Heavy Rotation Records Releases Dorm Sessions 10

Heavy Rotation Records (HRR) presents Dorm Sessions 10, the new release by Berklee’s student-run label. The compilation—a mix of rock, folk, indie pop, singer-songwriter, psychedelic soul, R&B, electronic, and Latin pop by Berklee students and alumni—features I/O, Grey Season, Kyle Thornton & the Company, Cocoa Jackson Lane, the Rare Occasions, Cordelia & the Buffalo, YEAH Dubz, Amy & the Engine, 3 Sudacas, Fever Charm, and Oh, Malô.

HRR celebrates the release of Dorm Sessions 10 on Wednesday, February 18, at 8:00 p.m. with a concert at the Berklee Performance Center (BPC) cosponsored by Vans.

Based on the performances at the concert, artists from the record will be chosen to represent HRR at three major music festivals: SXSW in Austin, Lollapalooza in Chicago, and Osheaga in Montreal. The artists performing at Lollapalooza and Osheaga will play club dates to and from the festivals, accompanied by HRR staff members who will handle tour management.

Stream or download a preview of Dorm Sessions 10 for free at Soundcloud.com/heavyrotationrecords/

HRR is a class that gives Berklee music business/management students experience in running an entertainment company. Under the guidance of faculty advisor Jeff Dorenfeld, former manager of the band Boston, the student staff oversees marketing, sales, web development, media, and A&R. HRR’s A&R group pored through hundreds of submissions to choose the artists for Dorm Sessions 10. Artists who have appeared on past HRR albums include St. Vincent (as Annie Clark), Gem Club (as Christopher Barnes), HAERTS (as Nini & Ben), Big D & the Kids Table, and members of Passion Pit (as the Peasantry).

About the Artists:

I/O is a five-piece instrumental post-rock band from Boston composed of Tyler Hicks (guitar), Mackenzie Tate (bass), Teddy Murphy (guitar), Chatchon Srisomburananont (drums), Sean Carmago (percussion), and Jordan Rich (keyboards). Their debut album, Saudade, is out now. Said Vent magazine of a recent I/O show, “The entire hour left me feeling like I was having some sort of existential experience, and it was amazing.”

During a Grey Season performance, one finds five-part harmony, blues-rooted guitar solos between wholehearted lyricism, and memorable melodies driven by the plucking of bouzoukis and banjos. Benny Grotto (Dresden Dolls) and Grammy Award–winner Justin Guip produced Grey Season’s debut album at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY. The group is composed of Jon Mills (guitar, vocals, Irish bouzouki), Chris Bloniarz (banjo, piano, mandolin, vocals), Matt Knelman (guitar, vocals), Ian Jones (bass, vocals), and Ben Burns (drums, vocals).

Kyle Thornton & the Company aim for a fresh new sound grounded in the passion and honesty of the blues. R&B, soul, gospel, and blues permeated the Thornton household, giving Kyle the inspiration and foundation he took with him from his humble church choir to Berklee. Equipped with his guitars, Thornton writes emotional songs drawing from his own experiences of love and loss. His influences include Ed Sheeran, Al Green, Frank Ocean, and others. The band recently released a single, “Lemonade,” and is currently working on its debut album. 

Cocoa Jackson Lane (CJL) is a roots meets R&B project led by student bassist Camilla Charlesworth and Maori soul singer Jess Harlen, both raised in Australia. CJL creates psychedelic soundscapes drawing on alternative pop and faded rock records. CJL’s forthcoming EP, written on the road and recorded in their Boston apartment, is a testament to independence, captured in the single, “In Search of Souls.” Full of imaginative wonderment, the verses roll to the beat of a West African inspired rhythm.

The members of the Rare Occasions—Brian McLaughlin (vocals), Luke Imbusch (drummer), Jeremy Cohen (bassist), and Peter Stone (guitarist)—formed while they were attending Berklee and Tufts. They have released two EPs, won the Tufts Battle of the Bands, opened for Guster and Lupe Fiasco, received airplay on commercial and college radio, competed in WBRU’s annual Rock Hunt, and performed across New England. The group connects with listeners through its infectious sound, intertwining varied musical tastes into one singular voice.

Cordelia & the Buffalo is an electronic indie rock band led by Berklee student Cordelia Vizcaino, a Mexican-American musician, singer, songwriter, and producer. The Texas native draws her musical inspiration from Mexican Indian tribes and Native American cultures. She formed the band in 2011 with classmates Yusuke Sato (guitar), Rodrigo Gramitto (guitar), Diego Diaz (drums), Dan McCallum (bass), and Dag Hanken (percussion/synths). The band’s vibrant sound is a fusion of explosive beats, exotic instruments, powerful lyrics, and soothing melodies.

Listen to Cordelia & the Buffalo, featured on the Sounds of Berklee podcast:

YEAH Dubz is a Boston-based DJ and producer.

Amy & the Engine, often described as “indie-folk-pop,” formed at Berklee in 2014 and features the songwriting of student Amy Allen. The band has performed at festivals throughout New England, the CMJ Music Marathon in New York, and appeared on TV and radio including Good Morning Maine, Good Morning Emerson, WCLZ, WCYY, WJBQ, and WMBR. After releasing two singles, Amy & the Engine’s debut EP will be released in the spring of 2015. 

3 Sudacas is composed of three Berklee students—Nella Rojas from Venezuela (lead vocals and percussion), Esther Rojas from Colombia (bass and backing vocals), and Eduardo Mercuri from Brazil (guitar and backing vocals)—performing traditional and original compositions arranged for voice and percussion.

Fever Charm released an EP titled Sound of Summer in 2014. Said The Huffington Post, “Fever Charm’s music reflects not only the tradition of young love and longing, but also the struggle of growing into adulthood amid economic uncertainty… giving their music an edgy sense of urgency that reminds us what’s below the surface of all the teenage good times is a quiet desperation struggling to break through.” The group is composed of Ari Berl (guitarist,vocals), Theo Quayle (lead guitar), Yianni Anastos-Prastacos (bass), and JT Gagarin (drums).

Oh, Malô (Oh-muh-low) presents colorful soundscapes inspired by a series of emotions and experiences. Brandon Hafetz (lead vocals, guitar), Manu Fernandez (drums, percussion), Jordan Lagana (bass), and Jack McLoughlin (lead guitar, vocals) formed the band in early 2014. With immediate chemistry in place, the group completed writing its debut album in just three months. Oh, Malô pulls influence from such bands as Bombay Bicycle Club, Radiohead, Local Natives, and Jeff Buckley to create unpredictable timbres and arrangements. Their EP Blue is the first of three color-themed EP’s leading up to Oh, Malo’s debut album.

Margot Edwards is a manager in the Office of Media Relations. Media inquiries: medwards@berklee.edu.