Death From Above 1979: Modern Guy
Metallic riffs meet intense vocals and a surprisingly positive lyric.
By Kerry Doole
Death From Above 1979 - Modern Guy (UMC/Spinefarm): Earlier this week, Toronto hard rock duo Death From Above 1979 (Sebastien Grainger and Jesse F. Keeler) announced the Is 4 Lovers North American tour with dates in March and April 2022. The duo will be promoting its fourth studio album, Is 4 Lovers, hailed by NME as “their best album since their debut,” out on the road.
Coinciding with the tour news is a new video, for the self-produced album's lead off track Modern Guy. Directed by Alex P Smith and shot in Hamilton, the clip portrays a car chase. In a press release, DFA states "Modern Guy is the first real driving song of the 21st century. So we made a driving video. End of story."
The track itself features the duo’s sonic signature, a combination of metallic riffs and intense vocals. One surprise is the positive lyrics - “you can change the world if you change you.”
The band has a couple of Canadian summer fest shows - Victoriaville, QC's Rock La Cruze on Aug. 7 and St John’s, NL's Iceberg Alley on Sept. 17. The 22-date Is 4 Lovers North American tour begins in Washington DC on March 5, running through to April 3, at Pioneertown, CA. Canadian shows are in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Guelph, London, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria, and Vancouver, BC. Full itinerary and tickets info here
DFA's output over a 20-year career has been sporadic, but the duo has retained a loyal audience and remains in-demand for live shows.
Links
Publicity: Jon Freeman, Freeman Promotions
Management: Missy Worth
Agent: Jason Furman, Paquin
Rogers Stadium during a rainy walkthrough in 2025.Courtesy Photo