About ten years ago, a band of New Yorkers going by the name of The Strokes released Is This It, and pretty much redefined modern indie-rock music for the rest of the decade. To celebrate its tenth year of gracing us with ridiculously catchy guitar riffs and brilliant vocals, Stereogum has presented the public with a tribute album featuring some rather big names in indie music today (including The Morning Benders) interpreting each individual track. Playing the title track from this magnum opus are the Swedish indie-rockers Peter Bjorn and John.
Taking the stance of “we just wanted to play it as good as we could” it should be no surprise that the Swedish rockers don’t differ from their source material as radically as their contemporaries. But the way they play it isn’t much like The Strokes; they play it as Peter Bjorn and John, and—as such—they transform the track into a new-wave sounding ballad with a lot more punch than the original. Everything from the stronger drumline to the absolutely fantastic guitar solo that graces the end of the track is fabulous. It’s a glorious tribute to The Strokes, and—while it might not surpass the original for the hardcore fans—it is one of the better covers I’ve heard in recent memory.
Peter Bjorn and John – Is This It
