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Death from Above 1979
Jesse F. Keeler & Sebastien Grainger
Background information
Origin	Toronto Ontario Canada
Genre(s)	Indie rock, Dance punk, Alternative rock
Years active	2002–2006
Label(s)	Ache, Sound Virus, Last Gang, Vice, 679
Associated acts	MSTRKRFT Femme Fatale Black Cat #13
Website	Official Site
Members
Sebastien Grainger Jesse F. Keeler

Death from Above 1979 were a Toronto based Canadian indie rock/synth rock duo. The members were Jesse F. Keeler on bass/synths/backing vocals and Sebastien Grainger on vocals/drums. Refusing to employ a lead guitarist, they played loud synth-infused dance-punk on the drum and bass combination. They were signed to Last Gang Records in Canada, Vice Records in the U.S. and 679 Recordings in the UK. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Jesse F. Keeler Jesse Frederick Keeler (born November 11, 1976 in Toronto) is a Canadian musician. ... Sebastien Grainger Sebastien Grainger (born April 11, 1979 in Mississauga), is a Canadian musician. ... Image File history File links Toronto_Flag. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ontario. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English (de facto) Government - Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Last Gang Records logo Last Gang Records was formed by Canadian music industry attorney Chris Taylor and concert promoter Donald Tarlton in the Fall of 2002 at the Pop Montreal Music Festival. ... The home of Anne Lilia Berge Strand (Annie) and others Categories: Record label stubs ... MSTRKRFT (read as Masterkraft) is an electronic music group from East York, Ontario, Canada who are signed to Last Gang Records. ... Femme Fatale is a Toronto-based band featuring Jesse Keeler of Death From Above 1979 fame and Jonathan Bedley. ... Black Cat #13 is a band from Ontario, Canada. ... Sebastien Grainger Sebastien Grainger (born April 11, 1979 in Mississauga), is a Canadian musician. ... Jesse F. Keeler Jesse Frederick Keeler (born November 11, 1976 in Toronto) is a Canadian musician. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Jesse F. Keeler Jesse Frederick Keeler (born November 11, 1976 in Toronto) is a Canadian musician. ... A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... For other uses, see Synthesizer (disambiguation). ... Sebastien Grainger Sebastien Grainger (born April 11, 1979 in Mississauga), is a Canadian musician. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... Bass drum made from wood, rope, and cowskin A drum is a musical instrument in the percussion group that can be large, technically classified as a membranophone. ... Lead guitar refers to a role within a band, that provides melody or melodic material, as opposed to the rhythm of the rhythm guitar, bass, and drums. ... Last Gang Records logo Last Gang Records was formed by Canadian music industry attorney Chris Taylor and concert promoter Donald Tarlton in the Fall of 2002 at the Pop Montreal Music Festival. ... The home of Anne Lilia Berge Strand (Annie) and others Categories: Record label stubs ...

Although they reportedly met at a Sonic Youth concert, Keeler and Grainger sometimes jokingly claimed to have met in prison, on a pirate ship, or in a gay bar, leading some journalists and fans to believe these hoaxes. They also claimed to have lived in a funeral home at one time. In 2005, the video for "Romantic Rights" won a VideoFACT award at the MuchMusic Video Awards. They played "Romantic Rights" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, with Max Weinberg on drums for part of the performance. Sonic Youth is a seminal American alternative rock group formed in New York City in 1981. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... VideoFACT is a Canadian fund, funded exclusively by MuchMusic, MuchMoreMusic, and MusiquePlus, which provides grants to new and emerging Canadian recording artists to help them produce music videos. ... Michelle Trachtenberg at the MuchMusic Video Awards preshow, 2004 The MuchMusic Video Awards (or the MMVAs, as they are also known) are annual awards presented by the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic to honour the years best music videos. ... Late Night with Conan OBrien is an Emmy Award-winning American late night talk show that is syndicated worldwide. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

On 4 August 2006 Keeler, via the band's official website, announced the duo's split. is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Name change controversy

The band was originally named simply "Death from Above", a name which appears on their first released recording, Heads Up . The duo changed their name after an unusually personal and acrimonious legal dispute with New York City dance music label DFA Records, with the members of Death from Above 1979 denouncing LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy in messages on their website. Death from Above had been a working name of Murphy's prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks. Heads Up is Toronto duo Death from Above 1979s debut recording, a six song EP released by Vancouver label Ache Records on December 15, 2002. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... DFA Records is an independent record label that was launched in September 2001 by Mo Wax Records co-founder Tim Goldsworthy, indie rock producer James Murphy and mutual friend Jonathan Galkin. ... LCD Soundsystem is the musical project of producer James Murphy, co-founder of dance-punk label DFA Records. ... James Murphy is a musician, producer, DJ, and co-founder of dance-punk label DFA Records. ... The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ...

The reason for the seemingly arbitrary date of 1979 comes from Sebastien Grainger's birth date. From Sebastien's perspective, this is what it stood for: "1979 is the year of my birth, 1979 is the year of Off the Wall, 1979 is the year of Pleasure Principle, 1979 is the last year of the last cool decade, 1979 is scratched into my arm, 1979 is scratched into my arm, 1979 is scratched into my fucking arm." He also stated in an interview given to MTV: "I was born that year, and it's never going to be wrong."[1] Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... For other uses, see Off the Wall (disambiguation). ... The Pleasure Principle is a 1979 New Wave / electronic album by Gary Numan. ...

It could also be noted that "Death From Above" is the name of one of the American helicopters in the film Apocalypse Now, while 1979 was the year the film was released. Apocalypse Now is a 1979 Academy Award and Golden Globe winning American film set during the Vietnam War. ...

Split

DFA1979 live in NYC March 2005.

As of August 4, 2006 the band officially split. Jesse F. Keeler posted this message on the official Death from Above 1979 forum: Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On MuchMusic's television program "The New Music", Keeler explained further why the band split. He claimed it was due to many disagreements with bandmate Grainger on many levels, including creative differences, music style, etc.

Discography

Studio album

• You're a Woman, I'm a Machine (October 26, 2004)

Youre a Woman, Im a Machine is the only studio album by Death from Above 1979, released on October 26, 2004 by Vice Records in the United States, Last Gang Records in Canada, and Victor Entertainment in Japan. ... is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Remix album

• Romance Bloody Romance: Remixes & B-Sides (October 18, 2005)

is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

EPs

• Heads Up (December 15, 2002)
• Romantic Rights EP (April 13, 2004)
• Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) - EP (July 12, 2005)

Heads Up is Toronto duo Death from Above 1979s debut recording, a six song EP released by Vancouver label Ache Records on December 15, 2002. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Romantic Rights EP is Toronto-based duo Death from Above 1979s second recording, a four song EP consisting of two early versions of songs from their upcoming album, Youre a Woman, Im a Machine, a song exclusive to the EP, and a remix of the title track. ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Recorded by Death from Above 1979 on March 28, 2005 for an iTunes Exclusive EP release. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Singles

• "Romantic Rights" (November 4, 2004)
• "Blood on Our Hands" (February 17, 2005)
• "Black History Month" (June 13, 2005)

Romantic Rights, released in 2004, was the first single from Death from Above 1979s debut album Youre a Woman, Im a Machine. ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Track listing Blood On Our Hands (Album Version) Justice Mix External links Press reviews of Death From Above 1979 Heads Up! on Ache Records Categories: | ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Black History Month was the third single off of Death from Above 1979s album Youre a Woman, Im a Machine. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Videography

• "Romantic Rights"
• "Blood on Our Hands"
• "Black History Month"
• "Pull Out"
• "Sexy Results" (MSTRKRFT Edition)

Other bands and projects

MSTRKRFT

MSTRKRFT, a net-hack pseudonym of derivative Mastercraft – a homage to Kraftwerk and a play on the popular Canadian Tire tool brand is Jesse F. Keeler's electronic band along with producer Al-P. MSTRKRFT is currently signed to Last Gang records, and works out of Toronto. Their debut album was released on July 18, 2006. Two of their remixes can be found on Death from Above's 2005 release Romance Bloody Romance. MSTRKRFT (read as Masterkraft) is an electronic music group from East York, Ontario, Canada who are signed to Last Gang Records. ... Kraftwerk (pronounced [], German for power station) is a German musical group from Düsseldorf that has made immense contributions to the development of improvisational rock and electronic music, most notably within the latter categorys sub-genres which later became known as synthpop, electro, techno, house and IDM. Early musical... Canadian Tire (TSX: CTC CTC.a, CTC) is one of Canadas 35 largest publicly traded companies and operates an inter-related network of businesses engaged in retailing, financial services and petroleum. ... Al-P is the nick-name of Canadian Musician Al Puodziukas. ...

Femme Fatale

Femme Fatale was a band that featured Jesse F. Keeler before Death from Above 1979. The name comes from a song by the band The Velvet Underground. An EP, titled From the Abundance of the Heart, the Mouth Speaks, is available from the DFA1979 merchandise website. It's considered a more hardcore sounding version of Death from Above, and also notes Sebastien playing drums on an early release titled Fire Baptism. Sebastien Grainger played drums for Femme Fatale in live shows, as well. Femme Fatale is not dead, Jesse F. Keeler is planning on releasing a new album in the future and notes that while he loves making FF Records, MSTRKRFT is his top priority. Femme Fatale is a Toronto-based band featuring Jesse Keeler of Death From Above 1979 fame and Jonathan Bedley. ... This article is about the rock band. ... From the Abundance of the Heart, The Mouth Speaks is a seven-song EP released by Femme Fatale on Last Gang Records. ... Fire Baptism is a seven-song EP released in 2002 by Femme Fatale on Beta:Beat Records in Germany. ...

Black Cat #13

Black Cat #13 was a band that also featured Jesse F. Keeler, and was started in 1998, lasting until 2000, when the band split due to musical differences. The band released all vinyl releases which are very hard to find and are considered collector's items by DFA1979 fans. Unlike Femme Fatale, Sebastien had no role in Black Cat #13, though Al-P produced many of their releases. Black Cat #13 is a band from Ontario, Canada. ...

Sebastien Grainger

Sebastien Grainger is currently making a solo album with his band, The Mountains. He was planning on releasing a split 7" with Jewish Legend but this project has since been placed on hold. Sebastien Grainger Sebastien Grainger (born April 11, 1979 in Mississauga), is a Canadian musician. ... Josh Reichmann is a Canadian indie rock singer-songwriter. ...

Video on Trial

Jesse F. Keeler has appeared as a juror on the MuchMusic show Video on Trial. Jesse F. Keeler Jesse Frederick Keeler (born November 11, 1976 in Toronto) is a Canadian musician. ... MuchMusic (often referred to only as Much) is a Canadian English language cable television specialty channel owned by CTVglobemedia dedicated to music and music-related programs. ... Video on Trial (abbreviated as VOT) is a half-hour MuchMusic television program where a panel of musicians, comedians and entertainment columnists critique music videos. ...

Bloc Party

Both Jesse F. Keeler and Sebastien Grainger performed the song "Luno (Bloc Party vs. Death from Above 1979)" on Bloc Party's Silent Alarm Remixed album. Bloc Party's lead singer Kele Okereke initially wanted a different track in place of the cover which resulted in scepticism from DFA1979 fans. Jesse F. Keeler Jesse Frederick Keeler (born November 11, 1976 in Toronto) is a Canadian musician. ... Sebastien Grainger Sebastien Grainger (born April 11, 1979 in Mississauga), is a Canadian musician. ... Bloc Party are a British indie rock band. ... Silent Alarm Remixed is the remix album to Bloc Partys debut album, Silent Alarm. ... Kele Okereke (born Kelechukwu Rowland Okereke October 13, 1981 in Liverpool), is the vocalist and guitarist for English art rock band Bloc Party. ...

Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• The song "Romantic Rights" was used in the opening credits for the MTV show Human Giant and the video game SSX: On Tour.
• The song "Sexy Results" (MSTRKRFT Edition) appears in a cell phone commercial for the Motorola Q.
• The song "Little Girl" is featured in the video game Major League Baseball 2K7 and Tony Hawk's American Wasteland.
• Brazillian electro-rock band CSS released a single called Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above in 2006.
• Before adding the "1979" to the end of their name, the announced new name of the band was "First To Fight". Plans for that name were soon changed, and the "1979" was added to the existing name instead.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... This article is about the original U.S. music television channel. ... Human Giant is a sketch comedy show on MTV, starring writer/performers Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer. ... The Motorola Q is a smartphone first announced in the Summer of 2005 as a thin device with similar styling to Motorolas immensely popular RAZR. Motorola in a partnership with Verizon Wireless released the Q on May 31, 2006. ... Major League Baseball 2K7 (or MLB 2K7) is a Major League Baseball licensed baseball simulation video game developed by Kush Games and published by 2K Sports. ... This article is about the country. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above is the first international single by Brazilian indie/electroclash band Cansei De Ser Sexy (or simply CSS), taken from their eponymous debut album. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Samples

Image File history File links DFA79_Romantic_Rights. ... Youre a Woman, Im a Machine is the only studio album by Death from Above 1979, released on October 26, 2004 by Vice Records in the United States, Last Gang Records in Canada, and Victor Entertainment in Japan. ... Image File history File links DFA79_Dead_Womb. ... Heads Up is Toronto duo Death from Above 1979s debut recording, a six song EP released by Vancouver label Ache Records on December 15, 2002. ...

External links

• Official website
• DFA1979.com - Extensive discography information
• Death from Above 1979 on MySpace
• Death from Above 1979 at Last.fm
• Death from Above 1979 at MusicBrainz
• Death from Above 1979 at Discogs
• Death from Above 1979 Fansite A fansite with MP3s, information, and pics
• Romantic Rights music video
• "What Lies Beneath: The Stories Below Death from Above" CBC Radio 3 Session