Heavy Rotation Records was developed for Music Business/Management majors at Berklee to gain hands-on experience in running a record company. Under the guidance of faculty advisor Jeff Dorenfeld, former manager of the band Boston, the staff oversees all aspects of the label's functions, including A&R, marketing, sales, touring, web development, media, and accounting. Song selection for Dorm Sessions Volume 5 was done last spring and summer. The A&R committee listened to the multitude of tracks submitted to the label, directly and through the Sonicbids website, ultimately choosing 10 artists to feature on the CD with two tracks each."We covered quite a bit of ground on this CD [musically]," says Dorenfeld. "What we look for in the submissions is strong material and a high-quality recording, since we don't do much re-recording."Dorm Sessions Volume 5 is the 10th HRR release since the label formed in 1995. Other releases include the all-female CD Shekinah: 13 Artists, distributed by Epic Records; and Apollo Sunshine's second album, co-released with spinART records. In addition to Apollo Sunshine, many up-and-coming artists have appeared on Dorms Sessions compilations, including Annie Clark (St. Vincent); The Click Five (then called Oscar Bravo); Big D & The Kids Table; Madi Diaz, who appeared at the Newport Folk Festival and recently on WXPN's World Cafe Live; and hip-hop artist Anjuli Stars, whose song "Raindrops" first appeared on Dorm Sessions Vol. 3 and was featured on Pitbull's album El Mariel.
The accomplishments of the label and its employees are ever growing. The students recently produced a promotional DVD about the label, and promote live events, including a showcase at the CMJ Music Marathon 2007, parties at SXSW 2006, 2007, and upcoming at SXSW 2008. Additionally, the label serves as a springboard for careers in the music industry. HRR alumni have gone on to work at major and independent record labels, including Interscope, Capitol, DreamWorks, BMG, and Universal, as well as in publishing, management, booking, and touring.
About the artists:The Peasantry was formed in 2006 by vocalists/guitarists/pianists Elliot Michaud, James Bookert, and Stephen Konrads, bassist Jeff Apruzzese, and drummer Nate Donmoyer. The band, whose members are all Berklee students, has quickly become known for its energetic live show. The Asbury Park Press described the group as "idiosyncratic and unpredictable," creating "clever and stimulating rock 'n' roll," has been featured twice on the podcast Break Thru Radio, receiving over 2 million plays within five days. It also appeared live on WERS, toured the East Coast, and recently released its debut EP. The Peasantry will soon release its second EP in an effort to continuously release new material and increase its momentum.
Turkuaz is a funk and neo-soul group comprised of Berklee students Taylor Shell and Dave Brandwein. With help from Elijah Aaron and Berklee students Mat Davidson, Mike Haziza, Greg Sanderson, and Jeremy Sinclaire, Turkuaz creates what it calls "intergalactic funk" to get your rump shaking. The group's tracks on Dorm Sessions Volume 5, "The Mountain" and "20 Dollar Bill," are also included on its debut album, Dollar Store, recently released by the Galaxy Smith collective. Turkuaz is already in the laboratory working on a follow-up, and is describing it as a "digital funk cluster."Kevin Ross, originally from Washington D.C., possesses the next meaningful voice of his generation. Ross is a trained vocalist and performer with an engaging stage presence and charismatic personality. His rich tone, creative ideas, and piano skills are influenced by some of the greats of r&b and soul, including Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye, and Luther Vandross. Ross recently sang live on BET's 106 and Park program, performing his single "Adore U," which also appears on Dorm Sessions Volume 5. He is a songwriting major at Berklee.
Annie Lynch and the Beekeepers are a Boston-base
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