Death from Above , also known as Death from Above 1979 , is a Canadian independent rock band from Toronto, Ontario. The members are Jesse F. Keeler (bass / synth / chorus) and Sebastien Grainger (vocals / drums). Formed in 2001 and officially separated in 2006, the group reformed in 2011.
Although it was later reported that the band actually met at a Sonic Youth concert, Keeler and Grainger sometimes claimed to have met in prison, on a pirate ship or in a gay bar to spread rumors to reporters and fans.
The band was originally named Death from Above, a name appearing on their first EP of the same name. The duo changed their name after a dispute with the DFA Records label, whose name Death from Above was the job name some time ago. The reason for choosing the 1979 date, seemingly arbitrary, comes from the date of birth of Sebastien Grainger. Sébastien justifies this by answering: "1979 is the year of my birth, 1979 is the year of Off the Wall, 1979 is the year of the pleasure principle, 1979 is the last year of the last cool decade, 1979 is anchored in my arm, 1979 is anchored in my arm, 1979 is anchored in my fucking arms. "
He also said in an interview with MTV: "I was born that year, and that will never change>. "
The name Death from Above 1979 is also a reference to the film Apocalypse Now directed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1979. In the famous scene of Valkyrie Wagner, Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore arrives on the beach aboard a helicopter called Death from Above.
