Interpol ~ Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down
Ever noticed how much Paul Banks sounds like Sean Connery in the intro to this song?
I noticed.
I first heard Interpol when my friend at work gave me a CD full of MP3s of his favourite bands.
Interpol's "Turn on the Bright Lights" featured (rightfully) in full.
Stella automatically sounded like a classic "alternative" song. Like an 80s classic that I should have already known and was embarrassed to only hear in full after seeing a movie that featured it. Think "Killing Moon" or "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and their association with Donnie Darko.
I felt like it was one of those songs that all the cool kids knew, except me. Only I was never a cool kid... I actually felt a sheepish rush of "Jesus, how did I miss this?"
It's cinematic. It's like the build at the end is the chase scene. And then they're flying through the air in the beat up cop car... flying.. flying.. landing in a heap. Then, what's this? They're ok!!! No wait, he's been shot. OH NOES!
I put it on a mix CD for my friend (passing it on...) and we sat in the sun in her living room in a haze of dust and ... sparkles.
Driving with John down from Auckland I played the album, trying to make out like I'd been in the know the whole time. I think he bought it. Sucker. I was smug in the knowledge that ACTUALLY Interpol is MY generation and I'm not ACTUALLY too late! No one in the band is dead** so actually... it WAS possible to see them live! And see them live I did. Screaming loudest of all for this one in concert.
She was my catatonic sex toy, love-joy diver
**Actually though, Paul does date a supermodel now and is featured shirtless in gossip rags like NW. I'm a bad person for buying them but it reminded me of the time I saw Chris Cornell being interviewed on E!'s live on the red carpet with Ryan Seacrest.
I must have been watching to see it happen, but it didn't make me any less disappointed.
Eh.