The Strokes' Julian Casablancas Must Be Wonderin'

So little by little it seems all the members of The Strokes are starting their own side projects and sorta pulling it off. Albert Hammond Jr. is on his second solo album. Both were very well-received, critically. And now drummer Fabrizio Moretti has two side projects: the hilarious, psycho-hippie-hillbilly on crack project Megapuss, which could only be fronted by Devendra Banhart, and now Little Joy. That's all fine and dandy, except that Little Joy sounds really good and really, really like The Strokes down to the very drunken, passive-aggressive lazy, highly-nuanced croon of Stroke lead singer Julian Casablancas. On Little Joy, Moretti teamed up with Banhart collaborator and Los Hermanos lead singer Rodrigo Amarante, who does such a convincing Casablancas voice, you swear you just heard a new Strokes song. I can just imagine how the conversation between Casablancas and Moretti must have gone after the Nov. 4, 2008 release of the self-titled Little Joy record.

Moretti (M): I wanted it to be a surprise, Jules... so did you hear it? What did ja think?

Casablancas (C): Dude... What the f**k! It's not bad enough that you didn't alter your drumming whatsoever from how you play with us, but you also had to get a vocalist that sounded exactly like me?! Jesus.

M: Come on dude... We are making Brazilian indie rock--nothing like what we do on The Strokes!

C: Os Mutantes was Brazilian indie rock. This project of yours sounds like The Strokes with a few sprinkled lyrics in Portuguese. You gotta be sh*ttin' me! Why not bring some of these great ideas when we start recording the next Strokes record this year?

M: Dude... you're such a d*ck! Like you really let me throw my two cents when we're making a Strokes albums. I'm the effen drummer, remember? The Beatles didn't even let George Harrison get too many of his ideas in there... Ringo? Two words: Yellow Submarine, biatch.

C: Alright dude... what can I tell you? Congrats? Congrats on being the Strokes drummer who formed the new Strokes with a different lead singer?

M: A**hole. [hang ups]

C:Merry Christmas, Ringo.