FEATURE

BY ROB O’CONNOR

Though best known for his sartorial splendor, Interpol’s Daniel Kessler bobs and weaves like a scantily clad prize- fighter, avoiding an interviewer’s best jabs while solidly landing his own knockout punches. With the release of

the group’s second album, Antics, this past fall, Kessler knows there will be no shortage of questions regarding the sudden brightening of his band’s sound. Its first album, 2002’s ironically titled Turn On the Bright Lights, was a dark elegy with a cold, steely sound that immediately inspired compar- isons to the late great 1970s post-punkers and early goth-rockers Joy Divi- sion. Antics is kinder and gentler, and likely to bring names such as Roxy Music or Echo & the Bunnymen into the conversation. But Kessler, the band’s guitarist and chief songwriter, isn’t playing along and he isn’t naming names. “I don’t think in terms of influences as far as this band [goes],” he says from a hotel room in London, where Interpol is performing a few intimate shows. “I’m never going to sit down and be like, ‘I’m really into this music and it’s going to show in what I’m playing.’ It doesn’t work that way. Our parameters are wide, more so than the press TTEM or our fans are aware. Everything is fair game if we’re all four into it.” AN HA V Kessler formed the group in 1998 while studying at New York University,

PIETER carefully piecing together his very own musical jigsaw puzzle by interview-

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FEATURE

bands scrunch up hot and sweaty in a cramped touring Rumor has it there are, but no one in Interpol can claim such a casual van, the men of Interpol somehow avoid perspiring and relationship. If anything, Kessler uses the other members of the band to I never had terrible, keep their suits crisp and creases sharp. Kessler claims his augment his own musical knowledge. When he first met bassist- style is only natural; he takes his cue from the elegant keyboardist Carlos D., Kessler played him the eventual Interpol track “terrible records. French films of the 1960s. “It’s just a different era that’s “PDA” and was encouraged by D.’s insight. “He immediately added really not the way people are today,” he says. “I’ve been something to it that I hadn’t thought of. I write with feel but he has a dressing like this for a long time, so I wouldn’t know any background in theory,” admits Kessler. Well, I did have a other way.” As for the rest of the band, he adds, “Everyone Kessler’s earliest music lessons were in record collecting, where he stud- had a definite sense on how they wanted to dress. We ied the finer points of the Jam, the Clash, and the Dischord Records Bananarama 12-inch. never discussed it. Maybe it’s why we fit together.” punk scene in Washington, D.C. Trying to uncover something tacky in Whether the band’s look and sound are carefully his collection—say, a Doobie Brothers album purchased in an adolescent DANIEL KESSLER crafted or the result of like-minded individuals striking identity crisis, a Limp Bizkit CD succumbed to while temporarily a common chord, the bottom line is that Kessler is a insane—is an exercise in endurance for the interviewer. “I knew all about ” man consumed by music. He spent his first six years in these [underground] bands and then I got into a classic rock phase. I got ing the unusual pieces around him. “I cared not more London, his next five in the French countryside, and his into Hendrix and Zeppelin,” he says, again sidestepping the punch. about how good a musician, but more about their person- adolescence in Washington, D.C. “I had two older “I never had terrible, terrible things. . . . Well, I did have a Bananarama ality,” he explains. In search of that indefinable chemistry brothers always very passionate about music,” he 12-inch.” Finally! In the 15th round! that the best bands have, he says, “I wanted to close my eyes explains. “It was the most important thing in their life, But Kessler wasn’t fooled for long—buyer’s remorse doesn’t sit and let someone else do something beyond one man’s fil- and in mine, maybe the most consistent factor. I always well with our man in black. “It’s like buying clothes that you’re ter. I wanted a band in the classic sense of the word.” felt music was as important as a religion.” He adds, never going to wear,” he says. “You try it on once. I hate it so And a band in the classic sense he got. The other mem- sounding unconvinced, “There probably are people out much—that feeling when you buy something and then you get it bers of Interpol aren’t Kessler’s backing group, but his there who put on music as background music.” home and you’re like, ‘Why the fuck did I buy that?’ I had a friend partners in sound, creating cinematic land- who would just buy an album and try it out. Even then [as a young- scapes for singer-guitarist Paul Banks’s lyrics. ster], I would never waste my money taking a chance like that.” The band also displays a certain harmony in its visual style. These four gents—all tailored ROB O’CONNOR is the reviews editor of Harp magazine and recently suits and dry-cleaning bills out the per diem— contributed a chapter to Kill Your Idols (Barricade, 2004), a book skewer- Macally would do Brian Ferry proud. Whereas most ing classic rock. Crimes of Fashion 1/2 Page Ad

The men of Interpol are oh so tasteful, but c’mon, guys—a little trashiness won’t kill ya. Here are a few bands we’d love to see them share a dress- ing room with. 6 RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Performing live wearing nothing but PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS 7 a sock on your twig and berries— It might have been easier for Paul Revere to change his given now that’s taking minimalism to the name. Instead he saddled his soldiers of misfortune with shame extreme. Coincidence or not, fashion maven George Clinton (see and psychotherapy bills. “Guys? The good news is we’ve got also Parliament at right) produced Freaky Styley, the band’s sec- these groovy jacket-and-tights combos for the whole band. ond album. While historians may debate for ages whether the The bad news is we’ve only got three pairs of boots, one Peppers actually coined the term “Rock out with your cock out,” pair of shoes, and two codpieces. I’m sure it’ll all work out.” you can enjoy the fruits of their labor on their cover of Stevie At least the band redeemed itself with PARLIAMENT 7 Wonder’s “Higher Ground” (Mother’s Milk). crunchy mid-1960s pop-rock hits like “Kicks” George “I make James Brown look perfectly from Paul Revere & the Raiders: Greatest Hits. sane” Clinton had a vision: assemble a rotating 6 ANGEL cast of freaks with names like Bootsy and Cat- Was KISS’s name really an acronym for THE REPLACEMENTS 5 fish to bring “the Funk” to Earthlings every- Knights in Satan’s Service? We’ll never know, Any slob knows that plaid is good for hiding where through songs about bop guns, war but in the mid-1970s suddenly an Angel stains. Considering the ’Mats’ history of babies, and aliens. Uh, right on. The band’s attire appeared—on the same record label as KISS! drunken escapades, it’s not hard to imagine made even less sense: glittery robes, giant sun- Simply divine in white satin jumpsuits— those jackets spent at least part of the glasses, and—in some cases—adult diapers. complete with wings!—and enough feathered night in a puddle of God Knows What. “P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)” (The Best hair to guarantee flight, they spread heavy- The Replacements may have worn it dank, of Parliament—Give Up the Funk) is proof that metal peace through heavenly lyrics like but they definitely wore it well. Hear some they weren’t exactly the martini set. “Winter is here/It’s the coldest time of year” of Paul Westerberg’s make-up tips on the (“The Winter Song,” White Hot). classic “Little Mascara” from Tim. —DYLAN GAUGHAN, ROB O’CONNOR, AND MISSY ROBACK

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