WAY back in 2005, just by chance, I heard this band Death From Above 1979 off of their major label debut “You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine.” I honestly couldn’t believe that what came pulsating out of my speakers was just the combination of drums, bass, and vocals. It was mountainous with the agility of a cheetah and the vocals were soulful yet being punk at heart. I loved it, everything about it and I passed up a chance to see them opening up for Nine Inch Nails for a smaller venue and a more intimate experience…
Then they broke up.
So yeah… I was bummed. This band that was one of my favorites had let the road wear on them to the point where they, as a two piece, weren’t even talking to one another… So I saw their side projects in the coming years almost in spite of not taking up that chance to see them whole. Then a few years back, right at the 10 year anniversary of the release of their most recognizable record, there were rumors swirling that they’d get back together to play one set a Coachella. The rumors were true and it almost caused a near riot at that performance. I guess they took the hint because not one year later “The Physical World” was released.
With all of their signature sounds, the album hits hard with the first couple of tracks “Cheap Talk” and “Right On, Frankenstein!” They show that they can write a quasi-pop ballad with “White is Red” that is quite possibly my favorite track on the album. They found commercial success with “Trainwreck 1979” and “Government Trash.” All in all, for a band to come back, supersede all of my expectations and blow me away with a record that not only captured the original sound but also matured in their absence is really admirable and amazing.
From a design perspective, they drew elephant trunks on their faces way back when and branded themselves with that illustration up until this point. Their web presence also has a very interesting take on the way everything is presented and in totality approach every piece of merch, music that they release and social media accounts are carefully crafted to have a look that is established as DFA1979. They have a brand new album coming out called “Outrage is Now” and I’m just as excited to hear this one as I was to hear “The Physical World.” Check out the video for “White is Red” above and get way stoked on their new record. Listen to “The Physical World” below to get inspired to make some distressed work of your own. Comment below on your favorite track and why if you’d like to get some chatter going.
–Aa
