finetune artist: Death From Above 1979

The ferocious sound made by this dance-punk duo relied heavily on the skilful drumming of Sebastien Grainger (b. 1979, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; drums/vocals) and the crunching bass of Jesse F. Keeler (b. Jesse Frederick Keeler, 11 November 1976, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; bass/synthesiser), the latter being fed through a number of effects pedals. Following the release of the Heads Up! EP in 2002 the band was forced to add the year of Grainger's birth to the end of their name after complaints from DFA Records. Both Grainger and Keeler grew up and played in Canadian punk bands before becoming interested in dance music. Their unique hybrid of styles won them critical acclaim in many ordinarily genre specific publications. The 2004 album You're A Woman, I'm A Machine used the template of the riff-based two-piece sound, already established in the mainstream alternative rock scene by the White Stripes. However, comparisons ended here as this duo cranked up the volume, adding electro-style beats and synthesisers, sleazy and distorted vocals, and potentially stadium-filling riffs that nodded towards Van Halen. On top of this, the band's early association with trendy label and magazine Vice, added the kind of ironic cool required to promote such genre bending.

Listen to Death From Above 1979 at Finetune.

(2006) Heads Up
(2005) Romance Bloody Romance

Blood On Our Hands - album version
Black History Month
You're A Woman, I'm A Machine
Sexy Results
Little Girl (Masterkraft Edition)