Some very sexy recent results indeed.
Sexy girl, meet me in the bathroom Sexy girl, call me on the phone Woman friend, take me to your bedroom Let me show how I am full grown
Canadians, eh? they’re always at it, mucky little blighters. Welcome to the rhythm bomb that is Death From Above 1979 You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine. My all-time favourite Toronto bass guitar and drums*, punk-dance duo from the early ’00s.
I just love the sheer racket that is Death From Above 1979’s default sound, listening to tracks like opener ‘Turn It Out’ is like white water rafting; all exhilaration, buffeting and foam. It also starts to make you appreciate just how amazing the range of sounds you can grind out of a bass guitar are – Jesse F. Keeler is an incredible player.
DFA dial down the relentlessness a bit to awesome affect on ‘Romantic Rights’, which wraps pure punk attitude around a great howling tune. Again I refer you to my previous comment about bass guitars. Clever bastards never forget to fold in a slinky rhythm track too, raw attitude you can dance to – reminding me of a far-heavier version of the Rapture**.
It can take a little while to get your ears accustomed to the relentless charms of You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine as a whole. Even at their most obtuse and migraine-ous there are always melodies and rhythms to cling to amongst all the shouting. DFA are one of those rarest beasts, creators of their own unique aesthetic. The more full-on they are (‘Blood On My Hands’ and ‘Going Steady’) the more I find myself loving it, Grainger’s drumming is a thing of wonder.
Best of all on You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine is the incredible ‘Black History Month’, so named only because it was finished in February. Where the band dial back the assault and just somehow find a wistful tone that is absolute perfection, one that opens all the locks to my little atrophied emotion centre. Crom knows what it’s all about, the lyrics are impressionist at best and I do like me some ambiguity.
Can you remember a time when this city was A great place for architects and dilettantes^ A nice place for midwives and crossing guards And on and on
‘Little Girl’ is also a great cut, another excellent springy rhythm underpinning the most straight-forward rocker on the LP. Then we bounce back into ‘Cold War’ and ultimately the uber-mental ‘Pull Out’, which are like doing the luge on a tea tray, constant hurtling onwards, teeth-rattling bumps and a very real fear of broken limbs at best; love it.
Then with a muttered something-or-other about ‘super sexuelle‘, we’re back in the land of a sexy mari usque ad sexy mare to end the LP. ‘Sexy Results’ is a brilliant funk track, they even have those high-pitched things that go weeee-woooo-whooo in the background that Warren G used to use^^. Yup, that sexy. Result!
You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine is a great little self-contained universe all of its own, fuelled by hardcore punk’s bone-rattling energies and upholstered in a sly disco aesthetic. It does make me a bit frisky un peu super sexuel, as the natives say.
Sexy woman, call me to your office Sexy woman, meet me after work I want to show you how I handle business I want to show you how I work, work, work
1035 Down.
*and occasional synth.
**ironic given that band’s ties with DFA Records, the bitterly-fought source of the numerical part of this lot’s name.
^one of my favourite ever words, Death From Above 1979 get massive 1537 bonus points for this.
^^whatever they’re called, sorry I know you only come here for my deft technical analysis.
One of my youngins turned me onto this band. We are all ‘Canadians”
“Canadians, eh? they’re always at it, mucky little blighters.”
You know it, baby.
It’s how they keep warm in winter, I reckon.
Well, that among other, more nefarious things…
I haven’t thought about this and in a long time
CSS were great, really enjoyed them.
Ah, former Canadian Proud Boys.
Qué?
It’s true. They’ve since renounced the Proud Boys:
https://mikeladano.com/2018/02/16/death-from-above/
Wow Mike.
I’m glad it’s in their past, I can’t get behind Proud Boys.
It puts me off ’em, even now.
Ah shit. That wasn’t my goal. I’m sorry 🙁 I shouldn’t have said anything.
No, no – not at all Mike. If I only bought music by people I’d actually like and agree with my blog would probably be called 129.
True, true. I’m sorry though, the PB piss me off so much, and the fact they originated HERE pisses me off even more.
That’s interesting – I thought they were sorry a Trump-related development.
Certainly highjacked by him. They are the people that his politics appeal to. The first time I heard of them was when one of them wrote in to a radio show I liked and commented, “Good show, but lose the hole.” (Hole = woman)
I was going to say, that luge on a tea tray line should have been used in their promotions – how would a listener be able to resist listening to hear what that sounds like?!
They could have issued limited edition branded tea trays too. I should work in marketing.
Some wonderful images there, Joe. I liked the white water rafting metaphor very much indeed, but my final vote goes to ‘luge on a tea tray’. The emotion centre may be, er, shrinkified, but the language centres are all firing a treat. 💜
Thank you very much Bruce, that’s kind. Luge is not a word I get to type often enough.
There should be more luges in Australia. Think I’ll start a potition.
I see no reason why it shouldn’t be your national sport.
😂 Exactly.
You’re a Woman, I’m a 1537 would have been a much better title. At least amongst the female persuasion.
I really enjoy this one. I gave it a 9/10 on my review.
A really under-rated duo. Unique bass notes and stellar drumming.
Thanks Bop, they really missed a trick on that one. I think they were brilliant. I know they did other stuff later, but it never caught with me the way this one did.
Black History Month … it just has an incredible tone.
My favourite sexy Canadians. Present company excepted, obvs.