birnCORE – The BIRN

April 19: birnCORE Live featuring Nick Hakim with Danielle Ponder

ATO recording artist and Berklee alumnus Nick Hakim is the featured artist at the spring 2019 edition of birnCORE Live, a live music series that presents some of the most creative, cutting edge performers working in the industry today. Prior shows have featured Taylor Mcferrin, Kaki King and Margaret Glaspy.

This semester’s birnCORE Live takes place on Friday, April 19 at the Red Room at Cafe 939. Hakim blends experimentation and psychedelia with classic soul, and his solo debut album, Green Twins, was praised by Pitchfork as “full of life and energy, often operating at a fever pitch.”

Hakim is joined by Rochester, New York’s Danielle Ponder, a vocalist and songwriter whose voice ranks with the best working in the industry today.

Student tickets are $15 to this must see show and you can get them here. The show starts at 8:00 p.m. EDT.

Click here to listen to birnCORE!

Video: Gina Chavez Performance on BIRN Alive

Multi-ethnic Latin pop/folk singer Gina Chavez stopped by the BIRN studios recently for a live performance and interview.

Chavez is known for blending the sounds of her many influences seamlessly. She has had a great deal of success in her career, hitting the top of the Amazon and Latin iTunes charts after her national feature on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” In 2015, Chavez performed with her band on NPR’s Tiny Desk concerts, making the top 15 of Tiny Desk performances that year. Chavez also won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2014 with her Spanish anthem, “Siete-D.”

BIRN Alive is home to great live performances and insightful conversation every Saturday at 4:00 p.m. EST on BIRN1.

Electronic Music Night Live from the Red Room

Tune in to birnCORE on Tuesday, November 6 at 7:00 p.m. for a live broadcast of Electronic Music Night at the Red Room at Cafe 939.

Join us for the second electronic singer-songwriter showcase, hosted by Berklee College of Music faculty member Erin Barra-Jean.

The Songwriting Department has been expanding its efforts to provide a dynamic technology curriculum that supports its students as writers, producers, and performers.

Click here to listen to birnCORE!

Curtis’ Prime Slices (11/4 – 11/10): WAAX, Mike Molnar

WAAX – Wild & Weak EP – (Hard Rock)

On Tuesday, female fronted hard rock band WAAX gave me a good start to my shift with their new EP, Wild & Weak. I got that excited feeling that happens when you first listen to something really good. And it happened for every song. The release holds so much energy in each track that it feels like you’re listening to a live show. The drums are well rounded and sound full, the guitars are punchy and tight, and the vocals are raw and in your face. None of these songs sound out of place or thrown in. they sound like they’ve been shedding these tunes for awhile and needless to say, it’s paid off.

Continue reading “Curtis’ Prime Slices (11/4 – 11/10): WAAX, Mike Molnar”

Erin’s Prime Slices (11/4 – 11/10): Boygenius (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus), Tasha

Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus – Boygenius (indie / contemporary folk)

The moment I heard that all three of these incredible indie gals would be collaborating on an album, the world just seemed to make a little bit more sense. Lucy Dacus begins the six track project with her rich, ever smooth lead vocals on “Bite The Hand,” the clear fan favorite of the album. The blend of tones during the chorus when all three artists join in harmony makes me want these women to form a permanent trio and release music forever. A close second in terms of my personal favorite tracks would be “Salt In The World,” again because of the euphoric blend of harmony. Check out this album and buy some tickets to their show in Boston this Thursday, 11/8 at the Orpheum Theater before they are sold out!

Continue reading “Erin’s Prime Slices (11/4 – 11/10): Boygenius (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus), Tasha”

Featured Interview: BIRN Station Manager, Pooja Aggarwal

Pooja Aggarwal is a Professional Music major at Berklee and the current station manager at the BIRN. She is in her last semester of Berklee and graduating in December. I got the chance to sit down with Pooja a couple of weeks ago and asked her a few questions about her time at Berklee, her goals, and her post-grad plans.

Pooja is from Montville, New Jersey and is a voice principal. She has been singing all of her life, and always knew singing was something she was passionate about. Her parents signed her up for voice lessons when she was eight, and after that, she continued to sing and perform all throughout middle and high school. She was in her school’s theatre program and both a cappella and choir groups in high school.

Berklee actually wasn’t Pooja’s first choice for after high school, she started off her college experience at Boston University studying nutrition. Soon after arriving at BU she realized that she missed having music in her life and that studying nutrition wasn’t what she was most passionate about. Pooja then applied to Berklee as her only transfer option and got accepted. She transferred to Berklee during her second year in college. Continue reading “Featured Interview: BIRN Station Manager, Pooja Aggarwal”

Curtis’ Prime Slices (10/28 – 11/3) Big Bliss, Carbonas

Big Bliss – At Middle Distance – (Post Punk)

Sliding into my DM’s this afternoon was Post Punk band Big Bliss. I seriously haven’t heard a band who nails this genre quite like they do since Interpol’s, Turn On The Bright Light’s. This being the bands first album release after only one EP and two singles, I’d say they’re at a pretty good place musically. There’s songs like “Conscious Being” that turn you into a human bobblehead and others such as “Richard Race” that make you want to aimlessly sway back and forth. Each song throws something different at you yet their sound still stays in it’s place. Straight ahead with reverb that makes it sound like an arena. Rarely does a new band strike me like this so definitely check them out.

Carbonas – Your Moral Superiors – (Punk)

Released just yesterday is a big compilation of singles and rarities from Carbonas. It’s just under a half hour but don’t worry because there’s a total of 37 tracks on this thing! Again this is the first time i’ve listened to this band and they too absolutely kill it in the genre. These guys sound like they belong in the 70’s/80’s punk scene but their first release wasn’t till 2003. Although Punk is considered a very simplistic style, I can only agree so much. Anyone can play 3 chords but it’s the emotion, anger, and attitude that’s inside the 3 chords that a lot of musicians can’t convey whatsoever. Carbonas on record, sound exactly how they would live. Raw, unapologetic, and spitting in your face.

Erin’s Prime Slices (10/28-11/3): Valley Maker, Ian Sweet

Valley Maker – Rhododendron (indie / folk rock)

This album is lyrically intricate while also maintaining an airy atmosphere that is easy to listen to casually. Austin Crane, the man behind Valley Maker, named the album after “the common plant which springs up in both Crane’s native south and his current home in Washington” – a metaphor that is very central to the overall theme of each song and transition. It is honestly hard to pick favorites on this one, so just chill out and listen to the whole album whenever you get the chance.

Continue reading “Erin’s Prime Slices (10/28-11/3): Valley Maker, Ian Sweet”

Interested in Joining the BIRN? The first meeting is September 10

The Berklee Internet Radio Network (BIRN) offers four unique channels streaming music, interviews, live performances, and more 24/7.

Are you interested in becoming a BIRN DJ?

BIRN membership is open to all current students of Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee at the beginning of each semester. Representatives of student clubs and organizations are welcome to join to promote their club’s mission and activities.

BIRN members sharpen their performance skills and musical knowledge by hosting weekly live radio shows, sharing their favorite music on a platform that can be heard around the world.

Members can also participate in various other activities, including live music recording and mixing, event production, marketing and promotion, music journalism, photography, graphic design, video production, and station operations.

Fall 2018 membership opens September 10.

Attend the first meeting on Monday, September 10, at 6:00 p.m. in 22 The Fenway, Room 112.

Visit thebirn.com/join to learn more about how it works.

The Rare Occasions and More Live from The Red Room

Tune in to birnCORE on Thursday, June 21, at 8:00 p.m. EDT for a live broadcast from the Red Room at Cafe 939 featuring The Rare Occasions, Colbis the Creature, and RVRCT.

The Rare Occasions are a Los Angeles-based retro band influenced by garage rock music. They mesh angular guitar riffs with indie pop melodies. This variability and depth of styles, layered with lyrical themes of existentialism and self-reflection, are what both define the Rare Occasions and set them apart.

Colbis the Creature is an indie rock/pop band from Boston.

RVRCT (Rivercat) is a Boston based dream pop-psychedelic band formed at Berklee. Its self-titled debut record was released in 2017, and the band is currently working on a follow-up album, Agave.

Listen here to join the live broadcast on birnCORE.