Sebastien Alexandre Grainger (born on 11 April 1979 in Mississauga) is a Canadian singer and musician, best known as drummer and singer of the now defunct dance-punk duo Death from Above 1979 and the singer and guitarist for
... Sebastien Alexandre Grainger (born on 11 April 1979 in Mississauga) is a Canadian singer and musician, best known as drummer and singer of the now defunct dance-punk duo Death from Above 1979 and the singer and guitarist for his current band, Sebastien Grainger and The Mountains. He is part owner of Giant Studios in Toronto with Jimmy Shaw of Metric.
Solo work:
Sebastien recently signed with Saddle Creek Records in the USA, Outside Music in Canada and JVC in Japan to release his debut solo album, entitled "Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains", which was released on 21 October 2008. It was recorded between Giant Studio in Toronto and Mountain City Studio in Montreal. Grainger wrote and performed nearly all the parts on the record with the exception of a few songs that were recorded as a full band. He is currently playing shows across North America. When performing live, Grainger is joined by bassist Nick Sewell, drummer Leon Taheny and synthesiser and guitar player Andrew Scott. Together they have toured with Bloc Party, Metric, Hot Hot Heat & Albert Hammond Jr..
Other projects:
Death from Above 1979:
Grainger is best known to the public for having been the singer and drummer in the now defunct dance-punk duo Death from Above 1979, with bassist Jesse F. Keeler. The "1979" on the end of the band's name originated from Grainger's birth year, which he has tattooed on his forearm. Death from Above 1979 broke up in 2006, citing personal and artistic differences.
The Rhythm Method:
The Rhythm Method is Grainger's dance/computer music alias. He has released one double a-side 7" in the UK for the songs "Renegade Silence/When You Go Out" available from 50 Bones Records. An alternate mix of "Renegade Silence" will be available on Grainger's LP "Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains" labeled as "featuring The Rhythm Method".
Girl on Girl:
Grainger has released remixes for Death from Above 1979's "Black History Month" and Metric's "Poster of a Girl" under the alias "Girl on Girl", a collaboration with The Mountains' Leon Taheny. Earlier similar electronic works were once available, under the aliases "The Great White Hype" and "Synsonic Pro-Model", through a dedicated Myspace page, that has since vanished.
Collaborations and contributions:
Grainger's voice was featured in the Does It Offend You, Yeah? song "Let's Make Out".
He contributed drums to the track "Sunday Morning" by Canadian hip-hop artist k-os. He appears in the song's music video as a homeless man who is recruited as a drummer.
He has collaborated with rising French electronica artist DatA. Their first single together, "Rapture", is available now. Other collaborations will follow on DatA's debut full length release, including "One in a Million" on April 28, 2009.
Grainger played drums both live and on one record for Keeler's pre-Death From Above 1979 solo project Femme Fatale.
He contributed backing vocals to "Twice Born", a song on the latest release by Toronto hardcore punk band Fucked Up.
