Death from Above 1979. What can I say about this band? Ever since I first heard this duo in the fall of 2006, I felt a mix of extreme infatuation and utter confusion as to what was coming out of my speakers. Three years later, nothing has changed.
Its' first (and only) true album, 2004's You're a Woman, I'm a Machine, is one of a kind. Despite how few people this band appeals to, those who do love it will be hard-pressed to find fault in it. From the first C note on Turn it Out, to the four second piano jangle at the end of Sexy Results, the entire album is a thirty-five minute orgy of lyrics fueled by sexual tension, furious bass lines, and blatantly-erotic drum beats.
Every part of this album screams, "I'm not happy, but at least I'm getting laid!" With tracks like Romantic Rights, which emphasizes pursuing relationships in order to get some momentary enjoyment, or Blood On Our Hands, which depicts a very dysfunctional relationship based around a mutual appreciation of the coital arts, this album celebrates how easy it is to forget your troubles, and focus on boning down. And bone down they will.
A good portion of this album deals with how many issues the band members have. During the song Go Home, Get Down, lead singer, Sebastien Grainger, sings “So if you tell me that you'll have me never leave me ‘til I die / Why try?” showing how tempting it may be to flake out during a relationship. Or how about the song Going Steady, where he makes a Freudian slip, and accidentally refers to his girl as “mother”. Details like this, despite being so easy to gloss over, give us a view of what kind of character traits define these people.
The best moments in the album come in the form of arguments, as portrayed in songs like Cold War, or Blood On Our Hands, both of which seem to be response letters to each other. The former is from a female perspective, where she has to decide for herself whether or not she wants to stay attached to her man. The latter is a tale of a man asking his woman to come back to him, so they can have some crazy make-up/revenge sex.
Did I mention how much this band loves sex? Seriously, they have two songs in a row called Pull Out, and Sexy Results. It doesn’t get much more straightforward than that.
Even at their lowest moments, this band throws everything they've got at you. Their slow songs are still thumping, and their introspective moments make you want to get into a fistfight. There's no sophistication, no subtlety, and no feigned maturity; just raw adrenaline coated in a rich mixture of bitterness and bodily fluids.
Bottom line: This is dance-punk at it's best. If you're looking for an un-godly alliance of hardcore punk, dance music, and noise-rock, that will throw you into cardiac arrest, then welcome home. We've been expecting you.
Tracks to look out for: Turn it Out / Romantic Rights / Blood on Our Hands / Black History Month / Cold War / You're a Woman, I'm a Machine / Pull Out / Sexy Results
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