Middlebury, VT

March 19th, 2010 • Commentary, Hip Hop • No comments

In case you have been living under a rock outside of the Northeast Liberal Arts College circuit, a group of students at the esteemed Middlebury College in Vermont came out with the following video a few weeks ago, and, not surprisingly, its gone viral.

One thing that I think is clear about this video (other than the fact that, excepting the quidditch verse, you could basically replace Bates and Midd and get the same effect) is that us liberal arts kids love to lampoon ourselves and our athletic departments. It is sometimes shockingly scary how truly generic we can all be in our attempts to be original, which, at some level, is where The Allen Jokers’ humor comes from in the 5 minute song. Read more »

Concert Review: Toro Y Moi/Washed Out/Small Black/James Cook

March 16th, 2010 • Concert Review, Electronic, Maine • 1 comment

Editor’s Note: This article was originally written for The Bates Student, and was published in that publication on March 9, 2010.

Music lovers of Bates turned out in distinct droves and waves on Friday night, March 5^th for a WRBC-sponsored event at The Benjamin Mayes Center. The concert was much promoted by the campus radio station, in an effort to get students listening and excited for these up and coming groups.

The artists, who fall under the blog-spun catch-all genre “chillwave” all actually sounded pretty distinct. Each group brought a distinct and enjoyable sound to students who were clearly very excited to dance and enjoy what the bands had to offer. Read more »

The Complete and Uncensored History of Full Throttle (Part 1)

March 15th, 2010 • Maine, Narrative • No comments

The time has arrived to come clean about WRBCs favorite mascot. Long absent from concerts, trivia night and the front porch of Wilson House, many of you have probably been wondering what could have possibly happened to our very own 12 x 8-foot paper maché mask. After many months of internal deliberation, I have determined that the only way to properly honor this elusive member of WRBCs ever expanding mascot collection is to pay tribute to its integral role as a full-fledged member of the radio station from 2008 to 2009.

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SXSW – Is it the best music festival?

March 15th, 2010 • Commentary, Op-Ed, Texas • No comments

There is certainly no music festival in the United States quite like the famed South by Southwest festival (SXSW) held annually in and around Austin, Texas. It is an absolute certainty to say that students of the University of Texas and workers in the Texas government are very lucky to have this one-of-a-kind event invade their city every year.

The truly special thing about SXSW when compared to other large-scale music festivals in the United States such as Bonaroo in Tennessee or Coachella in California is that SXSW is not really aspiring to be the next Woodstock. The concerts are deliberately small and held in venues across the city. Venues that might not normally host concerts are transformed into hip spots to see some of the world’s finest musical talent perform. Read more »

Album Review: While the Fire Dies (EP) by Seabear

March 15th, 2010 • Album Review, Folk, Iceland • No comments

Let’s make one thing clear here, Iceland’s Seabear is without a doubt one of my favorite bands of all time. Their succinct anti-folk sensibility is unique even within the confines of the seemingly overcrowded world of the folk revival that is currently still in its indie infancy.

From the time that I first played their 2007 debut, The Ghost that Carried Us Away, my love of Seabear, as my friends might tell you had bordered on insanity and irrationality, but its all in good fun.

Alongside their recent full-length release (a very good album, by the way), We Built a Fire, the band chose to also put together a brief EP called The Fire Dies Out. The two records seem similar at the core, obviously the instrumentation is basically the same, but the EP is, truthfully an experience unto itself. Read more »

Toro y Moi, Washed Out and Small Black Photoblog

March 12th, 2010 • Photo Gallery • No comments

Here are some pictures snapped by WRBC Events Coordinator Liana Blum during the concert featuring Toro y Moi, Washed Out and Small Black on March 5, 2010

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WRBC New Rock Charts and Adds, 3/9/10

March 10th, 2010 • Charts • 1 comment

Enter the Chillwave

March 5th, 2010 • Maine, News, Video • 2 comments

Tonight in the Benjamin Mays Center at Bates College will be a concert of seemingly epic proportions, especially if you are a fan of the increasingly popular “chillwave” genre. The concert begins at 9:30 PM and features the musical stylings of the following performers:

Small Black

Washed Out

Toro y Moi

Entry is just $1 and, without a doubt, if Pitchfork was there, they would be enjoying this show. Read more »

CHARTS and ADDS 3/2/10

March 3rd, 2010 • Charts • 1 comment

Finding WRBC

March 2nd, 2010 • California, Maine, Video • No comments

While the Super Bowl is certainly first and foremost a football game, the advertising is also a big reason why people tune into the program. Google, who normally doesn’t waste their time or energy on television marketing put in a really cute advert called “Parisian Love” to this years program, and I have simply been in love with it.

As advertising it sends an interesting and clear message on a pretty low budget and with limited audio, no celebrity faces and little gimmicks. My kudos to the ad people over at Google for creating such a piece.

In a moment of intrigue, I wondered if I could create a similar piece for our humble little radio station. While being a little different, this keeps in the tradition of the Google advertisement. Nevertheless the sentiment is more in line with our little operation here in Maine.

Listen On.

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