Heavy Rotation Records Showcase: Julia Easterlin & Da'Rayia

Julia Easterlin is one part Regina Spektor, one part loop scientist, and a sophisticated musical mind that can wield composition, production, and performance in one fell swoop. Not only is Easterlin a versatile singer-songwriter, vocalist, pianist, and guitarist, but her looping machine also makes her into a virtual one-woman band. On songs like "Go Straightaway," she loops her vocals, building a multi-layered song live on stage, track-by-track. Her voice combines seduction with a haunting jazz edge and her music weaves story with an otherworldly vocal dance. Easterlin is to perform at Lollapalooza this summer.

Da'Rayia is a close-knit band of Berklee students and alumni that play a variety of genres, including hip-hop, jazz, soul, funk, rock, and reggae. Wilson, the group's namesake, was the first winner of the Berklee and Essence magazine hip-hop songwriting contest. She subsequently was awarded a full scholarship to attend Berklee. Wilson is a dual major in music business/management and contemporary writing and production, and is busy writing, performing, and producing her own music.