The allure of post-punk revival band Interpol is hidden beneath the monotone vocals and dense ostinatos that comprise pretty much 90% of their material. They don't rely on complex rhythms or guitar solos to stay interesting, which is pretty righteous all things considered. An Interpol song is a captivating lecture on love, relationships, isolation, self-worth, and groove.
But, as goes the classroom, there's not much head banging more than there is a lyrical dissection of thoughtful poems. The fact of the matter is that Interpol remains interesting after twenty years of, essentially, doing the same thing. The four members to thank are:
- Paul Banks on vocals and guitar
- Carlos Dengler on bass (until 2010)
- Daniel Kessler on lead guitar
- Sam Fogarino on drums
One of the most recognizable squadrons in indie music, in part due to aesthetic. Donned with four black suits and the occasional cigarette, Interpol jump started the heart of post-punk in a time when the genre direly needed innervation.
Kyle and I thought this was worth talking about. It's hard to deny how important they are to contemporary music culture. Interpol helped bolster the early-2000's New York indie scene, along with The Strokes and The National, frequenting the mythical Luna Lounge before its closure in 2005. The band garnered five albums under their belt with only one major line-up change, and has a track record for keeping fans on the edge of their headphones.
Except for that one time in 2010, that was weird.
Join us as we dissect Banks' lyrics, swoon over Dengler's drop-D bass lines and complain about how their self-titled release was so vehemently disappointing on the second episode of the Daily Lobo's Music podcast.
Audrin Baghaie is the music editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at music@dailylobo.com
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Kyle Land is a music writer for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at music@dailylobo.com or uffdaculture.blogspot.com
