Background
Interpol are an American band formed in 1997 in New York City. The band's line-up is Paul Banks (vocals, guitar), Daniel Kessler (guitar, vocals), Carlos Dengler (bass guitar, keyboards - commonly referred to as Carlos D) and Sam Fogarino (drums, percussion). Interpol's debut album Turn on the Bright Lights (2002) was critically acclaimed, making it to tenth position on the NME's list of top albums in 2002[1] as well as #1 on Pitchfork Media's Top 50 Albums of 2002.[2] Subsequent records Antics (2004) and Our Love to Admire (2007) have confirmed the band's initial success and turned them into a commercial and critical success[citation needed].
Musical Style
Interpol is one of the bands associated with the New York indie music scene, being one of several groups that emerged out of the post-punk revival of the 2000s. The band's sound is generally a mix of bass throb and choppy, sparse guitar, with a snare heavy mix, drawing comparisons to post-punk bands such as Joy Division and The Chameleons.[3] Aside from the lyrics, their songwriting method includes all of the band members, rather than relying on any given chief songwriter.[4]
Origin of the Band's Name
There is confusion about the origin of the name Interpol. An article in SPIN magazine said one of Paul Banks' classmates would tease him by saying “Paul, Paul, Interpol,” pronouncing the name "Paul" with a Spanish accent. "I got to the point where I was like, ‘Guys, we’re getting decent crowds, but like ... we don’t have a name, so no one knows who to go see again,’” Kessler said.[5] The band considered Las Armas[5] and The French Letters as names before adopting Interpol. In a recent interview, Paul Banks has stated the band is named Interpol because of the idea of the band being an impersonal, mysterious organization, similar to the International Criminal Police Organization which shares the same name. Principally however, he says it's because the name 'sounds cool'.