by Kevin Osheer

Created on: March 15, 2009   Last Updated: February 26, 2010

This is a collection of my favorite songs from The Strokes and why I like them. The Strokes are a great band and while they have received critical acclaim and have had success, I feel they are underrated as a band and I enjoy their music thoroughly.

1. Hard to Explain - This song is one of my all time favorites, because of the emotion it evokes. The driving beat in the beginning sets up an excellent flow of angst and nostalgia. The guitar lines complement each other perfectly and all the instruments balance so that no particular one sticks out more than another, making this song flow very well.

2. Take it or Leave it - The intro to this song is also very driving, but it communicates a more dire feeling. This song will you remind you of times in your teenage life where you had to make a difficult choice, thus, making you remember very important points in your life.

3. Juicebox - This song showed a little bit of a different side to the Strokes. This song is easily the most powerful song by the Strokes vocally. The song is off tempo at times and has some minor notes thrown in, but at the chorus, all the harmonies and sounds unite very well creating a beautiful melody.

4. 12:51 - This is one of their most simple songs, which is in part why I like it so much. This song has a simple guitar intro, but is the perfect song to listen to on a Friday night in college, because it sums up all the excitement and emotions that run through your head. I used to listen to this album in college non-stop because of how well I thought it represented me and the way life was.

5. The Modern Age - This song is like the Strokes incarnate for me. This song is the first I think of when I think of the Strokes, because it is what got me listening to them. This song can pick you up when you're down and can take you higher when you're up. When something in life isn't right, this song can make you feel better about it. Even if you listen to this song in the most negative of times, the song won't hold any negative connotations and that's what I love about it.

6. Red Light - The reason this song is so great is because I have always thought it was a truly sincere love song. This song doesn't hold any ridiculous love promises or get too mushy. It's about having fun with the one you love and how you met them. It isn't the most beautiful song I've ever heard, but it's honest and realistic, which makes it beautiful.

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