THESTORMREPORT ISSUE NO. 34

DECEMBER 2015

2015 Year in ReviewAurora

BannersCarnage

The Knocksand more

TABLE OFCONTENTS

On the Cover:GRIMES, one of the top albums of 2015 and featured in STORM No. 1Photo © Ben Grieme for The Fader

EYE OF THE STORMCapturing lighting in a bottle. STORM team takes a look back at a year of music

STORM TRACKERThe latest from our STORM Alumni.58th Grammy Award nominees

STORM FORECASTWhat to look forward to this month.NYE Specials, Rose Bowl, Tours, Album releases

STORM WARNINGOur signature countdown of 20 buzzworthy bands and artists on our radar.

4

6

7

8

19 SOURCES & FOOTNOTES

ABOUTTHE STORM REPORT

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

STORM = STRATEGIC TRACKING OF RELEVANT MEDIA

The STORM Report is a compilation of up-and-coming bands and artists who are worth watching. Only those showing the most promising potential for future commercial success make it onto our monthly list.

How do we know?

Through correspondence with industry insiders and our own ravenous media consumption, we spend our month gathering names of artists who are “bubbling under”. We then extensively vet this information, analyzing an artist’s print & digital media coverage, social media growth, sales chart statistics, and various other checks and balances to ensure that our list represents the cream of the crop.

Why do we do it?

Music is the best way to sell products because it creates such a powerful emotional connection with an audience. The STORM Report provides our clients with a tool to harness the music that will be the most relevant to audiences in the near future, thereby becoming very useful for the enhancement of products, promotions, and platforms.

Hello STORM Readers!

2015 was an amazing year. This year brought long-awaited returns, introduced incredible new talent, and allowed veterans to justify their longevity. Music reflects and shapes our culture - and this year’s crop of emerging artists are a case in point. From strong female artists topping the charts to a boom in nostalgia and music harkening back to another era, 2015 was a pivotal year in new music. Looking forward, the 58th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on CBS on February 15, 2016 and we are proud that STORM alumni artists are nominated for over 40 awards in a wide range of categories. Who will take home the statue on music’s biggest night? What will 2016 hold for the music industry? Who will emerge a superstar? The possibilities are endless.

Happy New Year!

Jennifer

Jennifer SullivanPresident, memBrainEditor-in-Chief, The STORM Report

STORM ALUMNI STORM STAFF

Jennifer SullivanEditor-in-Chief

Jordan CaldwellWriter/Researcher

Jordan LeeDesigner

ANDRADAYMonth 2012

ELLEKINGMonth 2013

JAIMEXXMonth 2014

3THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 34 December 2015

STORM 2015: CAPTURING LIGHTING IN A BOTTLEThe memBrain STORM team takes a look back at a year of great music.

Music changed and resonated in 2015 in ways that no one could have predicted. Adele’s album “25” had the biggest sales week in history; in a world where streams and illegal downloads are increasingly the norm. Kendrick Lamar’s verses in “To Pimp a Butterfly” resonated, as the country was fraught with police brutality and racial tension. The Weeknd’s shadowy R&B broke into the spotlight, while Skrillex and Diplo’s “Jack U” project brought electronic music into the public eye with their Justin Beiber collaboration, “Where are U Now.” Taylor Swift and Drake solidified their status as superstars. Grimes (STORM No. 2) made a huge comeback in 2015 with “Art Angels” scoring critical acclaim as one of the best

albums of the year. And Tori Kelly emerged from social media platforms YouTube and Vine to become one of the biggest names in pop music with a GRAMMY nomination for Best New Artist.

While there were many winners, comebacks, and records broken in 2015, it’s hard to say if one genre, artist, or song, was heard louder than the rest. As fans have access to seemingly endless and unlimited streams – suiting every taste and every mood, the world of music continues to flatten giving way to more emerging (and international) artists than ever before.

To close the year, we’ve included a transcript

of a conversation held between STORM reporter Jordan Caldwell and memBrain president, Jennifer Sullivan exploring a year rich with a broad range of new artists.

Who was your favorite overall pick from this year’s list of STORM artists?

JC: I’ve been following Jamie xx (STORM No. 27) for a really long time, but he finally crossed over this year for mainstream pop access. My favorite up-and-coming person who I think is going do really big things is A.CHAL. My favorite live show is a tie between Ibeyi (STORM No. 30) in Central Park and Jamie xx.

JS: 2015 was a great year for women in music. Courtney Barnett (STORM No. 26) was my biggest revelation this year – she had one of the best debut albums I’ve heard in a long time. I am also really excited to see what 2016 holds for Alessia Cara (STORM No. 30), Elle King (STORM No. 22), Halsey (STORM No. 28), Tori Kelly (STORM No. 10) and Meg Myers (STORM No. 32) - all had breakthrough years this year. English rock band Wolf Alice (STORM No. 10 and No. 26) was on our report in 2013 as well, but their debut album was released in 2015 and they have already garnered a GRAMMY nomination for Best Rock Performance. My favorite up-and-coming artist is Aurora (Cover, STORM No. 34). I also must mention Twenty One Pilots (STORM No. 28) who have had some Billboard charting smashes this year with their debut – they are definitely a group to watch in 2016.

How do your overall music tastes relate to STORM?

JC: The music that I’ve been influenced by here I would rarely include as STORM artists themselves, because they’re super-underground and not really commercially viable. I live in Bushwick (New York) where the music is largely experimental. There are venues to experience Italian, German and French techno, for example - just lots of DIY (do-it-yourself) and more mingling. Those are the kinds of shows that I regularly go to. A lot of times I go to a show for the experience only – where it is super-ambient and producer-driven. I tend to identify artists

Tori Kelly (STORM No. 10) is nominated for a GRAMMY for Best New Artist.

Photo Credit by: © 2015 Sarah Barlow + Stephen Schofield

EYEOF THESTORM

4 THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 34 December 2015

GRAMMY Award nominee Wolf Alice (STORM No. 10)

Photo Credit by: © 2015 Emily Cheng

that are emerging from that scene and so much of what I am identifying is electronic-driven dance music or hip-hop/rap.

JS: And I tend to lean towards indie and alt rock – although Spotify’s Year in Review tells me that I listened to a lot of Indie Pop this year as well. If I’m just listening for myself, I will tune in to artists like Halsey, Meg Myers, Marmozets and Wolf Alice. Artists like Halsey and Aurora are also exciting for me because (like Lorde before them) they have the ability to cross over from the indie and alternative world onto the pop charts. And I like Leon Bridges because he is the kind of artist that defies the rules of what can be popular. He doesn’t fit neatly into a format, and I think that is a sign of the times – radio still matters, but it isn’t everything.

How does the next generation of artists become “successful?”

JC: The way that artists are raising to popularity now is on the strength of one or two songs. If I happen to like one song that’s buzzing, they have a shot. Even the strongest, most talented artists can be overshadowed if they don’t have that one song that breaks through.

JS: I agree. At the end of the day, it is all about the song. Artists can become superstars overnight with a great song – and songs can remain on the charts for months. What defines true success, however, is what happens after they have that moment in the spotlight. Andy Warhol’s “15 minutes of fame” may just be that for many of these artists. It’s simply just too crowded and competitive for “one-hit wonders.”

A lot of STORM artists are drawing on old-school influences. Is digital music is affecting present-day creativity?

JS: This is a great question! It is exciting to hear new and emerging artists borrowing influence from other eras as I believe it makes their music accessible to a much broader demographic of music fans. I heard tremendous 1960’s blues and soul influence this year with Leon Bridges, Meghan Trainor, Macklemore, The Arcs, Alessia Cara, etc. The Weeknd (STORM No. 1) also has a distinctive

80s influence – harkening back to Michael Jackson in his prime. Artists like Wolf Alice, The Early November, Deerhunter, Drenge and Marmozets are clearly channeling the ‘90s. It’s nostalgia. We’re flattening the timelines with streaming services, and there’s a generation of musicians that are borrowing, turning it into a really exciting time for new music. It’s all sounding different.

JC: We have more access to things, not just what we grew up listening to, and we want to repurpose that. That’s my grudge against the publishing industry, discouraging people from sampling; it’s the nature of how a lot of music is created now. The essence of music (like many forms of art) is cyclical. There’s always references happening, it’s the creative culture that hip-hop built - and I think publishing and copyright should do more to support it, rather than suppress it.

What are you looking forward to in 2016? What is next year going to sound like?

JS: There are so many artists that were on the STORM Report this year who are going to do big things in 2016. Aurora, Alessia Cara, Banners, Daya, BORNS, Hinds, Jack Garratt, Kacy Hill, The Struts…its exciting to see who rises to the top and has staying power.I’m looking forward to more female artists rising to the top of the charts in 2016 and seeing Adele live, of course. I had the

chance to see Grimes (STORM No. 1) live at the music conference and festival M for Montreal this year and was blown away – her new album “Art Angels” is an absolute masterpiece. I predict that 2016 will be a big year for a new crop of exciting female artists. I am anticipating that artists like Frances, Lapsley, Georgia and Fletcher will also be featured STORM artists in 2016.

JC: Yes! I feel like there’s not enough of that. I was at this festival here in New York, and there were just so many female drummers and guitarists coming to jam, it was so amazing. There’s definitely a big audience and community there.

There are a few conclusions we can draw from this year that will help us predict the sound of 2016. Electronic elements will increasingly creep into genres across the board, as it did this year in Justin Beiber’s “Purpose,” The Weeknd’s “Beauty Behind the Madness,” and Drake’s “If You’re Reading This Its Too Late.” Social media will increasingly make overnight successes, like we saw with Silento’s “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” and ILoveMakonnen’s “Tuesday.” As we increasingly stream our music, smaller artists will have the opportunity to be heard, but only real quality will float to the top.

5THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 34 December 2015

Wiz Khalifa(STORM No. 26) Song of the YearBest Soundtrack

Ed Sheeran(STORM No. 1) Song of the Year

Best Pop Solo Performance

Jack Garratt (STORM No. 18) is winner of the 2016 Brit Award for Critics' Choice; joining previous winners Emeli Sande, Sam Smith, James Bay, Jessie J and Adele. The Critics’ Choice Award highlights and identifies future British recording talent. 2015 has been a big year for Garratt, who will release his debut album ‘Phase’ on 19 February 2016 through Island Records.”

The STORM rages on for our alumni artists. Here’s what they were up to this month!

The 58th Grammy® Awards nomineesSTORM Alumni dominated the 2016 GRAMMY® nominations announced earlier this month with nearly every category featuring at least one former STORM Report artist. Tune in to CBS on February 15, 2016 to watch as several of these artists take home music’s top prize.

Alabama Shakes(STORM No. 1)

Album of the YearBest Rock Performance

Best Rock Song

Tori Kelly(STORM No. 11) Best New Artist

Elle King(STORM No. 22)

Best Rock Performance

Tame Impala(STORM No. 1)

Best Alternative Album

Wolf Alice(STORM No. 10)

Best Rock Performance

Kehlani(STORM No. 24)

Best urban Contemporary Album

Galantis(STORM No. 16)

Best Remixed RecordingBest Dance Recording

Courtney Barnett(STORM No. 26) Best New Artist

Andra Day(STORM No. 10)

Best R&B PerformanceBest R&B Album

Sam Hunt(STORM No. 26)

Best Country Album

STORMTRACKER

6 THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 34 December 2015

Album of the YearAlabama Shakes, Sound & Color (STORM No. 1)The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness (STORM No. 1)

Song of the YearWiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, “See You Again” (STORM No. 26)Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud” (STORM No. 1)

Best New ArtistCourtney Barnett (STORM No. 26)James Bay (STORM No. 16)Sam Hunt (STORM No. 26)Tori Kelly (STORM No. 11)

Best Dance RecordingGalantis, “Runaway (U&I)” (STORM No. 16)

Best Rock PerformanceAlabama Shakes, “Don’t Wanna Fight” (STORM No. 1)Elle King, “Ex’s & Oh’s” (STORM No. 22)Wolf Alice, “Moaning Lisa Smile” (STORM No. 10)

Best Alternative Music AlbumAlabama Shakes, Sound & Color (STORM No. 1)Tame Impala, Currents (STORM No. 1)

Best urban Contemporary AlbumKehlani, You Should be Here (STORM No. 24)Lianne La Havas, Blood (STORM No. 3)The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness (STORM No. 1)

Best Country AlbumSam Hunt, Montevallo (STORM No. 26)Kacey Musgraves, Pageant Material (STORM No. 13)

Best Dance/Electronic AlbumJamie XX, In Colour (STORM No. 27)

Best Rock SongAlabama Shakes, “Don’t Wanna Fight” (STORM No. 1)Elle King, “Ex’s & Oh’s” (STORM No. 22)James Bay, “Hold Back the River” (STORM No. 16)

Best Rock AlbumJames Bay, Chaos and the Calm (STORM No. 16)

Best R&B PerformanceAndra Day, “Rise Up” (STORM No. 10)The Weeknd, “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)” (STORM No. 1)

Best R&B AlbumLeon Bridges, Coming Home (STORM No. 26)Andra Day, Cheers to the Fall (STORM No. 10)

Best Rap PerformanceFetty Wap, “Trap Queen” (STORM No. 26)

Best Rap/Sung CollaborationJidenna feat. Roman GianArthur , “Classic Man” (STORM No. 29)Kendrick Lamar feat. Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat, “These Walls” (STORM No. 30)

Best Rap SongFetty Wap, “Trap Queen” (STORM No. 26)

Best Pop Solo PerformanceEllie Goulding, “Love Me Like You Do” (STORM No. 2)Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud” (STORM No. 1)The Weeknd, “Can’t Feel My Face” (STORM No. 1)

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual MediaThe Weeknd, “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)” (STORM No. 1)Ellie Goulding, “Love Me Like You Do” (STORM No. 2)Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, “See You Again” (STORM No. 26)

Best Boxed/Special Limited Edition PackageFather John Misty, I Love You (STORM No. 25)

Best Engineered Album, Non-ClassicalAlabama Shakes, Sound & Color (STORM No. 1)

Best Remixed Recording, Non-ClassicalGalantis, “Runaway (U&I)”, (STORM No. 16)

The 58th Grammy® Awards nominees

memBrain STORM Artists Nominated for Awards at the 58th GRAMMY® Awards.

STORMTRACKER

7THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 34 December 2015

AURORA

MAALA

BANNERS

CHELSEA LANKES

SAYWECANFLY

THE KNOCKS

THEY.

AQUILO

JORDAN BRATTON

JACOB WHITESIDES

CARNAGE

THE 20 ARTISTS ON OUR RADAR

KILL THEM WITH COLOUR

SYMBOL KEY

MACHINEHEART

TUNJI IGE

JAY PRINCE

ANDERSON .PAAK

WET

HINDS

MR. CARMACK

DANNY SETH

Artist

1

9

5

13

17

3

11

7

15

19

2

10

6

14

18

4

12

8

16

20

Rank Audio/Video

Glassnote, Decca Records

Sony Music Entertainment New Zealand

Island Records

Binary Records

Epitaph Records

Big Beat Records

Mind of a Genius

Island Records

RCA Records

Double U Records

Ultra Records

MTA Records

Binary Records

Unsigned

Unsigned

Steel Wool / OBE

Columbia Records

Mom + Pop

Unsigned

Unsigned

Label

907

56

172

14

8.9

619

47

74

10.7

128

699

49

127

14

7

524

44

57.5

10

6

Score

College Kids, 20-Somethings,

Young Professionals

College Kids, 20-Somethings

All ages

Teenagers

Teenagers, Young Parents

20-Somethings, Young Professionals

Men

College Kids

College Kids, 20-Somethings,

Young Professionals

Teenagers, Young Professional Women

Kids, Teenagers

College Kids

College Kids, 20-Somethings

Young Professionals

College Kids, 20-Something Guys

20-Somethings

Young Professional Men

20-Somethings, Young Professionals

20-Somethings, Young Professionals

Men

College Kids, 20-Somethings,

Young Professional

College Guys, 20-Something Guys

Target Demo

Twitter

Facebook

YouTube

SoundCloud

Genre

Similar Artists

STORM has a new formula!

Artists are now ranked by the number

of Shazams for their most recent

track, divided by the number of days

that track’s been available online.

Click on the SoundCloud and

YouTube icons next to each artist on

the chart for featured audio tracks and

video performances.

Also, check out our comprehensive

Spotify & Apple Music playlists by

clicking on the buttons above.

C L I C K H E R E F O R

STORMWARNING

8 THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 34 December 2015

January is a big month for pop culture and entertainment.Look out for these awesome events!

STORMFORECAST

TOURS

Janet Jackson continues on her Unbreakable World Tour, hitting the South-and-Northwest regions through the end of

January. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band continue on The River Tour with dates

across the East Coast in Jan. 2016, while Ozzy returns with Black Sabbath: The

End crosses through the Midwest.MOVIE

RELEASESSee Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin

Freeman reprise their roles as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson in a one-off episode of

Sherlock: The Abominable Bride on Jan. 5, 2016. Kevin Hart and Ice Cube return for another

showdown in Ride Along 2 on Jan. 15 and watch John Krasinski try to save the day after an

attack takes place on the U.S. Special Mission Compound and a nearby CIA Annex in

Benghazi in 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, also on

Jan. 15.

102ND ROSE BOWL

Friday, January 1, 2016

Big Ten Conference West Division champion Iowa Hawkeyes face off against the Pac-12

Conference champion Stanford Cardinal on New Years Day. Sponsored by the Northwestern

Mutual financial services organization, the game is officially known as the

Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual.

AWARDSSHOW

SEASONJanuary 6 – 10, 2016

Jane Lynch is set to host the 2016 People's Choice Awards, which will air live from Los Angeles at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6 on CBS. The 73rd annual Golden

Globe awards will air Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016 at 8 p.m. live on NBC from the Beverly Hilton. The 73rd annual Golden Globe awards will air Sunday,

Jan. 10, 2016 at 8 p.m. live on NBC from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills,

California.

NYESPECIALS

Thursday, December 31

Tune in to your favorite stations for the midnight countdown featuring some of today’s most popular artists. Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest

(ABC) will feature One Direction, Carrie Underwood, Walk The Moon, 5 Seconds Of Summer, Ellie

Goulding, Tove Lo, Fall Out Boy, Elle King, Rachel Platten, Demi Lovato, Luke Bryan and more.

And New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly (NBC) will feature Tony Bennett,

Lady Gaga, Seth ALBUMRELEASES

On Jan. 8, 2016 you can own the ultimate digital collection of Star Wars scores from

John Williams & London Symphony Orchestra for $49.99. The second studio album, Joyride, from STORM alumni (No. 3) Tinashe is also set to drop

on Jan. 8. Santigold is back with a new album, 99¢, the follow up to her 2012 album Master of My Make-Believe on Jan. 22. Sia returns with This

Is Acting, Brian McKnight with Better and STORM No. 26 alumni Charlie Puth

debuts with Nine Track Mind all on Jan. 29.

9THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 34 December 2015

AURORA19-year old Norwegian singer-songwriter AURORA, with her icy electronic textures, spare beats, and emotive vocals makes dark pop for the present, if not for the future. Her

debut EP, Running with the Wolves, received widespread approval, and her debut album is expected to be released February 2016.

Photo © HART+LËSHKINA

14.5K 61KK 60.4K Pop-Folk Lorde, Lykke Li, Sia

JENNIFER’S TOP PICK!

10 THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 33 December 2015

Influenced by artists ranging from The Beatles to Arcade Fire, Michael Joseph Nelson comes from Liverpool, UK and performs under the moniker BANNERS. Together tith Canadian producer Stephen Kozmeniuk, Banners have started to garner attention for the anthemic indie pop track “Shine a Light.”

Photo © Banners Management

1.6K 3K 2K Pop Rock, Anthemic Pop James Bay, Coldplay

BANNERS

Carnage scaled the dance music ladder almost instantaneously after remixing Hardwell’s “Spaceman”. In 2014, his popularity skyrocketed after posting about #ChipotleGang and the hashtag started trending worldwide. He is one of the few Hispanic DJs to break out in the electronic dance music industry.

Photo © Timothy Saccenti

211K 860.6K 84K Trap/EDM, Drum and Bass Flosstradamus, Bro Safari

CARNAGE

1111 THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 33 December 2015

15.6K 77.3K 10.7K Pop, Indie Dance The Chainsmokers, Goldroom

THE KNOCKS

Ben “B-Roc” Ruttner and James “JPatt” Patterson’s big break came when their single "Make It Better" was used for a nationally televised Corona campaign. Their debut album 55, to be released in 2016, will feature

collaborations with Wyclef Jean, Carly Rae Jepsen, Matthew Koma, Walk the Moon, and more.Photo © Rachel Couch

THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 33 December 201512

1.8M 1.5M 323K Singer-Songwriter; Pop Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheeran

JACOBWHITESIDES

The North Carolina-born singer moved to New York City just over three years ago to pursue her music full time. Describing her music as "soul/electronic fusion.. future soul", she released four tracks via SoundCloud this year that have helped her build a following and establish her future soul sound.

Photo © Andi Elloway

Anderson .Paak is an Oxnard, California-born singer, rapper and producer. In November 2013, Paak produced and recorded Cover Art, an all-covers EP that transformed folk and rock classics into a mold of soul, jazz, hip hop, and R&B. His next project, Malibu, is slated to drop on January 15, 2016.

Photo © Erik Ian

211K 860.6K 84K Trap/EDM, Drum and Bass Flosstradamus, Bro Safari

ANDERSON.PAAK

13THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 34 December 2015

JORDAN’S TOP PICK!

6.4K 25.4K 16.7K Indie Pop/Rock/Electronic Honne, Muse

Tom Higham and Ben Fletcher are English duo AQUILO hailing from Silverdale, Lancashire. The duo's music has been described as "soft, calm electro-pop" and "a ravishingly refined sort of dreamily sad electronica". They've released three EPs to date, most recently Calling Me in June 2015.Photo © Jack Davison

3.8K 12.9K 3.4K Indie Pop/Rock Phoebe Ryan, Tove Lo

MACHINEHEART

AQUILO

Stevie Scott (vocals), Trevor Kelly (acoustic guitar), Harrison Allen (drums), Carman Kubanda (electric guitar), and Jake Randle (bass) together form the fast-rising pop group machineheart. The LA based group gained attention for their single "Circles” after its release in March this year.Photo © Harper Smith

10K 31.1K 5.6K Indie Rock Velvet Underground, The Pastels

HINDS

The Spanish indie rock band Hinds comprises Carlotta Cosials (vocals, guitar), Ana García Perrote (vocals, guitar), Ade Martín (bass), Amber Grimbergen (drums). Hinds embarked on their first-ever world tour, and also made their SXSW debut this year, playing 16 concerts in just four days. Photo © Aaron Serrano

14 THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 33 December 2015

“Art flows through the veins

of this Trinidadian-Canadian, in all shapes

and forms.”

—Thump

MAALA is 20-year old Evan Sinton, one of the fastest rising New Zealand natives in 2015. His slick, radio-ready debut self-titled EP was released in August. The singles ‘Touch’ made it to radio in New Zealand and ‘In The Air’ premiered as Zane Lowe’s World’s First for Beats 1 on Apple Music.

Photo © Leah Kent McKillop

MAALA <1K 2.8K <1K Experimental/Electronic Rock Chet Faker, Broods

Kill Them With Colour is Wesley Marsh. The producer and remixer has produced a variety of remixes and originals, that go from chill and wavy, to bass thumping and room-shaking sounds. This year he's played festivals such as Firefly, Coachella, and Moonrise, and had a number one song on Hype Machine.

Photo © Management

5.5K 11.2K 2.1K Electronic Cut Copy, Classixx

KILL THEM WITH COLOUR

KIRK’S TOP PICK!

15THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 33 December 2015

“A label bidding war have

made the indie R&B group the toast of the

tastemakers.”

—Billboard

The Brooklyn trio -- composed of Kelly Zutrau, Joe Valle and Marty Sulkow -- made a splash on the scene in 2013 after debuting with their self-titled EP via Neon Gold Records. Their most recent SoundCloud single "It's All In Vain", released on Nov. 11, 2015, has nearly 180k plays to date.

Photo © Milan Zrnic

10.5K 32.9K 12K Lo-Fi Pop LANY, Banks

WET

Dante and Drew are the LA-based production-singer duo that goes by the name of THEY. Their Nü Religion EP, the first of a three part EP series, was premiered on Ebro Darden’s Beats 1 radio show, where the host proclaimed the group to be “the crew you need to know and invest time in.”

Photo © Vik Soos

<1K 1K Hip-Hop/R&B Gallant, JMSN

THEY.

16 THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 33 December 2015

Hailing from Fort Worth, Texas, Lankes began her career in 2012 with the release of an EP titled Ringing Bell. In March of this year, Lankes returned with a second EP release titled Down For Whatever/Too Young to Fall In Love. She most recently released the single "Home" on Nov. 5, 2015.

Photo © Skip Hopkins

3.6K 7.1K 2.4K Indie Pop Taylor Swift, Carly Rae Jepsen

CHELSEALANKES

Tunji Ige, the 20-year old rapper/producer/singer made waves for his track "Day2Day," and received more praise after being remixed by Michael Christmas and STORM alumni iLoveMakkonen. After the release of his debut The Love Project to warm reception, Ige is back in 2015 with the single "On My Grind".

Photo © Josh Goldenberg of BrainBandits

5.7K 3K Hip-Hop/R&B Kid Cudi, Travis Scott

TUNJI IGE

17THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 33 December 2015

“The honorable

outcome of true passion, hard work, and

most importantly, his rare, raw talent.”

—EARMILK

4.3K 6.1K 2K Soul/Electronica, R&B Justine Skye, Kehlani

JORDAN BRATTON

Jordan Bratton, the contemporary R&B singer, songwriter, and producer caught the attention of RCA, who signed him on the strength of an impressive performance. Bratton's official debut single, "Danger," featuring Fabolous, was released in early 2015 as the teaser for the EP Youth, released in May.

Photo © Brandan Art

Aaron Carmack, aka Mr. Carmack, is at the forefront of the hip-hop and electronic scene, affiliated with innovative labels and collectives like Soulection and Mad Decent.

His exposure swelled over the summer with the release of "All In" featuring Kehlani. The track has nearly 3M streams to date.Photo © Dom Stills

49K 64.7K <1K Trap, Instrumental Hip-Hop Djemba Djemba, RL Grime

MR. CARMACK

IAN’S TOP PICK!

18 THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 33 December 2015

199K 674.4K 148.3K Acoustic Pop, Folk The Ready Set, Forever the Sickest Kids

SAYWECANFLY

Braden Barrie is an Ontario-based singer/songwriter that goes by the stage name SayWeCanFly. Last year, he embarked on a 26-city U.S. Tour to promote his Between The Roses album. He finished up the last few dates of the tour with support from Wind In Sails, Sounds Like Harmony and Casey BollesPhoto © Adam Crossman

6.3K 10.3K 2.3K Hip-Hop, R&B/Soul Vic Mensa, Kaytranada

JAYPRINCE

Another Soulection affiliate is the East London-based rapper/producer Jay Prince. Prince made his U.S. debut this year with the release of his project Before Our Time and performances at SXSW. His style has been described as a chilled and mellow nostalgic vibe, with complex poetic lyrics and flow.Photo © Graham Turner

15.2K 11.3K 5.1K Hip-Hop, Grime G-Eazy, A$AP Rocky

DANNYSETH

A member of the London-based collective Last Night in Paris, Seth shared a 17-track free album called Perception in September of this year that has created a buzz around him online. He first gained popularity after appearing on G-Eazy's track "Lotta That" alongside ASAP Ferg last June.Photo © Jordan Green

THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 33 December 2015 19

SOURCES

PHOTO CREDITS

https://www.grammy.com/nominees

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-34936992

http://www.billboard.com/photos/6792633/best-albums-of-2015/1

http://www.complex.com/music/best-albums-of-2015/

http://mashable.com/2015/12/15/best-albums-2015/#z45Cg1Ddkkq6

http://www.nme.com/photos/nme-s-albums-of-the-year-2015/394320#/photo/1

http://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/463-npr-musics-50-favorite-albums-of-2015/

http://pigeonsandplanes.com/2015/06/best-albums-of-2015-so-far/s/towkio-wav-theory/

http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9764-the-50-best-albums-of-2015/

http://www.albumoftheyear.org/ratings/35-rolling-stone-highest-rated/2015/1

http://www.spin.com/featured/the-50-best-albums-of-2015/

http://stereogum.com/1845609/the-50-best-albums-of-2015/franchises/2015-in-review/

http://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/487-the-daily-beasts-best-albums-of-2015/

http://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/495-the-wires-best-releases-of-2015/

http://www.vulture.com/2015/12/10-best-albums-of-2015.html#

http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2015/top-new-artists

http://pigeonsandplanes.com/2015/06/best-new-artists-of-2015-so-far/

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/best/tracks/1/

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Front Cover: Grimes © 2015 Ben Grieme for The Fader. Page 3: Andra Day © 2015 Myriam Santos. Elle King © 2015 Shane McCauley. Jamie xx photo provided by management. Page 10: Aurora © 2015 HART+LËSHKINA. Page 11: Banners photo provided by management. Carnage © 2015 Timothy Saccenti. Page 12: The Knocks © 2015 Rachel Couch. Page 13: Anderson .Paak © 2015 Erik Ian. Jacob Whitesides © 2015 Andi Elloway. Page 14: Machineheart © 2015 Harper Smith. Aquilo © 2015 Jack Davison. Hinds © 2015 Aaron Serrano. Page 15: Malaa © 2015 Leah Kent-McKillop. Kill Them With Colour photo provided by management. Page 16: They. © 2015 Vik Soos. Wet © 2015 Milan Zrnic. Page 17: Chelsea Lankes © 2015 Skip Hopkins. Tunji Ige © 2015 Josh Goldenberg of BrainBandits. Page 18: Jordan Bratton © 2015 Brandan Art. Mr Carmack © 2015 Dom Stills. Page 19: SayWeCanFly © 2015 Adam Crossman. Jay Prince © 2015 Graham Turner. Danny Seth © 2015 Jordan Green.

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