Musical Monday #4 - Wall of Noise

Some of you will likely be surprised by my selection this week. It's loud, and makes no apologies for being such. But unlike much of the loud punk/metal/harcore (call it what you will) music on the market today, it is well composed and well executed. And unfortuantely in limited supply, as the band has spilt.


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Artist: Death From Above 1979
Album: You're A Woman, I'm A Machine (Track #8 - Cold War)
Label: Vice Records
Released: November 25, 2004

Montreal's Death from Above 1979 officially broke up early last month. Unlike most bands that part ways, DFA79's website addresses this issue with a very well written personal statement from one half of the driving drum and guitar duo:

"AUGUST 04.2006

HEY

I KNOW ITS BEEN FOREVER SINCE I WROTE ANYTHING ON HERE. I'M SURE BY NOW MOST OF YOU ASSUME THE BAND ISN'T HAPPENING ANYMORE SINCE THERE ARE NO SHOWS, NO WORK ON A NEW ALBUM, ETC. WELL. I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOUR ASSUMPTIONS ARE CORRECT. WE DECIDED TO STOP DOING THE BAND... ACTUALLY WE DECIDED THAT ALMOST A YEAR AGO. WE FINISHED OFF OUR SCHEDULED TOUR DATES BECAUSE THERE WERE GOOD PEOPLE WORKING FOR US WHO RELIED ON US TO MAKE A LIVING AND BUY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS AND PAY RENT ETC. WE COULDNT JUST CANCEL EVERYTHING AND LEAVE THEM OUT TO DRY... PLUS I THINK WE WANTED TO SEE IF WE WOULD RECONSIDER AFTER BEING OUT ON THE ROAD. OUR LABEL WAS REALLY HOPING THAT WE WOULD CHANGE OUR MINDS, SO THEY ASKED US TO KEEP QUIET ABOUT THE DECISION FOR AT FIRST. WELL, ITS BEEN QUITE AWHILE NOW AND WE ARE STILL VERY SURE THE BAND WONT HAPPEN AGAIN, SO I GUESS ITS TIME TO SAY SOMETHING.

WE STARTED AS A PUNK BAND WITH POP ASPIRATIONS AND WE MET EVERY GOAL WE SET FOR OURSELVES. A FEW WEEKS AGO, THE ALBUM FINALLY WENT GOLD IN CANADA AND THAT WAS THE FINAL MARK I REALLY WANTED TO REACH.. IT WAS MY GOAL TO SEE HOW BIG WE COULD BECOME WITHOUT EVER COMPROMISING OR CHANGING WHAT WE DID RIGHT FROM THE START... AND NOW I KNOW. WE DID WAY MORE THAN I EVER EXPECTED AND I LIKE TO THINK THE FANS (YOU?) ENJOYED IT AS MUCH AS WE DID.... WATCHING US SNEAK OUR WAY ONTO NETWORK TV, BIG FESTIVALS AND SPORTS ARENAS... PLAYING MUSIC THAT MOST PEOPLE ASSUMED ONLY BELONGED IN BASEMENTS AND DIRTY ROCK CLUBS. 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? IVE BEEN IN LOTS OF PUNK BANDS OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS AND I PLAYED EVERY BASEMENT, SQUAT, HOLE AND ALLEY FROM HERE TO EASTERN EUROPE. DFA79 WAS THE FIRST TIME I EVER REALLY PLAYED ON A STAGE, YET I REALLY DIDNT CHANGE WHAT I WAS DOING FROM WHAT ID BEEN DOING IN THE PAST... HELL I WAS EVEN USING THE SAME
AMPLIFIERS!

I NEVER WOULD HAVE IMAGINED THAT THE WALL OF NOISE I LOVE SO MUCH COULD HAVE COME THIS FAR. TO SEE MY SILLY ELEPHANT TRUNK IDEA BECOME SO POPULAR... IM SURE ITS THE GREATEST PIECE OF GRAPHIC DESIGN I'LL EVER DO.

OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS OF TOURING, SEBASTIEN AND I HAD GROWN APART TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT THE ONLY REAL TIME WE SPOKE WAS JUST BEFORE WE WOULD PLAY AND DURING INTERVIEWS. WE BOTH CHANGED SO MUCH THAT THE PEOPLE WE WERE BY THE END OF IT, PROBABLY WOULDNT HAVE BEEN FRIENDS IF THEY WERE TO MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME AGAIN. ITS A TOTALLY NORMAL FUNCTION OF GROWING UP. LIKE HOW YOUR HIGH SCHOOL BF/GF THAT MEANT SO MUCH TO YOU WOULD PROBABLY BE THE LAST PERSON YOU WOULD DATE AT 30, YA KNOW? THATS WHERE WE GOT TO. ITS NOT SAD.

IT WOULD BE MORE SAD IF WE STOPPED CHANGING AND GROWING AND KEPT PLAYING THE SAME SONGS FOR 40 YEARS LIKE THE ROLLING STONES. FOR ME THAT WOULD BE A NIGHTMARE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT FROM BEGINNING TO END. THANKS ACHE RECORDS FOR GIVING US THAT FIRST 325 DOLLARS AND THANKS LAST GANG FOR TAKING US THE REST OF THE WAY. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TO OUR SHOWS, WROTE LETTERS JUST TO SAY HI, BAKED CAKES AND MADE YOUR OWN T-SHIRTS. I KEPT EVERYTHING YOU GAVE ME. THANKS SO MUCH TO THE KIDS WHO CAME REALLY EARLY TO SEE US WHEN WERE WERE OPENING FOR BIGGER BANDS... THAT MEANT SO MUCH TO ME.

I HOPE I HAVE BEEN A POSITIVE EXAMPLE AND NOT A BAD INFLUENCE AND I REALLY WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WHEN YOU STOP ME ON THE STREET AND I DONT KNOW WHAT TO SAY, ITS NOT BECAUSE I DONT APPRECIATE YOU, ITS JUST NOT SOMETHING I'LL EVER REALLY GET USED TO.

THANKS AGAIN.

J F K "