In honour of the announcement that Death From Above 1979 would be reuniting for the 2011 Coachella Festival in April, I had to revisit the gateway album to noise-rock/dance-punk for me. I can, with great certainty, say that this album is responsible for me listening to the likes of Ladytron, Animal Collective, Sleigh Bells and possibly even Sonic Youth or Alexisonfire.
Released in 2004, this was, for me, the same sort of kick-in-the-pants that the introduction of grunge was ten years earlier. It is raw, it is powerful and it comes right at you. This two-piece (yeah, all this sound is from just two people... amazingly enough, using the same two instruments that The Inbreds used... think about that!) were getting some notice a year earlier with the initial demos and EP, but it wasn't until this full-length came out that I really took notice. Right from the iconic pink cover art to the roughly 35 minute, non-stop assault that this album is, it grabbed me with the screaming vocals and relentless drumming. But, somehow, during this attack, you realize that these songs are really grabbing you; they're filled with riffs and hooks that just get under your skin and hold on. This isn't just noise... it is something awesome.
The band released a remix album in 2005 along with an iTunes Sessions set, but broke up in early 2006. Jesse went on to form MSTRKRFT (pronounced, Master Craft) and Sebastien went solo for awhile. The announcement of their reunion came as a total surprise to everyone, but it has been confirmed by Jesse (I believe) on Twitter. No word about what might come after this (new single? new album? full tour?) but it's great to have them back together, even if it's only for one show.
| Recommended track(s): | Romantic Rights; Black History Month; Little Girl |
| Worth another listen? | Yes! |
| Overall rating: | Four Stars |
