Death From Above 1979

While the musical dynamics of a two-member band can make for fleet sonics, the personal dynamics can be just as temperamental—if the two no longer get along, well, that’s it. Fortunately for fans of Toronto’s Death From Above 1979, reconciliation took only one phone call. Vocalist-drummer Sebastien Grainger and bassist Jesse F. Keeler formed Death From Above in 2001 and released a number of EPs before amending their name with the addition of 1979, Keeler’s birth year, thanks to a forceful suggestion from DFA Records’ attorneys. You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine—the band’s 2004 debut and only full-length release—plays rough and raw, matching danceable, angular grooves to a bashing sound made with just bass, drums, and the occasional synth. The two left the scene as quickly as they arrived, disbanding shortly after, but reunited earlier this year for a set at SXSW—celebrated to the point of a mini-riot—and this summer’s international tour. 

Updated 07/12/2011