Knar Bedian

Selected Sounds: Marching in Time

It is officially March. So, spring is going to start anytime now, right? Right? RIGHT? One can only hope. But, while we wait and continue to freeze, check out some of our team’s hot picks for this month!

Wednesday, March 6

Berklee Popular Music Institute Presents at Sinclair – Selected by Arielle

Come see rising local talent at the Berklee Popular Music Institute’s 19th Annual Sinclair show. These artists have been selected to represent Berklee on the festival circuit this summer. Country-Americana singer-songwriter, Jobi Riccio, will be playing at Country Lake Shake in Chicago, alongside country stars Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, and Luke Bryan. Internet comedian and rapper, MKULTRA, will be performing live at The Governors Ball in New York, whose lineup includes Tyler The Creator, Florence and the Machine, The Strokes, Kacey Musgraves, and Nas. Hip-hop, RnB songwriter, ALX, joins the Essence Festival lineup, featuring talent including Missy Elliot, Mary J. Blige, H.E.R., and Pharell Williams. The March 6th Sinclair concert will also showcase Berklee artists Jackie Foster, Roy Juno, and GOLDSPACE with Trey Kams. Find out where the rest of the artists will be performing this summer, and catch all of the acts before they hit the festival stages!

 

Thursday, March 7

A Boogie with da Hoodie at the House of Blues – Selected by Jared

“I go by the name of A-Boogie and I’m from Highbridge, the Bronx…where it all goes down.” A-Boogie wit da Hoodie is a new-school rapper that came up in New York City’s defiantly old-school hip-hop culture, where artists still pound the pavement to hand out CD’s and Hot 97 radio DJ’s still have the power to break artists.  Known to be a hyperactive performer who jumps from one speaker stack to the next, A-Boogie is coming to the House of Blues on March 10 to promote his latest album, Hoodie SZN.  His sound combines auto-tuned self-reflection, mellow flows, and electronic experimentation. He’s best known for the song, “Drowning,” featuring Kodak Black, but it was “The Jungle” that put him on the map, exposing the world to the young emcee’s savant-like ability to channel the feel of the city into a melody.  Attributing his success to his Highbridge upbringing, A-Boogie humbly describes his music by saying, “this is just what New York sounds like.”

Monday, March 11

Robyn at the House of Blues– Selected by David

Even if you haven’t been diagnosed with an incurable disease, it’s still worth staying in on a Friday night to dance your miseries away to Robyn. Unless of course, Robyn herself is coming to town. The Swedish pop master, who has arguably elevated pop music’s indie credibility more than any other contemporary artist, combines candid songwriting with innovative yet accessible production. Her music is made for crying and dancing at the same time; take advantage of it.

 

Monday, March 18

José González at Boston Symphony Hall – Selected by Mario

José González’s voice is soft, calm. Sometimes it’s melancholic as it plays with lyrics that delve into the surreal, that form more of a painting than an actual story. With a classical guitar on his lap, the Swedish-born songwriter will provide a night of mellow indie-folk songs that just might include some interesting acoustic covers of smash hits like Springsteen’s “Born in the USA.” Still touring after the release of his 2015 album, “Vestige & Claws,” this is not a show to be missed.

 

Monday, March 18

Collectif Medz Bazar at ONCE Somerville – Selected by Knar

If you’re a fan of Honk! or just looking for something different, this Paris-based act is one to see. Similar to the activist street bands who fill Harvard and Davis square every year, Collectif Medz Bazar challenges political and cultural boundaries with their “urban diaspora music.” The band blends traditional Armenian, Iranian, Turkish, and other Middle Eastern sounds with soul, jazz, and hip-hop to create both a fresh take on old folk songs and captivating original material. It’s not just their band moniker that’s in three different languages—be prepared to hop from language to language as their song lyrics are in Armenian, Arabic, English, Turkish, and French. This performance will be a quick stop following their SXSW performance, so be sure to catch them before they head back across the pond!

Saturday, March 23

Elizabeth Colour Wheel at O’Brien’s Pub – Selected by Kit

Seeing Elizabeth Colour Wheel live isn’t just a show, its an assault on the senses. The sheer volume of sound they produce causes your bones to rumble, and starts you wondering if this might be the day your tendons finally decide it would be easier to just give up. Their instrumentation completely envelops you in waves of massive, unrelenting doom while singer Lane Shi’s other worldly vocals pierce straight into the deepest reaches of your ear canals. With their members scattered across New England and New York, seeing Elizabeth Colour Wheel in their native Boston is a rare treat, one not to be missed for fans of life and music’s heavier sides.

Sunday, March 31

Fleetwood Mac at TD Garden – Selected by Alexis

Fleetwood Mac is classic rock royalty. The band, who began in London in 1967, have many prestigious honors, including being one of the top record-selling bands and securing a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. From “The Chain” to “Gold Dust Woman,” their twenty-two song setlist on this tour is nothing short of impressive. Known for their poetic, poignant lyrics, as well as Stevie Nick’s remarkably wistful voice and otherworldly aura, Fleetwood Mac never fails to put on a show that will stay with you for years to come.