Tenements on Ludlow Street

Collective:Unconscious Theater at 145 Ludlow in 1997

Art opening at 143 Ludlow Street in 2007

2010 New York City International Pickle Day Festival

Ludlow Street runs between Houston and Division Streets on the Lower East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan, an important cultural street rich with history.

It is a destination street for musicians and music-lovers, and is heavily populated with fashion shops, art galleries, bars, restaurants, and clubs. Ludlow Street currently houses the performance venues Cake Shop, The Living Room, and Piano's, among its many other diversions. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics also recently opened its flagship store on Ludlow Street.

History[link]

1960 - 1990[link]

As far back as 1962 Tony Conrad, Theatre of Eternal Music member, lived and worked at 56 Ludlow^[1] and in 1965 Lou Reed, John Cale and Sterling Morrison of The Velvet Underground lived and recorded there. The earliest known recorded version of All Tomorrow's Parties was recorded there.^[2]

Tony Conrad has produced two CDs from the Jack Smith tape archives subtitled 56 Ludlow Street that were recorded at 56 Ludlow Street between 1962 and 1964.^[3]

In the mid 1970s Gary Weis made some short films of Taylor Mead talking to his cat in the kitchen of his Ludlow Street apartment called Taylor Mead's Cat. From 1980 to the mid-80s actor/videomaker Craig Calman lived in the building adjoining Taylor Mead's.^[4]

In the early 1980s Ludlow Street was well known as a street where no wave Colab artists connected with ABC No Rio lived; such as Kiki Smith.^[5] Other notables there at this time include Fab Five Freddy, Tom Otterness and George Condo.

From 1983 to 1989, the bimonthly cassette publication Tellus Audio Cassette Magazine was based out of 143 Ludlow Street.

In 1989 the Beastie Boys used a photo of the southwest corner of Ludlow and Rivington Street as the cover for their album Paul's Boutique.^[6]

1990s[link]

In the mid- to late 1990s, the increasing popularity of the area among hipsters, driven out of the East Village by an invasion of yuppies, led to an upturn in activity along Ludlow Street, with several old establishments, such as corner delis (a.k.a. bodegas) closing shop to make way for bars, music venues such as the Ludlow Street Bar & Grill (a basement restaurant and music venue), and alternative theatres such as Collective:Unconscious Theater (before it became an empty lot), Piano's Theater (before it became a music venue and bar), and Todo Con Nada (before it became The Dark Room).

Today[link]

Since then it has become a small nightlife strip featuring bars and venues with a distinct subcultural flavor. Local institutions still present, including the bistro/cafe Pink Pony, the adjacent artist bar Max Fish, Katz's Deli, which is one of the city's most famous delicatessens, Ludlow Street Guitars, Earthmatters Cafe (hangout of musicians/actors/writers/techies), newly re-opened Ludlow Studio, which was home to some of the top recording artists in the mid 1990s, and the Sombrero Mexican restaurant, better known to a generation of musicians as "The Hat." The art and cultural gallery Ludlow 38 is the downtown satellite for contemporary art of the Goethe-Institut New York. The space was designed by artists Ethan Breckenridge and Liam Gillick.

In 2005 artist Wolfgang Staehle created One day of life on Ludlow Street (New York). The work consists of 6716 images (jpgs, resolution 1200x1600) displayed in approximately 8 second intervals over 24 hours (10/07/2005).^[7] Colab activist and experimental filmmaker Coleen Fitzgibbon made in 1980 a video called Ludlow about Ludlow Street.^[8]

From south to north, Ludlow starts from Division Street, intersects Canal Street, Hester Street, Grand Street, Broome Street, Delancey Street, Rivington Street and Stanton Street, and ends at Houston Street.

Ludlow Street in Popular Culture[link]

• Suzanne Vega's song, Ludlow Street, from the 2007 album Beauty and Crime
• The Julian Casablancas album Phrazes for the Young includes a song titled Ludlow St.
• The AaRON album Birds in the Storm includes a song titled Ludlow L
• The Beastie Boys 1989 album Paul's Boutique features a panoramic photograph of Ludlow Street on the cover
• The Digable Planets included a reference to Ludlow Street in their hip-hop song Time And Space ("from 125 right down to ludlow") on their 1993 album Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)
• New York-based artist Jaymay mentions Ludlow Street in her song "You'd Rather Run" on her album Autumn Fallin'
• In the song, Clinton St. Girl by the Indie band Wakey!Wakey!, "Ludlow Street boys" are frequently mentioned throughout the chorus.
• Childish Gambino mentions Ludlow Street in his song "L.E.S." on his album "Camp"
• Wakey!Wakey! mentions Ludlow and Clinton Streets in the song "Clinton St. Girl"

References[link]

Reference texts[link]

• Carlo McCormick, "The Downtown Book: The New York Art Scene, 1974–1984", Princeton University Press, 2006
• Alan Moore and Marc Miller, eds., ABC No Rio Dinero: The Story of a Lower East Side Art Gallery, Collaborative Projects, NY, 1985
• Steven Watson, Factory Made: Warhol and the Sixties, Pantheon, New York, 2003

1974

External links[link]

• Ludlow Street Storefronts - photographs of buildings and stores along Ludlow Street.
• Ludlow 38 of the Goethe-Institut New York

Coordinates: 40°43′12″N 73°59′18″W / 40.72°N 73.98833°W / 40.72; -73.98833

Coordinates: 52°22′05″N 2°43′03″W / 52.3681°N 2.7176°W / 52.3681; -2.7176

Ludlow
Wintertime Ludlow as seen from Whitcliffe
Ludlow  Ludlow shown within Shropshire
Population	10,500
OS grid reference	SO517750
- London	155.6mi
Unitary authority	Shropshire
Ceremonial county	Shropshire
Region	West Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LUDLOW
Postcode district	SY8
Dialling code	01584
Police	West Mercia
Fire	Shropshire
Ambulance	West Midlands
EU Parliament	West Midlands
UK Parliament	Ludlow
List of places: UK • England • Shropshire

Ludlow is a market town in Shropshire, England close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. Located along the A49 road about 12 miles north of Leominster, it lies within a bend of the River Teme, on its eastern bank, forming an area of 350 acres (142 ha) and centred on a small hill. Atop this hill is the site of Ludlow Castle and the market place. From there the streets of the medieval walled town slope downward to the River Teme, and northward toward the River Corve. The town is in a sheltered spot beneath the Clee Hills which are clearly visible from the town.^[1] With a population of around 10,000, Ludlow is the largest town in South Shropshire and home to the southern area committee of Shropshire Council.^[2]

Ludlow has nearly 500 listed buildings.^[3] They include some fine examples of medieval and Tudor-style half-timbered buildings including the Feathers Hotel. The parish church, St Laurence Church, is the largest in the county.^[4]

Toponymy[link]

The placename "Lodelowe" (Welsh: Llwydlo) was in use for this site before 1138 and comes from the Old English "hlud-hlaw".^[5] At the time this section of the River Teme contained rapids, and so the hlud of Ludlow came from "the loud waters", while hlaw meant hill.^[5] Thus Ludlow meant a place on a hill by a loud river. Some time around the 12th century weirs were added along the river, taming these rapid flows. Later in the same century the larger outer bailey was added to the castle.

Though the settlement became known as Ludlow, Fouke le Fitz Waryn a 13th-century poem states that it was called Dinham "for a very long time".^[6] The western part of the town immediately south of the castle retains this name, and many writers assume it is Saxon in origin, and the suffix -ham occurs in Shropshire. Another alternative is that the town took its name from Josce de Dinan who controlled the town's castle in the 12th century.^[7]

History[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2008)

Medieval history[link]

Ludlow Castle was built in the late 11th century.

The town is close to Wales and also very close to the county border between Shropshire and Herefordshire. It was included in the latter in the Domesday Book. This strategic location invested it with importance in medieval times and its large castle remains largely intact. Ludlow Castle was the seat of the Council of Wales and the Marches and a temporary home to several holders of the title Prince of Wales, including King Edward IV and Arthur Tudor, who died there in 1502.

The site features heavily in the folk-story of Fulk FitzWarin, outlawed Lord of Whittington, Shropshire and a possible inspiration for the Robin Hood legend. Fulk is brought up in the castle of Joce De Dynan, and fights for his master against Sir Walter de Lacy – these battles are also the source of the story of Marion de la Bruyere, the betrayed lover whose ghost is still said to be heard crying "Goodbye, Cruel World!" as she plummets from the castle's turrets.^{[citation needed]}

At the time of the Domesday Book survey Ludlow was the location of the unoccupied large Stanton Manor, a possession of Walter de Lacy. Walter's son Roger de Lacy began the construction of a castle on the crest of the hill between about 1086 and 1094, forming what is now the inner bailey. Between about 1090 and 1120, the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene was built inside the walls, and by 1130 the Great Tower was added to form the gatehouse. The castle was an important border fortification along the Welsh Marches, and played a significant role in local, regional and national conflicts such as the Owain Glyndŵr rebellion, the Wars of the Roses and the English Civil War.

Feathers Hotel, Ludlow

A view of Ludlow Market, which is situated in Castle Square, taken from the tower of St Laurence's Church.

Marcher town[link]

The town also provided a useful source of income for successive Marcher Lords, based on rents, fines, and tolls. They developed the town on a regular grid pattern, although this was adapted somewhat to match the local topography. The first road was probably High Street, which formed the wide market place to the east of the castle gates. The town continued to grow, joining an old north-south road, now called Corve Street to the north and Old Street to the south. Mill Street and the wide Broad Street were added later.

The town was licensed to build a defensive wall in 1233. It was constructed about the central part of the community with four main gates and three postern gates. The castle complex continued to expand (a Great Hall, kitchen and living quarters were added) and it gained a reputation as a fortified palace. In 1306 it passed through marriage to the ambitious Earl of March, Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March. Queen Isabella and her son, the young Edward III, were entertained at the castle in 1328.

The town prospered, and sustained population of about 2,000 for several centuries. It was a market town; market day was held on every Thursday throughout the 15th century. In particular, it served as a centre for the sale of wool and cloth. It was home to various trades, and in 1372 boasted 12 trade guilds including metalworkers, shoemakers, butchers, drapers, mercers, tailors, cooks and bakers. There were also merchants of moderate wealth in the town and especially wool merchants, such as Laurence of Ludlow, who lived at nearby Stokesay Castle. The collection and sale of wool and the manufacture of cloth continued to be the primary source of wealth until the 17th century. Drovers roads from Wales led to the town.

This prosperity is expressed in stone and stained-glass as St. Laurence's parish church. It is a wool church and the largest in Shropshire. Despite the presence of some Decorated work it is largely Perpendicular in style.^[8]

The town also contained several coaching inns such as the Old Angel on Broad Street, public houses and ale houses, leading to court records of some alcohol-induced violence and a certain reputation for excess. Several coaching inns were constructed to accommodate travellers by stagecoach and mail coach. The oldest surviving inn today is the 15th century Bull Hotel on the Bull Ring.

During the Wars of the Roses, Richard, Duke of York, seized the castle and turned it into one of his main strongholds. The Lancastrian forces captured Ludlow in 1459, but at the end of the conflict in 1461 the castle became property of the Crown and passed to Richard's son, Edward IV. The town was then incorporated as a borough. Edward set up the Council of Wales and the Marches in 1473 and sent his son, Edward, Prince of Wales, to live there, as nominal head of the Council. It was at Ludlow that the prince heard the news of his father's death and was himself proclaimed King Edward V of England.

Under Henry VII the castle continued as the headquarters of the Council of Wales and served as the administration centre for Wales and the counties along the border, the Welsh Marches. During this period, when the town served as the effective capital of Wales, it was home to many messengers of the king, various clerks and lawyers for settling legal disputes. The town also provided a winter home for local gentry, during which time they attended the Council court sessions. Henry VII also sent his heir Prince Arthur to Ludlow, where he was joined briefly by his wife Catherine of Aragon later to become wife to Henry VIII, who was living in Castle Lodge, Ludlow at the time. Ludlow Castle was therefore the site of perhaps the most controversial wedding night in English history, when Catherine's claim that the marriage was never consummated became central to the dispute concerning Henry VIII and Catherine's annulment in 1531.

After 1610, the cloth industry declined but the wealth of the town was little affected until about 1640, when the activities of the Council were suspended and the town's population promptly fell by 20%.

Eventually, the Council resumed and except for brief interludes, Ludlow continued to host the Council until 1689, when it was abolished by William and Mary. The castle then fell into decay. The structure was poorly maintained and stone was pillaged. In 1772 demolition was mooted, but it was instead decided to lease the buildings. Later still it was purchased by the Earl of Powis, and together, he and his wife directed the transformation of the castle grounds.

Later history[link]

From 1760, the population began to undergo a significant expansion. New structures were built along the outskirts that would become slums in the 19th century and later, torn down.

In 1832 Dr Thomas Lloyd, the Ludlow doctor and amateur geologist, met Roderick Murchison at Ludford Corner to study the rocks exposed along the River Teme and on Whitcliffe, advancing Murchison's theory for a Silurian System that he was to publish in 1839.^[9] Immediately above the topmost layer of the marine rock sequence forming Murchison's Silurian period was a thin layer of dark sand containing numerous remains of early fish, especially their scales, along with plant debris, spores and microscopic mites. In contrast to the underlying sediments of the Ludlow Series which were deposited in a shallow warm sea some 400 million years ago, the Ludlow Bone Bed represents terrestrial (land) conditions and thus a fundamental change in the landscape. At the time, this was believed to be the earliest occurrence of life on land. Murchison thus took the Ludlow Bone Bed as the base of his Devonian Period, although over a century later this boundary was to be moved a little higher, the overlying rocks being ascribed to the Pridoli. The science of Geology has taken a number of local names from these studies and now applies them worldwide, in recognition of the importance of this area to scientific understanding, for example Ludlow Series and Whitcliffe Formationian. The site is now an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and still attracts international studies.^[10]

By the late 20th century, the town had seen a growth in tourism, leading to the appearance of many antique dealers, as well as art dealers and independent bookshops (now mostly gone). A long battle of words between local activists and local companies and Tesco was eventually solved when the mega retailer obtained planning permission to build a supermarket on Corve Street, but only after agreeing to conform to the architectural demands of the local council. The building is designed in order to follow the shape of the old town plans with a curving roof. Bodenham's, a clothing retailer, has been trading from a 600-year-old timbered building since 1860 and is one of the oldest stores in Britain.^[11]

In 2004 the council was granted funding from Advantage West Midlands to build a new Eco-Park on the outskirts of the town on the other side of the A49, with space for new "environmentally friendly" office buildings and a park & ride facility.

More construction work began in 2006 on the same section of by-pass by Bennett's development company on a much-debated piece of land on the town's fringe known as The Foldgate. The land has now been drawn up for commercial use with a petrol filling station, Travelodge hotel and pub chain pub/restaurant, opened in late 2008. The previous plans to include a number of "high-street" stores was thrown out when an independent official branded it "damaging" and "out-of-place" with the character of the old town.

Ludlow was described by Country Life as "the most vibrant small town in England."^[12]

Geography[link]

Destinations from Ludlow

	Clun, Bishop's Castle	Craven Arms, Church Stretton, Shrewsbury	Bridgnorth, Highley, Telford West Midlands conurbation
	Brampton Bryan, Bucknell, Knighton		Cleehill, Cleobury Mortimer, Bewdley, Kidderminster
		Ludlow    East
	Presteigne, New Radnor	Ludford, Leominster, Hereford	Tenbury Wells, Bromyard, Worcester

The River Teme at Ludlow

R. G. Conzen remarked of Ludlow "Its composite medieval town plan and a history of eight and a half centuries with several periods of considerable importance have endowed its Old Town with an historically well-stratified and richly textured landscape."^[13]

Transport[link]

Ludlow railway station

On 4 February 1980, the £4.7m single carriage way bypass road was opened by Kenneth Clarke, which had been built to the east of the town, diverting the A49. This allowed heavy lorry traffic to avoid the town centre, significantly reducing noise levels and delays. The town centre was built for the era of the horse & cart and there are long running problems with motor traffic and car parking. A number of proposals have been offered to remedy these problems.

The new Ludlow Eco-Park situated on the outskirts of the town, along the A49, includes a new Park & Ride facility, with a frequent bus service to and from the town centre.

On 26 June 2007, rising flood water caused Burway Bridge in Ludlow to collapse, severing a gas main and causing 20 homes in nearby Corve Street to be evacuated.^[14] The bridge is now replaced with a new construction.

Ludlow railway station is located about five minutes walk from the town centre. Arriva Trains Wales provide regular services to Shrewsbury, Hereford, Newport, Cardiff and Manchester.

Population[link]

The 2001 UK census recorded 9,548 people living in Ludlow parish. A further 395 live in the neighbouring Ludford parish. In 1377, poll tax was levied against 1,172 of the parish's residents.^[15] By this measure, Ludlow was the 35th most populous town in England.^[16]

• 1971 – 7,470
• 1987 – 7,450

Culture[link]

Festivals and fayres[link]

The Ludlow Festival has been held annually since 1960, during the end of June and the start of July each year.^[19] An open area within the castle serves as the stage and backdrop for various Shakespearean plays, while a number of supporting events at various venues include classical and pop/rock concerts, varied musicians, lecture talks from public figures, and entertainers.

The annual Ludlow Marches Festival of Food & Drink is a food festival that takes place in and around Ludlow in September. Centred on Ludlow Castle, where over 150 local, small food producers showcase and sell their wares, the three-day event involves the town centre in food and drink trails including the famous "Sausage Trail".^[20]

The Medieval Christmas Fayre is another annual event in Ludlow taking place during late November, again centred on Ludlow Castle and the market square.^[21]

Gastronomy[link]

Ludlow has become a gastronomic centre and at one point was the only town in England with three Michelin-starred restaurants^[22] (a distinction lost to Bray-on-Thames in Berkshire), but Ludlow still holds two Michelin starred establishments, and eight AA Rosette starred restaurants. The town hosts the prestigious annual Ludlow food festival. Ludlow is the first UK member of Cittaslow or "slow food" movement,^[23][24] and is at the forefront of the UK's Cittaslow slow movement network. It supports three traditional butchers, four bakers, a regular farmers market and a range of specialist food shops. The town has its own brewery, which has been producing real ale (using local hops) since 2006.^[25]

Arts[link]

The town is also home to an arts and cinema centre, The Ludlow Assembly Rooms, that hosts live music, theatre, stand up comedy and talks. It also acts as an arts community centre, has a visual arts gallery, and on most evenings, shows a film, from a wide variety of genres (including classic, arthouse, and blockbuster).^[26] Ludlow has featured in movies and TV programmes including Tom Sharpe's Blott on the Landscape and 90s TV adaptations of The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling and Moll Flanders.

Ludlow has connections with a number of figures in the arts – most notably, Alfred Edward Housman, poet and author of "A Shropshire Lad" (his ashes buried in the graveyard of St. Laurence's Church and marked by a cherry tree). Stanley J. Weyman, the novelist known as the "Prince of Romance", was also born in Ludlow. The naval historian and novelist Captain Geoffrey Bennett (Sea Lion) lived in Ludlow after his retirement in 1974 up to his death in 1983 and his ashes were interred in the parish churchyard.

The actor John Challis (Boycie in Only Fools & Horses) lives near Ludlow, as did Pete Postlethwaite. The actress Holly Davidson (from Casualty and The Bill) was born locally in 1980. Hollie Robertson, winner of the BBC's Strictly Dance Fever in 2006 is also from Ludlow.

Sport[link]

The town also has a football and rugby union team competing in the Midland leagues and a cricket team sporting its 1st and 2nd XI teams in the Shropshire Premier Cricket League and its 3rd and 4th XI in the Shropshire Cricket League Division 5 and Division 6 repspectively. The cricket pitch has a picturesque setting with the castle, church and surrounding hills and countryside clearly visible. Ludlow Racecourse and golf club are situated just off the A49 road a mile north of the town.^[27]

Twinning[link]

• La Ferté-Macé, France (since 1992)^[28]
• San Pietro in Cariano, Italy (since 1986)^[29]

Notable people[link]

Notable people associated with the town include Charles Badham, a Victorian scholar and professor at Sydney University. Sir Charles Hastings, a pioneering Victorian doctor and founder of the BMA, was born in Ludlow, and grew up in Worcestershire. Baron Rees of Ludlow, the current Astronomer Royal is associated with the town, and Anthony Howard, a senior British political journalist and commentator had a home there.

Born near the town in 1836 was John Marston, the founder of the Sunbeam racing car and motorcycle company. Also born in proximity to Ludlow was Henry Hill Hickman, a very early pioneer of anaesthetics, who was born at Lady Halton, near Bromfield in 1800. Later in the same century, in 1831, Pictorialist photographer Henry Peach Robinson was born in the town.

Sir John Bridgeman, a Chief Justice of The Marches in the 17th century is buried in St. Laurence's church, within a tomb monument attributed to Francesco Fanelli.

Captain Geoffrey Bennett DSC, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, naval officer and also a well-known author, writing novels as ‘Sea Lion’ and naval histories under his own name, retired to a cottage in central Ludlow in 1976, dying there in 1983.

Captain Adrian Jones M.V.O., M.R.C.V.S., F.R.B.S., the well-known sculptor. He has many works throughout the world, particularly the Peace Quadriga on the Wellington arch in London.

See also[link]

• Bishop of Ludlow

Citations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ludlow

• Geograph – photos of Ludlow and surrounding areas

Julian Casablancas
Casablancas on stage
Background information
Birth name	Julian Fernando Casablancas
Born	(1978-08-23) 23 August 1978 (age 33) New York City, New York, United States
Genres	Indie rock, New Wave, alternative rock, garage rock, post-punk revival, synthpop
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, guitar synthesizer, harmonica
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Cult, Rough Trade, RCA, Sony BMG
Associated acts	The Strokes, Queens of the Stone Age, The Lonely Island, Danger Mouse, N.E.R.D, Santigold, Digitalism (band), Pearl Jam
Website	www.juliancasablancas.com www.thestrokes.com

Julian Fernando Casablancas (born August 23, 1978)^[1] is an American musician, singer-songwriter and frontman of The Strokes. Casablancas pursued a solo career during The Strokes' hiatus, releasing the album Phrazes for the Young on November 3, 2009.

Early life, education, and personal life[link]

Julian Casablancas was born in New York City, to Spanish American^[2] business mogul John Casablancas, the founder of Elite Model Management, and Jeanette Christiansen, a former model and onetime Miss Denmark.^[3] His paternal grandfather, Fernando Casablancas, was a well-known textile businessman.^[4] His parents divorced and his mother subsequently married painter Sam Adoquei. Adoquei helped shape Casablancas' early musical taste by exposing him to music such as The Doors, which was markedly different from the mostly Phil Collins-influenced music he listened to as a child.^[3] In 2005, Julian married the assistant to the Strokes' manager, Juliet Joslin. In 2010, they welcomed a son, Cal Casablancas.

The first member of The Strokes Casablancas met was Nikolai Fraiture, who attended Lycée Français de New York with him (Fraiture graduated in 1997,^[5] Casablancas in 1996^[6]). When he was 14, Casablancas' father sent him to Institut Le Rosey, an elite boarding school in Switzerland. There, he met future Strokes member Albert Hammond, Jr.^[7][8] Casablancas attended The Dwight School^[9] with two other future Strokes, Nick Valensi and Fabrizio Moretti.^[8] Casablancas never finished school, but continued to take music classes, where he says he first enjoyed himself in class.^[10][11]

Musical career[link]

Influences[link]

Julian Casablancas' has said that Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" is his favorite song of all time. In addition, he has also cited Lou Reed of The Velvet Underground as a major influence on his lyrics and singing style. "The way Lou Reed wrote and sang about drugs and sex, about the people around him — it was so matter-of-fact", Casablancas stated in a Rolling Stone interview. "Reed could be romantic in the way he portrayed these crazy situations, but he was also intensely real. It was poetry and journalism". He has also stated very often throughout his career that Bob Marley is one of his favorite songwriters.^[12]

Solo work[link]

His first solo album, Phrazes for the Young (inspired by the Oscar Wilde book "Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young"), was released on November 2 in the UK and November 3, 2009, in the United States. Recorded in Omaha, Nebraska, and Casablancas' home city New York, the album was produced by Jason Lader, with additional production from Bright Eyes' Mike Mogis.^[13] The album was strongly influenced by new wave and electronica, with Casablancas utilizing synthesizers for many songs. He discussed his new influences by saying "I would've gone weirder with the music, but I wanted to be smart. I didn't want people to say, 'Okay, this is his weird abstract thing,' and dismiss the album. I worked too hard on it for that to happen...I wanted to be crazy original and bridge the gap between traditional music and modern music."^[14]

Julian Casablancas made his live solo debut for a private party for fashion brand Opening Ceremony in Tokyo, Japan.^[15] To celebrate the release of the EP, Casablancas performed a series of shows in October 2009 at The Downtown Palace Theatre in Los Angeles with his live show band, The Sick Six. Other members of The Sick Six include Jeff Kite (keyboard), Nelson London (synthesizer), JP Bowersock (guitar), Danielle Haim (percussion) and Alex Carapetis (drums).^[16] Casablancas then toured with The Sick Six in Europe, United States, Australia and Japan from November 2009 until July 2010.

Other work[link]

Casablancas has played a casio guitar and provided backing vocals 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".

Casablancas, along with the Strokes, provided vocals on a cover of Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" with Joshua Homme on drums and Eddie Vedder on backup vocals. The cover was released in 2006 as the b-side to "You Only Live Once".

In 2009, during his solo phase, he recorded "Boombox" with Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer of The Lonely Island for their debut album Incredibad, and was featured in an SNL Digital Short for the same song. In addition, he also recorded "I Wish It Was Christmas Today", a festive song based on a Saturday Night Live skit made popular by Jimmy Fallon, Horatio Sanz, Chris Kattan and Tracy Morgan. Casablancas performed the song live on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on December 21, 2009, together with The Roots, Horatio Sanz and Jimmy Fallon.

He also collaborated with Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse on the song "Little Girl" on the 2010 album, Dark Night of the Soul. Casablancas also lent his vocals to the title track, "Rave On", on a 2011 tribute album to Buddy Holly, Rave On Buddy Holly. Aside from vocal collaborations, he also contributed to a song, "Forrest Gump", on Digitalism's sophomore album I Love You, Dude in 2011. The electronica duo initiated a collaboration with Casablancas through his manager, and Casablancas contributed 'a 30-second recording with him on guitar' via email.^[17]

Casablancas has also contributed musically to several advertising campaigns. In 2008, he recorded a song with Santigold (then known as Santogold) and Pharrell of N*E*R*D called "My Drive Thru" for Converse. Casablancas also composed an original song, "I Like The Night", as part of his endorsement deal to represent Azzaro's new mens fragrance, Decibel, dB. The Azzaro Decibel television commercial featuring Julian aired in France on September 1, 2011.^[18]

He has also served as inspiration for several other musicians and the painter Elizabeth Peyton.^[19] 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.^[20]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Singles[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Julian Casablancas

• Official website