Genre Jumble at T.T. the Bear's, April 21

Berklee presents its second Genre Jumble, a showcase of up-and-coming alumni and student bands, featuring rock, indie pop, folk, r&b, and psychedelic goth by The Help, Shea Rose, With Engines, and Black Fortress of Opium. After hosting a successful inaugural Genre Jumble event in December, the Office of Alumni Affairs is continuing its series that brings alumni and student bands on stage together. The Berklee Genre Jumble takes place at T.T. the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline Street, Cambridge, MA, on Tuesday, April 21. The show is 18+, $8 ($5 for Berklee alumni and students with ID), and begins at 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 617 492-BEAR or visit ttthebears.com.

About the artists:

The Help, a Boston-based band that started playing together in 1999 while the members were still in middle school, features Berklee student Will Cady and alumnus Greg Settino. The group blends rock, pop, punk, funk, blues, and jazz into a sound purely its own. They have shared the stage with national acts Dispatch, Cake, and many others, and performed at EarthFest 2008 at Boston's Hatch Shell. The Help recently released an EP titled Champions of Breakfast.

Shea Rose is a Berklee student who appears on Dorm Sessions 6, the new CD by Heavy Rotation Records. She recently opened for Nona Hendryx and Siedah Garrett, and recorded with Cindy Blackman in Italy. Said Andy Buckley on CapeCodToday.com, "She can't be put in a box. She's the black Rickie Lee Jones . . . the female Lenny Kravitz. . . . She's a singer/songwriter who can plug a hole in a soulful folk tune with a bit of rap."

With Engines, who appeared on Dorm Sessions 5, is a pop band composed of Berklee students John Ryan on guitar, harmonica, banjo, keyboard, and percussion; bassist Andrew Haas; drummer Josh Jones; and keyboardist Eli Winderman. Their edgy pop/folk songs have caught the ears of audiences around the country.  It's inevitable that once their wide range of melodies and influences reboots your auditory nerves, you'll want more With Engines in your life. Vroom vroom.

Black Fortress of Opium features Berklee alumni vocalist Adja Snyder and guitarist Tony Savarino. The group's songs are united by distinctive female vocals, varying from powerful and soulful to soft and plaintive, combined with American folk instruments and a heady brew of electric guitars that float, swoop, and soar over fluid drumming. Black Fortress of Opium recorded their debut album with producer Martin Bisi (Dresden Dolls, Iggy Pop, John Zorn, Sonic Youth, Brian Eno).