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Death From Above 1979

Death From Above 1979 was a bass/drum combo from Canada that broke up in 2006. I had only listened to them once before in high school, and i wasn't too impressed. in fact, i really didn't like it at all. The, about two summers ago, I read this in the note from the bassist, Jesse F. Keeler (who is currently in MSTRKRFT), telling of their split:

"we played our first show in a living room on long island for about 12 people and played our last in the calgary saddledome for 12,000. ha! what more could i have ever asked for?" (the whole note is humbling in itself - read it here)

after reading that, i bought the 2004 full-length, You're a Woman, I'm a Machine.



If you've heard a song of theirs, it is probably from this album. It was the one i first heard and didn't like. But that has changed. The songs on here are as polished as you can get while still being heavy. true, they can be repetitive and uninteresting (see Romantic Rights, Little Girl, and Sexy Results) but some songs offer a punch. the lyrics are for the most part, about sex in some form, and i think that is the appeal for some people. the drumming is fairly straightforward the whole time, but it's good. punchy. i would say that's how this band is as a whole - punchy and gritty.

now for the next piece:


This is the Heads Up EP. By far, my favorite of theirs. Six songs that will make you get up and want to do something - make music, beat someone up, or go clubbing. The sound quality is less polished as well; vocals are kinda of gritty, the drums are bigger, and the bass is grungy. This came out in 2002, when the band was still partially young. If you were to get anything from this band, it would be this. The bass riffs are potentially striking on this one. The drums are fairly simplified but go with the vocals overall. If i could see the band after this EP came out, say, at a house show, it would've been sick.

and finally:



Vinyl, anyone? The Romantic Rights EP came out in 2004, as a precursor to the full-length. It has four (though techinally three) songs on it. The two hits, a rare one, and a remix of a hit. The rare song is sweet. And it's got the best version of "Pull Out" in my opinion. it's worth having for collector's sake.


Well, that's my brief history with DFA1979. and here are selected songs from three records.

Going Steady - Death From Above 1979

this is one of the shorter songs from the full-length. when the bass goes higher to accomodate the vocals, it's great.

Do It! - Death From Above

check the vocoder in the middle. and the drums right after it.

We Dont Sleep At Night - Death From Above 1979

this is that rare song. fairly short, and i like the vocal pattern.

evaluation.

i guess i can keep apologizing for the lack of posting.

i've been looking through the posts and trying to see at what i was getting at with them. they all seem to be more reviews than anything. and i'm getting bored with that. the idea i would like to run with right now is trying to tell the story behind each band that i am listening to or what book i am reading - sort of a history book of each.

i think i will run with this because:

a) the postings would be more worthwhile to read and more well-written than just a review.

b) i'm not really the type of listener to look past the music/lyrics/written words and research what the songs/stories/books are about or what the musicians/authors was going through at the time or how exacty they compare to other works of theirs.

c) there is a reason each person listens to or reads the things they do. it defines who they are. honestly. who am i without these things? that is what i need to get across.

Pyramid Electric. Co. - Jason Molina (vinyl)

first off, i want to apologize for my lack of posting. i am swamped between writing this mondo 90-page paper for school, ChaCha, and ExpoTV. i haven't been reading much at a steady pace, or buying new music. though i have been given a few cds here to burn and whatnot, so i will mention those eventually too.

anyways.

Jason Molina is the main dude for Magnolia Electric Co. and the former Songs:Ohia. This record is part of a two album transistion from the latter to the former. the other album is Magnolia Electric Co., which i too have already reviewed.

This is a good album to have on vinyl. You get a cd version with it. Yea! The songs are strictly acoustic/electric guitar, and piano. Just empty, barren atmosphere. Molina is a good songwriter and knows how to set a mood. You'll find songs about pyramids feeling lonely, prostitutues in Chicago, and love lost. I am reminded of Songs:Ohia's Ghost Tropic in the sense that you enjoy this record and feel a bit bummed at the same time. I recommend putting this cd in your vehicle while you're making a long drive. The music is just there, and you don't have to think about it. This is nice sometimes.

The record is just plain back, which is a bummer. An insert with the lyrics (hand written by Molina - and pretty much unreadable) comes with it.

I got this record at a Magnolia show for $10. can't beat that.

Against Me - New Wave

Oh my. my my my. So there i was, minding my own business at the College of Communication, Information, and Media SuperParty (kind of like a meet-and-greet fair ordeal) when i came to the booth of WCRD 91.3. there was a large box full of cds that said FREE, so naturally i began to shuffle over there. Against Me!'s New Wave was the first cd i saw, sitting atop the rest. Before anyone else could move i snatched it, amazed that it would just be there for the taking. So i took it home with me, put it in my truck, and played it as i went for a drive the next day.

What resulted was this: i have a new favorite album.

I had heard some of this album before, but never got a chance to take and breathe it all in. This band is all about ATTITUDE. so much attitude. the drums are very punchy and never get out of hand in the songs. the guitars, everything - it fits nicely. the vocals are this pumped up yelling that would make aaron weiss crawl into his little humble, homeless world and grow a wimpy garden.

the songs are a good mix of punk riffs and rock emotion. the lyrics go from protesters and war to breaking up to an anthem for a party girl. even if that sounds goofy you will find yourself wrapped up in music that embodies the idea that being in a band like this is not only a total mood lifter, but also that there is still hope for rock n' roll.

Grizzly Bear - Yellow House (vinyl)

I first heard about Grizzly Bear back in March, when i was buying my tickets to see Radiohead in August. Figuring i should listen to this band, as they were opening, i did. I wasn't impressed. In fact, i was pretty bored. I think the song i listened to was from their newest EP, and that's about all i remember. Watching them live, though was pretty good. The drummer had a good style and they seemed like pretty humble guys.

So, a couple weeks ago, i was at the Village Green Record Store shopping for some new tunes, and i came across Yellow House. I was hesitant at first, but the art (or photo, rather) on the packaging is just so fucking cool. It's a stairway and floor of an old house. This house, in fact, is probably one of the two houses that this album was recorded in. One house, in Brooklyn, belong's to one of the guy's Mom, the other, a grandparent's. how cool is that? The record sleeves contain more pictures of these houses. Looking at these pictures, you get a good feel of what the music is going to be like.

It's hard, really, for me to full explain how it all sounds. Besides the guitar/guitar/bass/drums lineup, there are others: banjo, lap steel, xylophone, keyboard, and autoharp, to name a few. The music is reflective of a day in the fall, where the morning is bright and sunny, with leaves breaking from trees. And it also shows those afternoons that are cloudy, cold, and windy. Brooklyn in the Autumn, if you can imagine such a landscape, is what this album encompasses. Someone once said their music was spiritual, but i have a hard time getting that wrapped around my head, but that is just because of my views of music.

One of the record sleeves (as there are actually two vinyls here - each containing three songs on the A & C sides, and two each on the B & D) shows this one long paragraph of words on it - this is the album lyrics. They read like a story. Kind of. Through these lyrics you can get a sense of what this Yellow House is like and what things occur and revolve around it. I think that's an interesting route to go.

A side note: these vinyls are the sizes of 33's, yet play at 45. i listened to this record for about three days at the wrong speed. i kept thinking to myself "this is all really dreamy stuff. and i don't like the guy's deep voice. they didn't sound like this live" and then checked out their myspace and saw the songs were upbeat. then, after some heavy thinking, i changed the speed on my record player and everything sounded good. there's no markings or anything saying what speed to play it at.

This is a very good record that took me by surprise. I will make the stretch and say Radiohead (specifically In Rainbows and Amnesiac), the music/sound of Sufjan Steven's Seven Swans, and the general mood that Bon Iver gives off is a good representation of things you can flesh out in Yellow House. It's worth buying.

note: this album does not come with a digital download.

The Mae Shi - HLLLYH

You know, sometimes a band comes out of nowhere into your life and then you wonder how you ever got along without them. This is the case lately with The Mae Shi and me.

I saw them last year with Aaron and Luke at the Launching Pad at Aaron's recommendation. what ensued was one of the best live shows ever. songs kick in along with flashing christmas lights, dudes strip down to their boxers and change into white jump suits, and people are flailing about. so much energy and fun. ever since i have always wanted to buy this cd, better never got around to doing it. until last week.

The Mae Shi is a unique, quirky, electric, punk band. i believe they use a suzuki Q Chord. they use gang vocals like it's nobody's business. they are some of the forefathers of LA's The Smell, home to such bands as No Age and Abe Vigoda. Unfortunately i don't think these guys get as much recognition as the should. If you're familiar with Totally Michael, think about him on cocaine. oh, and punk rock!

The only downside of this album is an 11 minute song. yowza! but along the way you will find tunes about the apocalypse, big hearted-love, and anything in between. these guys are just fun. they're raw and they enjoy themsevles. Think about a better sounding, less serious Blood Brothers. with about 14 songs and 46 minutes worth of tunage, you are bound to find something enjoyable. this track shows some of their catchiness and rock at the same time.