?”
Where they are now: Sadly, the White Stripes officially announced their breakup last month in a message on Jack White’s Third Man Records website. Jack White, who recently appeared at the 2011 SXSW fest, will likely continue his prolific work as Third Man’s label head and a musician with the Dead Weather and the Raconteurs.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Legacy: The YYYs might be the most versatile band in the 00s garage rock group: Karen O and company busted out some fuzzed-out rock on debut disc “Fever To Tell,” but found time to write a still-heartbreaking single, “Maps.” Sophomore album “Show Your Bones” was an affable transition into the gorgeous synth-punk of 2009’s “It’s Blitz!”; meanwhile, Karen O found time to compose the soundtrack to “Where the Wild Things Are” that year.
Where they are now: “Blitz!” earned raves from critics and led to headlining gigs at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits in 2009 — but since then, the trio has remained relatively quiet.
The Hives
Legacy: With their matching black and white outfits and albums named “Veni Vidi Vicious” and “Tyrannosaurus Hives,” the Swedish garage rockers flashed some wry humor after coming out of nowhere to crack the Hot 100 with “Hate To Say I Told You So” in 2003.
Where they are now: “Tick Tick Boom,” the hyper lead single off the Hives’ 2007 disc “The Black and White Album,” appeared in movies like “Taken” and “Friday the 13th.” No official word on a follow-up album has been announced.
The Libertines
Legacy: Fronted by the ever-charismatic Pete Doherty (later of Babyshambles) and Carl Barat (Dirty Pretty Things), the Libertines found their audience by touring with similar-minded acts the Strokes and the Vines in the early 2000s. Following the release of debut album, “Up the Bracket,” Doherty’s drug problems began to break the budding rockstars apart. The band finally broke up in December 2004, following two straight top 10 singles in “Can’t Stand Me Now” and “What Became of the Likely Lads.”
Where they are now: After a few appearances with certain members present and others not, the Libertines reunited as a whole in 2010 to play the UK’s Reading and Leeds festivals. The band has not announced any further plans as far as recording or any new shows.
Next: The Vines, the Subways, Jet and More
The Vines
Legacy: These Australian rockers proved their ability to craft snotty, insanely catchy anthems with “Get Free,” the two-minute second single off debut disc, “Highly Evolved.” Three albums and hook-filled hits like “Outtathaway” and “Ride” followed.
Where they are now: The Vines are currently prepping their fifth full-length, “Future Primitive,” for a June release; singer Craig Nicholls told NME that the album includes cuts that recall “early singles in the 60s, how they seemed to be very short.”
Jet
Legacy: Before “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” became the staple backing track for beer commercials, the Australian four-piece behind it was riding high with the hit single — along with “Cold Hard Bitch,” “Rollover DJ” and “Look What You’ve Done” — off 2003 debut “Get Born.” With its infectious intro, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” climbed up to No. 29 on the Hot 100 in 2004
Where they are now: Jet returned in 2009 with third album “Shaka Rock,” which recalled the carefree energy of “Get Born.” The group proceeded to extensively tour their native country in 2009.
The Datsuns
Legacy: Hailed as “the future of rock” by some British music publications in the early 2000s, Cambridge, New Zealand’s the Datsuns burst onto the scene with their 2002 self-titled effort, which garnered them a number of awards — including NME’s award for ‘Best Live Band’ and accolades at the New Zealand Music Awards for Best Album, Group and Breakthrough Artist.
Where they are now: The band’s most recent record, “Head Stunts,” was released independently in October 2008. The band plans on releasing its currently-untitled fifth album sometime in 2011.
The Von Bondies
Legacy: Although this Detroit group released debut album “Lack of Communication” in 2001, mainstream success followed two years later with the release of the ubiquitous hit “C’mon C’mon,” which became the theme song to the hit FX show “Rescue Me.”
Where they are now: The group released third album “Love, Hate and Then There’s You” on Majordomo Records in 2009, and has toured with groups like Franz Ferdinand and Kasabian.
The Subways
Legacy: The Subways made waves in the mid-2000s while still teenagers, playing a brand of filthy, dirty, back-to-basics rock ‘n’ roll. The band’s debut album, “Young for Eternity,” was released in 2005, with four singles charting inside the top 30 on the UK Singles chart. The band briefly made themselves known across the Atlantic later that same year, appearing and performing two songs on the third season episode “Anger Management” on “The O.C.”
Where they are now: The Subways have continued to tour, and have also returned to the studio to record their third album, with Blur/Smiths producer Stephen Street. The record is scheduled for a summer 2011 release.