Interpol collateral damage as Bono's back snaps

With U2's tour in tatters, Interpol have not only had their plum opening gig vanish, but have had to dump most of the their headlining tour. The original idea had been to cross-subsidise the headline dates with the cash from the U2 ones.

Interpoleaxed

Exciting times for Interpol, as they finish up the new album and get ready to take the thing out on tour. What could possibly fling a cloud into this sky?

Besides, erm, Carlos D quitting:

Dear fans,

As some of you have surely heard, Interpol has completed it's new album.

It was recorded at Electric Lady Studios, New York, and mixed with Alan Moulder at Assault and Battery, London.

The four of us poured our collective heart into this music and we are very proud and excited to share it.

It's a heavy record. But we're feeling limber; and we're going to carry it all around the world for you.

Touring begins this summer, so check here soon for announcements and show dates.

There is more:
Sadly, Carlos will not be joining us.

After the completion of the album, Carlos informed the rest of us that he would be leaving the band. He has decided to follow another path, and to pursue new goals. This separation is amicable, and we whole-heartedly wish him great happiness and success. We will remain, as always, deeply respectful fans of this blazingly talented individual.

We can tell you that we have some very exciting new recruits joining us on the road. So stay tuned - we will promptly be revealing the identities of these illustrious players.

We eagerly await the opportunity to reconvene with you all
- the greatest fans known to Rock.

Thank you.

The use of the word "recruits" kind of implies they're going for a Have I Got News For You rotating guest Carlos, which would be brilliant.

Interdriver

NME has got some more news about the Interpol/Swervedriver side project: Sam Fogarino and Adam Franklin's Magnetic Morning are about to release a debut five-track ep in the US, also called Magnetic Morning.

Setting Suns eclipsed

Setting Suns, the band formed by Interpoler Sam Fogarino and Swervedriver's Adam Franklin, have been forced to change their name. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there was at least one other band operating under a similar title and so now Setting Suns have become Magnetic Morning.

Confusingly, Magnetic Morning's debut was self-titled, although now their band isn't called Setting Suns, it's not any longer. But it's still called the same thing it was. There was a track called Cold War Kids on it; we're expecting them to be dragged into the legal crisis any moment now.

Sounds from your speakers: Interpol

Interpol have pulled together a live ep, available through Think Indie. What does it sound like?

It sounds like this:
Pioneer To The Falls
Mammoth
Obstacle 1
The Heinrich Maneuver
Rest My Chemistry
Stella Was A Diver And She Was Always Down

"We're not copy-Editors"

Tom Smith doesn't like Editors being compared to Interpol. It makes him all sweary and everything:

"When people dismiss us as a second-rate whoever it pisses you off.

"Vocally there is a similarity with Interpol and that's fine but our first album The Back Room doesn't sound anything like them.

"What amazes me is we still get that on this record, An End Has A Start, which sounds nothing like Interpol or Joy Division. If you're a music journalist saying that then you're deaf and need a new job."

Tom, honey; the comparisons with Interpol and Joy Division should flatter you. It's the Coldplay references that you should be worried about.

Something to listen to: 'Pol position

The good people over at Pitchfork are currently streaming Interpol's Pioneer To The Falls, the opening track from new album Our Love To Admire.

Carlos D: Classics stole my shoegaze years

Carlos D out of Interpol has confessed - not that there's anything wrong with it, like - that he spent his teenage years listening to classical music rather than rock:

When I got bored of banging my head and pumping my fists as a teenager, I turned to the opposite extreme, which for me at the time was listening to classical music. I was looking for a sound that would take me away from my surroundings and transport me to places that the four or five-person rock band ensemble simply wasn't equipped to do. Because of this, and somewhat regrettably, I missed the boat on a lot of excellent 90s rock like shoegaze, Britpop, and even some grunge that I've come to adore over the years. I had immersed myself so much in the structure and history of western classical music that I was painfully ignorant about modern rock's state of affairs.

Curse you, Ludwig... I could have been listening to Feral all this time.

Now, it seems, Carlos has returned to his first love, having tired once more of rock. Which is fine, but there is a hanging question that, if you don't cant stand to eat burger and chips, is it right to be running a McDonalds franchise?