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.

Students were first treated to a local artist, James Cook ’12, who played a lengthy introductory set of his own ambient pop tracks. Cook, a History major from Woodstock, CT, played his own unique sprawling drones from behind a small set up and laptop. Cook played what he thought would be his last track, and when the next group, Small Black, was nowhere to be seen, played a few more. Cook has an EP coming out toward the end of spring on UK-based electronic label, Urbantorque.

The crowd was at its height when the first touring group, Small Black from Brooklyn, NY, took the stage. The group, made up of a vocalist, a bassist and an electronic percussionist, played some thumping and driving electronic rock, pausing to joke with the audience. “This is like, a really nice college,” Small Black’s vocalist said, “You guys seem to really like it up here.” The crowd certainly enjoyed themselves, hoisting members up on shoulders and dancing in a pulsing mass of people.

The next group, Washed Out, is composed solely of Ernest Greene, a Georgian, who’s EP Life of Leisure has garnered a lot of acclaim and excitement on the internet. His songs are fantastically retro, thoroughly blurry and with pleasant beach-like reverb and echo. Greene limited his crowd interaction to singing his songs and a few exclamations of “Yeah!” Small Black joined him for a few songs, including his set’s ender, “Feel it All Around” and an unrehearsed encore.

By the time Toro Y Moi had set up, many had left The Silo for other exploits around campus, which is unfortunate, because Chaz Bundick’s music was probably the most original and interesting of the night. Bundick, from South Carolina, played to a small, and somewhat distracted audience, but saw the whole thing out properly. His songs, mostly off of his recent LP, Causers of This, moved between thumping bass grooves not unlike Washed Out’s, to multi-layered reverb-heavy electro tracks to more spaced out guitar songs, rich in echo-y vocals, which almost recalled Animal Collective at their best and most tolerable.

The evening concluded late, around 2, with the summery tunes ushering in a spring-like weekend.

-Charles Thaxton (Photography: Peter Senzamici)

Charles Thaxton is the co-host of Songs from Mt. David, Sundays 2-4 AM on WRBC.

Peter Senzamici is the co-host of Liberation Musicology, Sundays 6-8 PM on WRBC.

Note: This is a republishing of an article originally posted on January 17th. The significant change is that the band Toro Y Moi has been added to the line up of the March 5 Washed Out and Small Black show.

This Winter Semester is going to be a decidedly epic time for concerts at Bates College courtesy of your friends at WRBC. While a few more shows are in the works, the first week of March will be a crowded, but decidedly epic week of shows.

The first show, to be held on Wednesday, March 3rd, will feature the music of Cambridge, Massachusetts’ Hey Mama. This contemporary rock ‘n roll four-piece band, features Avi Salloway and Celia Woodsmith, formerly of the aptly named Avi and Celia. This show, like most of our shows, will be in the Benjamin Mays Center at Bates College.

The second show in this same week is an offering from chillwave acts Washed Out, Toro y Moi and Small Black This show will be on Friday, March 5th and also in the Benjamin Mays Center. These two super up-in-coming electronic artists have been known to present an awesome show, and, therefore, you should seriously consider attending.

Be sure to stay tuned as more concerts are likely to be added to our line-up soon. You can always keep track of our events here or all local concerts here.

-Doug Ray

Doug Ray is the co-host of Saltimbocca and Escargot, Sundays 8-10 PM on WRBC.

We all know South Carolina as the bastion of the Confederacy, Palmettos, Boiled Peanuts and Sweet Tea… But Chillwave? Apparently. Toro Y Moi, a band that derives its name from a mashup of Romance language word meaning The Bull and Me, is a rising star in the growing genre, and he calls Columbia, South Carolina home.

His most recent album, Causers of This, was released this month as a digital download and will come out in a hard copy February 2 on Carpark Records. The Internet buzz machine is alive with support of what he is doing. Even Kanye West agrees with the hype of this former USC Gamecock, Chazwick Bundick (what a name!).

Indeed, despite his whole aura, he manages to come from what many agree is a mediocre wasteland, that being Columbia, SC. Being from this state, I can attest that our capital is among the most boring places on Earth. Certainly hiking on the Appalachian Trail or even taking a trip to Argentina would be much more exciting than being marooned in Columbia. This is probably one of the reasons why I am so enthralled with the idea of Toro Y Moi’s existence. He gives me reason to believe that good music can come from anywhere.

Its not the most up-tempo  music, but as far as chillwave is concerned, it is probably the most dance-able around. So far he has one show coming up in New England. It is on March 27th in the Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge, Ma. opening for the Ruby Suns.

Check out his video here – Blessa from the album Causers of This:

-Doug Ray and Bradley McGraw (From South Carolina)

Doug Ray is the Co-Host of Saltimbocca and Escargot on WRBC (8-10 PM Sunday). Bradley McGraw is the Co-Host of Kaleo Doctor on WRBC (10 PM-12 AM Sunday).