Julian Casablancas
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| Julian Casablancas | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Julian Fernando Casablancas |
| Also known as | Jules |
| Born | August 23, 1978 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Origin | New York City |
| Genre(s) | Alternative rock, indie rock, garage rock revival |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instrument(s) | Lead vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass, drums |
| Years active | 1999-current |
| Label(s) | Rough Trade, RCA, Sony BMG |
| Associated acts | The Strokes, Queens of the Stone Age, The Lonely Island |
| Website | The Strokes Official Website |
Julian Fernando Casablancas (born August 23, 1978) is the vocalist and songwriter of the American rock band The Strokes.
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[edit] Early life and education
Julian Casablancas is the son of John Casablancas, a Catalan American, the son of Catalan immigrants from Sabadell in Spain and the founder of Elite Model Management, Jeanette Christiansen, a Danish model who was Miss Denmark in 1965, and brother of Cecile and John II Casablancas. His paternal grandfather Ferran Casablancas was a textile businessman. His parents were divorced when Casablancas was very young and he lived with his mother and Sam Adoquei.
The first original member of The Strokes who Casablancas met was Nikolai Fraiture. The two attended the same kindergarten and soon more schools to come. When he was 14, Casablancas was caught drinking before school and consequently forced twice a week to attend a rehabilitation program called Phoenix House. Soon afterwards, his father sent him to Institut Le Rosey[1], a boarding school in Switzerland. It was here that he encountered Albert Hammond, Jr.. Though the two were not friends at the time, they would later become roommates and finally bandmates.
When Casablancas returned to New York after six months at Le Rosey, he continued his education at Dwight School[2] in Manhattan, where he befriended Fabrizio Moretti and Nick Valensi, who later also became fellow band members. He dropped out in 11th grade and attended Five Towns College on Long Island for one year, receiving a scholarship after writing a classical composition. He worked as a bartender before going into music professionally.
[edit] Musical career
[edit] The Strokes
Julian Casablancas' vocals feature a distinct delivery as well as a wide range in pitch. His signature vocal style combines elements of sing-speak and soul, drawing influences most notably from Robert Pollard, Lou Reed, and Ian Curtis.
As The Strokes principal songwriter, he has the greatest impact on their sound and has been known to be extremely meticulous with it. While Casablancas composes on a variety of instruments, he uses the keyboard to write complex arrangements that he later transposes to fit The Strokes' guitar-driven lineup.
Another recent change has come in the recording of his vocals, which is significantly clearer and louder than their first two albums. At first, Casablancas would always use a filter when singing on The Strokes' first two albums. He has since changed this on First Impressions of Earth. However, Casablancas says this was adjusted only because it fit the new songs' style more, and not because he was any less self-critical about his voice.[citation needed]
[edit] Phrazes For the Young
As reported by NME, Casablancas will release his debut solo album, Phrazes For the Young this fall. Recorded in Los Angeles, Nebraska and Casablancas' home city New York, the album will be produced by Jason Lader, with additional production from Bright Eyes' Mike Mogis. Tracks slated for the album include 'River of Brake Lights', 'Glass', and 'Ludlow St'. [3]
[edit] Other work
Known to not play much on Strokes' recordings, Julian has proved himself an able multi-instrumentalist through guest appearances. He's played casio guitar on "Sick, Sick, Sick" by Queens of the Stone Age, bass guitar and backing vocals on Albert Hammond, Jr.'s "Scared," and the second set of drums on the Strokes' "Evening Sun."
He has also served as inspiration for several other musicians. For instance, Courtney Love's song "But Julian, I'm a Little Bit Older Than You", from her debut solo album America's Sweetheart (2004), was written about Julian Casablancas. [4]
In 2008, Julian recorded a song with Santogold and Pharrell of N*E*R*D called "My Drive Thru" for Converse. He also appears in the ad campaign.
In 2009, Julian recorded a song with Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer of SNL and The Lonely Island called "Boombox" for their debut album. He also collaborated with Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse Present: Dark Night of the Soul on the song "Little Girl".
[edit] Personal life
Julian (or 'Jules' as he is known by his friends and family) is an avid baseball fan, particularly of the New York Mets, and has said that "if I could go back in time I'd be a minor league pitcher" [5]. He also likes the New York Jets football team.
On February 5, 2005, Julian Casablancas married Juliet Joslin, an assistant to a band manager, in a private ceremony in New York. Their reception was at Tavern on the Green. He announced the engagement at several shows including Central Park, where prior to playing their song "Hard to Explain," he said, "Oh, and I'm getting married and this song is called 'Hard to Explain!'"
Julian is also a co-owner of a Korean BBQ restaurant Shin along with Danny Masterson, Steve Aoki (Dim Mak Records), Mark Ronson, Laura Prepon, Gerard Butler and others. Shin is located at 1600 Wilcox Avenue at the intersection of Selma Avenue in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles.
[edit] Selected discography
- Is This It (2001)
- Room on Fire (2003)
- First Impressions of Earth (2006)
- Phrases for the Young (2009)
[edit] External links
- http://www.thestrokes.com The Strokes Official Website
- http://www.juliancasablancas.com Official Website
[edit] References
- ^ LE ROSEY :: Ecole privée internationale suisse
- ^ Celebrity Prep Schools
- ^ http://www.nme.com/news/the-strokes/46099 NME Exclusive
- ^ http://www.nme.com/reviews/courtney-love/5806 Courtney Love : California Ventura Theatre
- ^ http://www.yankees2000.com/y2k/2006/11/y2k-interview-julian-casablancas.html The Y2K Interview: Julian Casablancas
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