Saskatoon indie pop trio announced as part of 2014 Sled Island festival
“Our goals in order of importance are: service of our lord and leader, making everyone aroused, and free or subsidized donuts. We will play for human rights and/or donuts.”
So says Phalec Baldwin, a three-piece band that may or may not be a cult. Having played a handful of shows earlier this spring, either way it’s a sermon that’s spreading.
The group was recently announced as part of Calgary’s Sled Island festival, playing on Thursday, June 19 at the Legion, along with headliners Mission of Burma. In addition to their Sled Island appearance, Phalec Baldwin will be playing at Vangelis on Monday, June 2 alongside Caves, Fountain and Heaven For Real.
The band recently posted a teaser single from their upcoming EP, Street Meat, which will see release on a newly-created Saskatoon record label run by the owners of Beaumont Records, who recently posted the following message on their Facebook page:
From the beginning, I’ve wanted Beaumont Records to be more than just a record shop. I wanted to be connected to the music community in Saskatoon in as many ways as possible. We started by doing shows at the old location, and continue to do so in the new one.
The next phase is putting out Saskatoon bands that we love on the Beaumont Records label. So excited to announce that the first official Beaumont release comes from Phalec Baldwin. The tracks and artwork for their EP “STREET MEAT” got sent off yesterday and the cassettes should come back before they head to Calgary for Sled Island.
Phalec Baldwin are similarly planning on a cassette release party/Koolaid tasting sometime this summer at Beaumont.
“Details to come once we hear from leader,” says the band.
Phalec Baldwin come from a world where pellucid soundscapes crash nonchalantly into dance sways and awkward singalong choruses. On “Burnout Goldmine” the group combines morbid psyche riffs with shimmery pop drones, and surrounds it all with a dystopic sense of foreboding.
“Street Meat was recorded in a living room during the course of the last full moon using microphones we found,” says the trio.
“We bought some beer and we started shouting into things. That shouting turned into this EP. We recorded this EP for no other reason than to hang out with a handsome human.
“Mission was accomplished.”