Not since 2004’s You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine have we heard any new recordings from the brash, minimal punk duo known as Death From Above 1979. They did the reunion circuit in 2011 and 2012, sure, and upped the game by playing some unheard material, but now the Canadian band has made us late-80s babies ecstatic with the announcement of their sophomore LP, The Physical World, in an interview with NME.
DFA1979’s drummer/singer Sebastien Grainger explained to NME that the album was conceived because of pressure from fans and music press, saying “No matter what Jesse [F. Keeler, bassist] and I do, on whatever scale of success it’s sat on, there’s always some kind of reference to Death From Above.” Perhaps he feels some bitterness, having to live in the shadow of DFA1979’s former greatness. But 2014 is a very different world than 2004, and there’s another brash, minimal Canadian duo out there called Japandroids right now, touring the globe and having huge success. With one song on The Physical World described as “Springsteen meets Sonic Youth,” it looks like Grainger and Keeler have focused their sights directly on the ‘Droids. Yeah… Canadians take their indie rock very seriously.
Produced by Dave Sardy, who lists Oasis, Nine Inch Nails, and Slayer on his resume, The Physical World is set to drop September 9 via Last Gang, the same label that handled their debut. DIY Mag has confirmed that track titles on the LP will include lead single “Cheap Talk,” as well as “Right On” and “Virgins.” Also “Fuck Japandroids.”
• Death From Above 1979: http://www.deathfromabove1979.com
• Last Gang: http://lastgangentertainment.com/records