Bedouin Soundclash

Bedouin Soundclash

Bedouin Soundclash is a Canadian reggae and alternative rock group formed in Toronto and active since 2001. The band meets while members are attending Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.

Line-up

The group’s members include Pat Pengelly, Jay Malinowski, Eon Sinclair and Chuck Treece. Earlier line-ups include vocalist and guitarist Jay Malinowski, bassist Eon Sinclair and drummer Sekou Lumumba. Brett Dunlop plays djembe on the debut album, Root Fire, and Patrick Pengelly plays drums until January 2009.

Albums and songs

Bedouin Soundclash releases its debut album, Root Fire, in 2001, followed by Sounding a Mosaic in 2004 and Street Gospels in 2007. The song “When the Night Feels My Song” becomes the band’s breakthrough single on Canadian radio, reaching number one on CFNY 102.1 The Edge and receiving widespread commercial airplay in Canada. The track also appears in a UK T-Mobile advert, the ski film Anomaly, and a Zellers commercial in Canada. “12:59 Lullaby” appears in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy.

Other songs associated with the band include “St. Andrews,” which reaches number one on Edge 102’s Top 30 Countdown, “Walls Fall Down,” whose video reaches number one on MuchMoreMusic, and “Hearts in the Night,” which premieres on the David Suzuki Foundation website. “Mountain Song” is released in 2010 and is described as being heavily inspired by The Police.

Collaborations and label work

During the recording of Sounding a Mosaic, the band develops a close working relationship with producer Darryl Jenifer of Bad Brains, and they continue to work together. Bedouin Soundclash also plans a collaborative Bad Brains vs. Bedouin Soundclash mash-up. In 2006 the band begins plans for its own imprint, Pirates Blend, intended for side projects and B-sides. The label is officially launched in 2010 with a distribution deal through Sony Music Canada, and Jay Malinowski’s solo release Bright Lights & Bruises is the first official release on Pirates Blend. The label also announces a future Remixes, Rarities & B-sides set with remixes from King Britt, k-os, Bad Brains, Pigeon John and Nostalgia 77.

Live work and recognition

The band appears on the Vans Warped Tour in 2005, tours Canada and the UK, and performs at Leeds Festival in 2006 and V Festival in Chelmsford in 2007. It shares bills with Ben Harper, Damian Marley, The Skatalites, Burning Spear and The Junction, and co-headlines Rogers Picnic with The Roots and Bad Brains. The group also performs at Japan’s Summer Sonic Festival with Coldplay, Alicia Keys and The Verve, and opens for No Doubt on their North American reunion tour in 2009. It headlines the Roots and Blues Festival in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, and performs at the 2010 Winter Olympic events in Vancouver and the Mississauga Waterfront Festival.

Sounding a Mosaic reaches number one on the BBC 6 Music charts in Great Britain, and Street Gospels receives a Juno Award nomination for Pop Album of the Year in 2008. “Walls Fall Down” also receives a Juno nomination for Video of the Year. The band’s video for “Walls For Down” reaches number one on MuchMoreMusic’s countdown.

Name and activity

The group takes its name from a dub record by Badawi on ROIR Records. In an early rehearsal, Jay Malinowski says the music sounds like “Bedouin Soundclash,” and the name is adopted.

Other appearances

The band plays a main role at a Toronto rally calling for Canadian intervention in the Darfur crisis in 2006. It is also associated with a song featured in the television series Grey’s Anatomy and with commercial and film placements that widen its radio presence.