The Dead Science on Constellation

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[Above: The Dead Science flash some gang signs]

“Throne of Blood (The Jump Off)”

What the hell does “post-rock” even mean anymore? If post-rock was Tortoise and Gastr del Sol in the early 90s, wouldn't that make the last-90s additions post-post-rock, and after-millennial newcomers p.p.p.r?

Stupid distinctions like these should are only going to be a concern for media journalists and people who edit wikipedia. The Dead Science isn't post-rock (and A Silver Mt. Zion and GY!BE are more accurately chamber-rock), but now they're signed to Constellation. Which means people are going to start calling them post-rock whether they like it or not.

Back in the early 00s Constellation was the haven of freaky minimalism and vast, melancholic soundscapes, a dark corner of Montreal where you could consistently find music that was often physically painful and ridiculously beautiful. Now that A Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-la-la Band has got a new album, Constellation's worth a look at again, especially if they're taking on weird new blood like these guys, “Seattle's unsung heroes of esoteric melancholia,” who sound kind of like a proggy Xiu Xiu with the affectations of Patrick Wolf or Voltaire.

The Dead Science is set to release its third full-length, Villianaire, on Constellation, but first they've cut the 7″ single “Throne of Blood (The Jump Off)”. Dates haven't been set for Villianaire but it will probably have something to do with the spring tour, which sees them up and about with folks like Mt. Zion, Daniel Johnson and Cryptacize.

April
17 SEATTLE – NEUMO'S~

May
1 PORTLAND – Rotture`
3 MERCED – The Partisan
4 LA – The Smell %
5 PHOENIX – Trunkspace
6 ALBUQUERQUE – The Stove
7 AUSTIN – Salvage Vanguard^
10 TAMPA – Crowbar
13 ATHENS – Caledonia Lounge
14 ATLANTA – The Earl
15 CHARLOTTE – The Milestone
16 DURHAM – Bull City HQ
18 PHILADELPHIA – Inciting HQ
20 BROOKLYN – Zebulon
21 NYC – Knitting Factory
23 MONTREAL-Zoobizarre
25 TORONTO – Sneaky Dee's (Wavelength Concert Series)
26 DETROIT – Scrummage University
27 ST. LOUIS – The Bluebird*
28 DES MOINES – Vaudeville Mews*
29 MINNEAPOLIS – Varsity Theater*
30 MILWAUKEE – Turner Hall*
31 CHICAGO – Logan Square Auditorium*

June
2 JACKSONVILLE – Noir Arts
3 LAWRENCE – Replay
4 DENVER-H – Dive
5 SLC – Kilby Court
6 BOISE – Neurolux
7 PORTLAND – Artistery
8 SEATTLE – Nectar

~w/Daniel Johnston
`w/Cryptacize
%w/BARR, Heavy Face, Jesus Makes the Shotgun Sound
^w/Weird Weeds, Nat Baldwin
*w/Thee Silver Mt. Zion