Interpol

by Andy Kellman
New York's Interpol reminds anyone who has ever heard post-punk bands like Joy Division and The Chameleons of those exact bands, plus a few more. The roots of the band -- as far as its members are considered -- can be traced back to a partnership between Daniel Kessler (a guitarist and vocalist) and a fellow New York University student named Greg Drudy (a drummer). Kessler struck up a friendship with another NYU student, Carlos Dengler, who had previously played guitar and felt like becoming involved with music for a second time. He took up the bass and keyboard duties. And by sheer coincidence, Kessler later bumped into Paul Banks, a guitarist/vocalist he knew from time spent in France. With the lineup settled, Interpol became a fully active band in 1998. After the band's first gigs in early 2000, Drudy vacated his position and was replaced by Sam Fogarino.