The New York indie rock band that released the 2002 album “Turn on the Bright Lights” was Interpol.
“Turn on the Bright Lights” was Interpol’s debut studio album, released in the United Kingdom on August 19, 2002, and in the United States the following day. Matador Records issued the record, which helped place the New York band at the center of the early-2000s post-punk revival.
The album was produced by Peter Katis and recorded at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Its dark guitar interplay, prominent bass, and atmospheric vocals drew comparisons to post-punk groups such as Joy Division, although Interpol developed a sound of its own. The title comes from a recurring lyric in the song “NYC.”
The album is often grouped with the Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs as part of New York’s influential early-2000s rock scene. That does not make those bands alternate answers: they were contemporaries, while Interpol is the band directly associated with this album. Key tracks include “PDA,” “Obstacle 1,” and “NYC.”