The artist Julian Casablancas puts above Lou Reed
As one of the most important figures in the 2000s wave of indie, Julian Casablancas became a reference point for budding guitarists and guitar enthusiasts everywhere. Donning skinny jeans and an unkempt haircut, he led The Strokes into indie stardom. But long before the likes of Casablancas, Karen O, and Alex Turner spearheaded the indie boom of the 21st century, there was Lou Reed.
Though The Velvet Underground found limited commercial success during their career, considered by many to be ahead of their time, Reed has since secured a place as one of the most important figures in the history of alternative music. More than the legacy of his music, his influence can be felt in every generation of guitar bands that followed.
“If you read interviews with young bands now, at least 75% of them will say ‘The Velvet Underground was a big influence,” Brian Eno once stated on an episode of Desert Island Discs. That 75% includes The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas.
“The Velvet Underground were way ahead of their time,” Casablancas once enthused in a conversation with Rolling Stone, “And their music was weird. But it also made so much sense to me. I couldn’t believe this wasn’t the most popular music ever made. In the beginning, the Strokes definitely drew from the vibe of the Velvets.”
Though Casablancas may be one of many guitar frontmen who takes inspiration from Reed, there is one artist he identifies with and places above the ‘Walk On the Wild Side’ singer: Bob Marley.
Asked if he was “more Lou Reed or Sam Cooke” in a conversation with The Guardian, Casablancas began, “Oh, that’s a toughie. Obviously Sam Cooke had a much better voice. I would have to say Lou Reed. In fact, I would say Bob Marley above both of them just because of the body of poetry and writing.”
He once shared the reggae pioneer’s influence on both his musical and political interests while speaking with The New Yorker, stating, “I think that the music journey was political all alone. I read Bob Marley’s biography when I was a teenager. And there’s a part of me that… [long pause] I questioned even the importance of music, and whether it could really make a difference. But I saw it as a springboard.”
“Well, for me, from Tupac to Bob Marley to early Bob Dylan to certain punk music to certain folk music. Even blues is essentially, like, slavery sadness. So I think that I was interested in politics, but I was a kid,” he concluded.
Though the influence may seem more apparent, as Casablancas exists within a rock sphere rather than reggae, Marley’s influence on The Strokes frontman can still be felt.
