“Come on let’s go / let’s not talk about
tomorrow / today.” These are the opening lines of
Pas/Cal’s debut EP, The Handbag Memoirs. The song is
called “The Bronze Beached Boys (Come on Let’s
Go)” and can be heard in Saturn’s latest TV ad
campaign. The track is a sunny piece of pop perfection, complete
with falsetto harmonies and catchy bass hooks that overshadow the
relatively drab car design featured in the commercial. So the
question remains: What brought a small indie-rock band from
Dearborn into the world of corporate tycoons and nationally
syndicated television?
Frontman Casimer Pascal, explained this unlikely pairing:
“We’re signed to La Grand Magisterey Records, which is
a very small indie label, and because of that there isn’t a
lot of exposure. When it came down to making the decision about the
commercial, we asked whether or not we were selling out, whether or
not we were doing the right thing. Its just something I’m
almost positive that I swore we’d never do, but time changes
all.”
The band was born out of the musical chemistry between Casimer
and drummer LTD. They originally worked together in a
kraut-rock/improv outfit that Casimer now deems
“unlistenable.” “We were getting into the
microscopic music, the relationship between two notes, and anytime
you start doing that with something as pure and beautiful as music
you really start fucking it up.”
When friend/guitarist Gene started jamming along, Pas/Cal began
to discover its signature sound: three minute pop songs with
irresistible melodies that evoke memories of The Beach Boys and The
Beatles. Casimer’s high-pitched vocal croon sounds like a
young David Bowie complimented by the wit of Jarvis Cocker.
With the release of its second EP, Oh Honey We’re
Ridiculous, the Saturn commercial and the beginning of its full
length debut to be recorded this summer, Pas/Cal is at an exciting
time in its career. “The record’s going to be all new
songs; it’s very nerve-wracking,” Casimer said.
“Most bands will combine old EP’s to make the debut
record, but I have a short attention span and I need change in our
music. Having a record made of mostly old stuff doesn’t sound
that exciting to me.”
The two EPs exhibit great promise for a band that is just
beginning. Each song is charming — both lyrically and
musically — and is surprisingly polished for being recorded
in Casimer’s studio/garage. Pas/Cal epitomizes the indie-rock
aesthetic, making sincere music that does not sacrifice its
artistic credibility for commercial success.