Bedouin Soundclash finds believers with "Gospels"

NEW YORK (Billboard) - It took a year for the Canadian public to pick up on Kingston, Ontario-based reggae/rock fusion band Bedouin Soundclash's second album -- but only a week for them to connect with its third.

Summer 2005 radio hit "When the Night Feels My Song" introduced Canadian buyers to the band's previous album, 2004's "Sounding a Mosaic" (Stomp Records), which peaked at No. 36 on the Canadian Recording Industry Assn. chart.

The new "Street Gospels" -- which was released August 21 in North America -- entered the Canadian charts August 26 at No. 2 on sales of slightly more than 8,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The band is with Dine Alone Records/Universal in Canada; U.K./U.S. releases were through Hollywood-based indie SideOneDummy Records.

"Street Gospels" offers a more sophisticated-sounding version of the trio's unique take on reggae mixed with punk, dub and soul accents. Despite the band's chart status, Bedouin Soundclash singer/guitarist Jay Malinowski said that "success for us goes beyond first-week sales -- it's about where the band is creatively."

"When the Night Feels My Song" was also a top 30 hit in the United Kingdom, and once Bedouin Soundclash wraps current North American tour dates in October, it will hit British shores for 11 November shows.

Reuters/Billboard

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