Come see the FREE concert September 25 on the Library Quad, brought to you by WRBC 91.5 FM and CHC.

The mini music fest will begin in the early afternoon and will end by 9 PM. Bates’ own Time Travelers will kick off the event, followed by opener Delicate Steve.
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Dr. Dog’s latest album, “Shame, Shame,” has been wildly well-received. Pitchfork hailed the work “arguably the band’s finest moment,” and music critic Doug Wallen categorized their sound as “a little folk, blues, indie rock, soul, bluegrass—and a whole lot of down-home harmonizing. It conjures images of old friends sitting on a porch swapping instruments and just letting the tape recorder run.”

Mark your calenders and get psyched for an epic start to the year !

Listen to Dr. Dog: www.myspace.com/drdog
Listen to Delicate Steve: http://www.myspace.com/delicatesteve

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

Prof. Semon is our first guest from any of the science departments at Bates. He’s been teaching physics at Bates since 1976. We discuss his early intrigue with physics, and the foundations of quantum mechanics and quantum entanglement.

Seabear is an Icelandic indie-folk band from Reykjavik, Iceland. Although hailing from Iceland, they sing primarily in English. They are signed to the Morr Music record label.

Seabear started as a one-man project of Sindri Már Sigfússon, but he eventually ended up taking in six other members.

In 2007/2008, the Seabear song ‘Cat Piano’ was featured in a BBC advert for Finding Neverland as well as in Season 2, Episode 2 of Gossip Girl (TV series). Seabear’s most renowned song is “I Sing I Swim” – the music video for the song was viewed more than 582.000 times on Youtube as of November 2009.

Seabear’s music has been described as “Sufjan Stevens meets an unplugged Arcade Fire” by Clash. Sindri Már Sigfússon has been called the “icelandic Beck” by Rolling Stone.

They have finished their new album “We Built A Fire” which will be released in March 2010. A song from this album has been featured on Grey’s Anatomy and been highlighted on NPR

This is the only college show of their first ever North American tour. It’s free, and it’s going to be stupendous.

Jessica Anthony is a 1996 graduate of Bates College and author of the recently published fiction novel “The Convalescent.” This semester Anthony taught creative writing at the college, which we discuss in our interview, as well as her writing process, the book itself, and the politics of publishing and promotion.

Professor Hooglund is one of the leading American scholars on Iranian politics and culture.  He discusses his experiences in Iran during the revolution, his insights on the political climate, and examples of a changing culture in Iranian cinema and television.

Trivia Night is coming up. The game to end all games will be played on the night of February 26, 2010 beginning at 8 PM. Here is a video some of us made to get you into the spirit. For more information, click HERE

Prof. Alan Nadel is the William T. Bryan Professor of English at the University of Kentucky, where his research and teaching interests focus on American literature and culture, media studies, and contemporary and post-war poetry. He came to Bates Sponsored by the Department of English and the Learning Associates Program with a talk entitled: “Wand Me”: Assuming the (Subject) Position of the Compliant Body in the Age of Terror.