Sick of the New York band thing? Do you find yourself saying, “”Oh no, not another batch of pretty boys in dirty jeans with three-chord songs about beer and girls!”” Well, these pretty boys wear tailored designer suits, play doomy, indie rock in the vein of Joy Division, and yeah, most of the songs are about girls. If you don’t like it, fear not, there’s a Saliva show coming up at Canes soon enough.
For those who dig the band’s new song, “”PDA,”” currently getting a decent amount of airplay on rock radio and “”MTV2,”” be sure to pick up the band’s critically acclaimed debut, “”Turn on the Bright Lights.”” Like fellow New Yorkers The Strokes and The Walkmen, Interpol has created a debut of dizzying depth that manages to transcend their obvious influences (mostly late-’70s and early-’80s bands like Joy Division, The Smiths and Television).
As of late, vocalist Paul Banks, guitarist Daniel Kessler, bassist Carlos Dengler and drummer Sam Fogarino have been the subject of much debate over their “”borrowed”” sound. No Interpol article has ever been able to avoid mentioning Joy Division at least once, and while I’m sure it grows tiresome to the boys’ melancholy souls, it’s not difficult to see why. Banks’ bassy bellow and Kessler’s angular guitar attacks conjure up countless images of Ian Curtis and company.
With other bands mining similar territory, what sets Interpol apart from the pack is sheer craft. “”Say Hello to the Angels”” sounds a little like that other New York band’s hit, “”Last Nite,”” but shuffles into decidedly darker territory. “”NYC”” offers a ballad-esque homage to the city that spawned them, the lyrics likening the subways to pornography. In the band’s first single, “”PDA,”” vocalist Banks invites the listener to “”sleep tight”” in one of “”two hundred couches”” while the band provides a steady post-punk backbeat.
Sure, none of this is entirely original, but the band’s energy and offbeat humor provide more than enough excitement to overcome such shortcomings. Besides appearing on countless year-end best album lists (including achieving “”Best Album of 2002″” by snobby indie site pitchforkmedia.com), the band’s live shows have been generally well-received. Add actual airplay and a spring tour to this sizable hype, and you’ve got a “”band to watch”” that actually lives up to such a title.
Interpol will be appearing on the “”Tonight Show”” with Jay Leno Feb. 20, in addition to playing at Canes. Opening for Interpol at Canes are The Warlocks, an up-and-coming eight-piece band hailing from Los Angeles. The Warlocks come from more of a ’60s approach, channeling the accessibility of the Rolling Stones while adding the sonic squalor of the Velvet Underground. If none of this sounds appealing to you, remember, there’s still that Saliva show coming up.
