news – The BIRN

Berklee In The Round, Live from The Red Room

Tune in on Tuesday, May 8 at 7:00 PM EST to birnCORE for a live broadcast from The Red Room at Cafe 939 of Berklee in the Round.

Berklee in the Round (BITR) occurs on the second Tuesday of every month. Each month, a faculty member selects four to five students and hosts a concert. He or she may also choose a special guest (such as a visiting artist or touring songwriter). Based on the in-the-round performances at the famous Bluebird Café in Nashville, Tennessee, songwriters sit in a circle, where they take turns playing to the audience seated around them, lending an intimate feel.

This month the performers will be Hera Lynn, Weiwen Seah, William Ospina, Chavis Chance, and Anastasia Charakidou.

Tune in here to join the live broadcast

Erin’s Prime Slices of the Week (3/11-3/18): Gundelach, Meernaa

Gundelach – Baltus // electro pop

Baltus is Gundelach’s very first full length album, and I hope it wont be his last. Although it is easy to hear the 80s synth-pop influences, Gundelach’s sound can also be comparable to more modern artists like James Blake or Sylvan Esso. The lyrics hit hard, with lines like “you don’t know how it feels to be alone” in Control (track 4) echoing among distant synthesizers and a steady, yet intricate beat. This line seems to mirror the theme that runs throughout the entire album; loneliness. Gundelach’s vocals are silky smooth on top of his simple arrangements, and blend with ease together with ARY on tracks 6 and 8. Continue reading “Erin’s Prime Slices of the Week (3/11-3/18): Gundelach, Meernaa”

Show Review: Jonathan Wilson at The Sinclair 3/10

As the audience trickled into the Sinclair, it seemed that no one had any idea what to expect from Laraaji, the opening act for the Jonathan Wilson show. He shuffled out on stage toward a small table, draped with a tapestry, just slightly off center. For the next 45 minutes, Laraaji took the audience on a spiritual journey, plucking his electronic zither with closed eyes and a soft demeanor. Continue reading “Show Review: Jonathan Wilson at The Sinclair 3/10”

Ruby’s Prime Slices (3/4-3/11): Tracy Thorn, The Breeders

Tracy Thorn– Record (Pop)

Tracy Thorn’s third solo album post Everything But The Girl revels in 80s pop and disco nostalgia in a natural and genuine way that seems left out of a lot of current 80s revival. On Record, the synths are warm, the drums are fat, and Tracy Thorn’s voice cuts through with clarity and power. Continue reading “Ruby’s Prime Slices (3/4-3/11): Tracy Thorn, The Breeders”

Ruby’s Prime Slices of the Week (2/25-3/4)

Joan As Police Woman – Damned Devotion (R&B, Singer Songwriter)

Lou Reed and Elton John collaborator, Joan Wasser, returns with her Joan As Police Woman project to deliver an excellent album that sounds both current and referential. Damned Devotion feels as though it has always existed. Wasser’s songwriting and arrangements are front and center and accented by the warm and clear production.

Favorite Songs: Wonderful, Warning Bell, The Silence

Continue reading “Ruby’s Prime Slices of the Week (2/25-3/4)”

Ruby’s Prime Slices of the Week (2/18-2/25)

Charlotte Day Wilson – Stone Woman (R&B)

Stone Woman is a stellar R&B EP full of rich warm production and a strong vocal lead. Charlotte Day Wilson delivers the intimacy of a lo-fi release with the clarity of a Billboard top 40 artist. Stone Woman is at times textural and ethereal and at other times sensual and direct.

Favorite Tracks: All of them… there’s only 6.

Continue reading “Ruby’s Prime Slices of the Week (2/18-2/25)”

Jonathan Wilson “Rare Birds” Review

Next Friday, March 10th, Jonathan Wilson will be playing at the Sinclair with Laraaji. Wilson’s newest album, “Rare Birds” will be dropping the Friday before, on March 2nd, and I recommend giving it a listen when it does. Featuring artists, like Father John Misty, Lana Del Rey, Lucius, Laraaji, and more, “Rare Birds” really showcases all of the connections Wilson has been busy making over the last few years, producing albums such as Father John Misty’s Grammy nominated “Pure Comedy,” as well as Karen Elson’s “Double Roses.” Continue reading “Jonathan Wilson “Rare Birds” Review”

Erin’s Prime Slices of the Week (2/18-2/25)

Jonathan Wilson – Rare Birds // ambient rock

While Wilson has such a clear and intense technical ability, I think the real core of his talent lies in his ability to transfer such soul into his projects. “Rare Birds” has all the emotion and power of Rock n’ Roll with a swirl of ambience in the mix – creating a sound that is both reminiscent and impossible to compare. Its classic rock from an alternate universe with drum machines and synthscapes that take you down roads you didn’t know existed. The goal of “Rare Birds” seems to be the overall impact of the sound and all of the moving parts within each track – give it a listen to experience it yourself.

Favorite Tracks: Over the Midnight, Miriam Montague Loving You, Living With Myself

Listen Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBKnvy8cr80

Continue reading “Erin’s Prime Slices of the Week (2/18-2/25)”

Upcoming on birnCORE: Dear John: Robert Ellis and Courtney Hartman Perform the Songs of John Hartford with Brian Dunne

Tune in to birnCORE on Friday, March 2 for a live broadcast from the Red Room @ Cafe 939 featuring Robert Ellis and Courtney Harman and Brian Dunne.

Robert Ellis and Courtney Harman perform an evening of duets written by John Hartford. Continue reading “Upcoming on birnCORE: Dear John: Robert Ellis and Courtney Hartman Perform the Songs of John Hartford with Brian Dunne”

Ruby’s Prime Slices of the Week (2/11-2/17)

Ought – Room Inside The World (post punk, art rock)

Ought’s latest album manages to be thrilling and repetitious at the same time. Room Inside The World incorporates more synths than Ought’s previous work without taking focus away from the unique guitar lines and idiosyncratic vocals.

Favorite Tracks: Disgraced In America, Take Everything, These 3 Things

Continue reading “Ruby’s Prime Slices of the Week (2/11-2/17)”