If the Canadians-that-need-not-be-named ever had a reputation for being reclusive, rest assured, it was I who got the ball rolling towards its propagation. No, not me specifically, but me as a representation of music writers everywhere, from whom GY!BE and its Manuckian offshoot, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, have previously shied away, as a realized antipathy toward confused questions about their punctuated and evolving monikers. Nah, the reality of these once “proud and shy motherfuckers” is much less petty, and, well, you brought it on yourself, Efrim! In any case, it was strictly a press matter, as performances from both outfits were never all that rare (when not on hiatus).
In fact, for a band that semi-recently returned from a significant seven-year hiatus, Godspeed have seemed a little too willing to entertain an audience lately. Stopping short of hosting tour interim dinner parties for all the local Quebecois, Thee Silver Mt. Zion (which includes Godspeed members Efrim Manuck, Thierry Amar, and Sophie Trudeau, alongside Jessica Moss and David Payant) have found the time to create and complete their newest LP Fuck Off We Get Free We Pour Light On Everything, set for release January 21 on the familiar Constellation.
What lucky few we are to have already listened to it! A general heaviness presides, and those who haven’t yet grown accustomed to Menuck’s vocal style may be less turned off by this one, where, compared to their previous release, it isn’t as much of a centerpiece in the overall mix. Also to that end, the presumed vocals of Trudeau and Moss feature rather prominently on a couple of tracks. Listen to an excerpt of “Austerity Blues” below:
Fuck Off We Get Free We Pour Light On Everything tracklisting:
01. Fuck Off Get Free (For the Island of Montreal)
02. Austerity Blues
03. Take Away These Early Grave Blues
04. Little Ones Run
05. What We Loved Was Not Enough
06. Rains Thru the Roof at Thee Grande Ball-Room (For Capital Steel)
Oh, and they’re touring too! Here are the dates:
02.12.14 - Frankfurt, DE - Zoom
02.13.14 - St Gallen, CH - Grabenhalle
02.14.14 - Zurich, CH - Rote Fabrik @ Aktionshalle
02.15.14 - Bern, CH - Reitschule
02.16.14 - Genf, CH - Antigel
02.18.14 - Lyon, FR - L’Epicerie Moderne
02.19.14 - Limoges, FR - CC John Lennon
02.20.14 - Nantes, FR - Stereolux
02.21.14 - St Malo, FR - La Route De Rock
02.22.14 - Diksmuide, BE - Botanique
02.23.14 - London, UK - Koko
02.25.14 - Glasgow, UK - Oran Mor
02.26.14 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell
02.27.14 - Brussels, BE - Botanique
02.28.14 - Munich, DE - Feierwerk
03.01.14 - Prague, CZ - TBA
03.02.14 - Vienna, AT - Brut
03.03.14 - Berlin, DE - Volksbühne
03.06.14 - Malmo, SE - TBA
03.07.14 - Oslo, NO - John Dee
03.08.14 - Stockholm, SE - Strand
03.09.14 - Copenhagen, DK - Vega
• Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra: http://www.tra-la-la-band.com
• Constellation: http://cstrecords.com