Grandpaboy
Mono
2002
Back in 2001, The Strokes released Is This It, claiming to "save" rock with their punk snotitude and delicate attention to not really caring. The next year, that hypothesis was proved wrong. Paul Westerberg, formerly of The Replacements, put out Mono under his alter ego Grandpaboy, and it turned out he'd been saving rock all along.
The album fails to come together into one piece, but much of the record's beauty is in its haphazard nature. Unlike The Strokes, who use meticulous production to create their nonchalant vibe, Mono sounds like it was recorded as cheaply and quickly as possible. "I'll Do Anything" sounds like The Rolling Stones, if the Stones really got exiled instead of just vacationed in France. With a voice uniquely stark, isolated and desperate, Westerberg sings on the bitter "Silent Film Star": "You oughta be a silent film star/ keep that pretty little trap shut."
Seven years later, The Strokes are on the decline. They never saved rock. But as Westerberg knows better than anyone, rock never needed saving.
