Yellow Roman Candles is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Aaron Morse, and based on their first release, If It’s Right, there is a sense that this band could really make a run at achieving a certain level of national notoriety. The album certainly has shades of LaMontagne’s earlier work. Its gritty and working-class sensibilities leave the listener transported to perhaps a greater understanding of the plight of much of middle America….. If It’s Right is a decidedly raw album, which, if given a few listens can really tear into one’s soul. It’s part Springsteen and part Dylan, but certainly all Maine. Not to say that I am surprised, but this simple little album proves that Yellow Roman Candles will one day be deserving of a place among the pantheon of great Maine folk musicians.”

Phantogram took the stage next, playing songs off of their recent full-length release, Eyelid Movies. The performance featured Josh Carter on guitar and keyboardist Sarah Barthel playing and singing over big-beat inspired drum machines.  The band’s simple setup echoed the style of Matt & Kim, who proved that complex is not always best at a Bates show last fall.  Barthel mixed the performance live onstage, layering different parts to create a sound that was both expressive and danceable.  It was easy to see why the duo are known for their energetic live performances.  The night was capped off with a DJ set from Bates’ Jamie Cook, a preeminent campus DJ.

http://www.myspace.com/phantogram
http://www.myspace.com/theyellowromancandles
http://www.myspace.com/jamiemcook

Photographs courtesy of Peter Senzamici

Matt and Kim are an electronic pop duo consisting of Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino. Noted for their simple dance melodies, they have been featured in festivals such as the Siren Music Festival in Brooklyn, Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, and the KahBang Indie Music and Art Festival in Bangor. Their most recent release Grand, which reached #170 on the Billboard Top 100, includes the Singles “Daylight,” which was recently featured in a commercial for Bacardi, and “Lessons Learned,” the video of which has been nominated for an MTV Video Music Award.

Matt and Kim are one of the premier bands in the rapidly expanding Brooklyn-based independent music scene. This show promises to be one of the best electronic shows in the state of Maine this year.

I think it is a great idea to take a trip down memory land via iTunes. First I organized my entire library by the “Date Added” column. I scrolled through the whole thing trying to remember each day that I uploaded the particular album(s). My library is recently new, as I transferred all my music in one big lump from my old computer to my current one on 5/7/2006. So, I didn’t get to flashback too far. It would have been nice to see all the way back to 2004/2005 when I first got iTunes.

As I went through the library I could actually remember the specific days that I uploaded the music, where I was and who I was with. It is funny to remember your old opinions or your motivations for uploading a particular set of albums. Which music phase was I in back then? Do I still listen to that type of music anymore? It is sort of like meeting new people and making friends which also move to cycles and phases. We share most of our music with our friends, so the two sort of trend together.

Anyhow, here are some things that remind me of high school.

Mates of State (reminds me of Josh Zerangue’s house in 11th grade winter on Saturday mornings doing absolutely nothing, drawing, or putting computers together)

Built to Spill (reminds me of spring 11th grade civil-engineering class. also reminds me of hanging out on the roof of my old house before we moved)

Grandaddy (reminds me of Nick Andersen and his new house back in 9th/10th grade. This was the pre-job era when going for bike rides and playing video games on the weekend were the higlight of my life)

-Bradley McGraw

Bradley McGraw is the co-host of Randy’s Hour of Power, Mondays at 10 PM-12 AM Eastern Time on WRBC.