THESTORMREPORT ISSUE NO. 47

AUGUST 2017

Start Me Up! New Music Start-Ups to WatchKhalid

LauvMagic Giant

R.Lum.R.The Record Company

and more

TABLE OFCONTENTS

On the Cover:Khalid. Photo courtesy of management.

EYE OF THE STORMStart Me Up! New Music Start-Ups To Watch

STORM TRACKERMura Masa, Tomorrowland, Grace Vanderwaal, and Nav

STORM FORECASTWhat to look forward to this month.Box Office Wonder, Best Activations, Best TV and more

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

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5

6

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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!

For this month’s issue of THE STORM REPORT, we’ve highlighted a few of the most promising new music technology start-ups hoping to break into the market as the next big thing. Speaking of the big thing, this month’s issue features 19-year old Khalid on the cover who has experienced a meteoric rise to fame with his hit song “Location” and his latest single “Young Dumb and Broke” recently making its debut on the Billboard Hot 100. Betting on a new technology or a new artist is always a gamble. But some technologies and artists (like Khalid) are worth betting on. Find more on this, and more, in this month’s issue.

Enjoy!

Best,

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

STORM ALUMNI STORM STAFFJennifer SullivanEditor-in-Chief

Ian HechtAssistant Editor

Jennifer Sullivan/Chris Donovan Ian HechtWriter/Researcher

Jordan LeeDesigner

FUTURE

Storm 36

KEHLANI

Storm 24

ONE DIRECTIONStorm 2

3THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 47 August 2017

Soundtrack Your Brand in action, providing background music via smartphone.

Start Me Up! New Music Start-Ups to Watch By Chris Donovan and Jennifer Sullivan

Technology has always been intertwined with the music industry, playing a vital role in aspects of production, distribution, and promotion. Prince, Stevie Wonder and the heroes of the 70s and 80s shaped their sounds around the Moog modular synthesizers of the time. Skrillex popularized the use of virtual instruments such as the VST Massive when he burst onto the scene with his “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” dubstep EP. In recent years the onset of digital media, along with the MP3 format has made streaming services like Soundcloud and Spotify the preferred line of access to music for millions of consumers.

Music and technology continue to evolve together, as innovations in one field facilitate growth in the other. With such an astounding rate of advancements as we are currently seeing, the market has become highly saturated. Companies hoping to break into the market by catering to this all-important overlap are now expected to provide a higher caliber of product with a unique edge if they hope to achieve any measurable success. Thus, the competition grows, and with so many companies out there it can be hard to parse out which are worth your time. With that in mind, we’ve highlighted a few of the most promising new music start-ups out there right now:

GRUV MUSICThe algorithmic music generation is coming. Gruv and its associated open source project is all about bringing the ability to create music to everyone, regardless of formal training. By completely dismembering any barriers blocking entry into music production, Gruv puts the customer first.Gruv’s association with the considerable resources of Stanford University through Aran Nayebi and its Github open source project led by Matt Vitelli make it a company worth watching.

SOUNDTRACK YOUR BRANDSoundtrack Your Brand is a company that aims to make finding background music for business settings easier than ever. Although the general distribution of music has

been socialized through Soundcloud and the like, getting music into retail stores, elevators and businesses is still usually a privilege that is exclusive to major label artists. This will become a thing of the past if Soundtrack Your Brand expands. With the growth of this service, companies will be able to choose their own branded soundtracks from a wider array of artists, organized by the Soundtrack Your Brand algorithm.

The company already has partners such as Tag Heuer, and it is prominently backed by Spotify. They also have exclusive contracts with McDonalds restaurants in Sweden, the luxury 1 Hotels in South Beach, Miami, and Oak+Fort retail stores.

UPNEXTEnterprising start-ups are taking the act of discovering new music and integrating it into both the social media and gaming worlds. The app UpNext allows players to build a virtual record label. Participants sign upcoming acts, promote those acts, and compete with friends in an effort to prove who has the best ear for talent. Most notably, activity from the app can be directly tracked by Billboard, giving the artist the ability to directly measure how valuable UpNext is to a promotional effort. To the up-and-coming artist community, streams are becoming more important than sales, and knowing where those streams originate is invaluable data.

*Other companies that are worth watching include the blockchain licensing platform JAAK and Hurdl, a communications platform that has the ability to connect festival goers and event promoters.

SUCCESS IN TOMORROW’S WORLD OF MUSICThe companies mentioned above all have a couple things in common— a new technology that facilitates music production or distribution and a platform that puts the customer first. As the music industry as a whole continues adapt as part of the transition to digital media,

EYEOF THESTORM

4 THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 47 August 2017

there are plenty of young companies itching to make their mark on the scene. As we have seen with Napster, iTunes, and Spotify, revolutionary changes to the way we consume music have been caused by tech companies, not by the labels, agencies, or artists who work solely with music daily. Time will tell which new technology upends the industry yet again, but keeping an eye on the newest start-ups will put you ahead of the trend.

STORMTRACKERThe STORM rages on for our

alumni artists. Here’s what they were up to this month!

Mura Masa(STORM No. 33)

MURA MASAMura Masa (STORM #33) released his anticipated self-titled debut album in mid-July. Mura Masa’s sound, which  drifts between EDM, Pop, and Trap, is on full display through re-releases of his successful singles (Firefly, Love$ick) as well as new cuts (like Blu feat. Damon Albarn of The Gorillaz), and does not disappoint.

GRACE VANDERWAALTeen sensation Grace VanderWaal (STORM #43) released her first single of 2017 on July 17 to much fanfare. “Moonlight” embarks on a new direc-tion for Grace with a professionally produced bassline and drums backing up her trademark ukulele and lyricism, and hits the nail on the head.

TOMORROWLANDEurope’s premier dance music festival, Tommorrowland, kicked off in Boom, Belgium the weekend of July 21st. STORM artists in attendance in-clude Alan Walker (#38), Alison Wonderland (#42), KSHMR (#36), Kungs (#40), Lost Frequencies (#35), Marshmello (#39), Martin Garrix (#11), Sam Feldt (#35), San Holo (#44), Seven Lions (#17), and Sigala (#37).

NAV & METRO BOOMINMega-producers Nav (STORM #44) and Metro Boomin have linked up to co-produce the LP Perfect Timing. Naturally, two of the best produces in the game enlisted an all-star cast of guest features, including heavy-hitters such as 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, Belly, and Gucci Mane.

Alan Walker(STORM No. 38)

Grace VanderWaal(STORM No. 43)

Nav(STORM No. 44)

5THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 47 August 2017

Events and happenings for your radar.STORM

FORECAST

BOX OFFICE WONDER

Wonder Woman has made history by shattering the glass ceiling as the most successful female-directed film ever, bringing in $103+ million on its opening weekend

domestically, and $220+ million internationally. The film has been getting rave reviews as it currently sits at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, and holds the title for

the most tweeted movie of 2017 with over 2.19 million tweets.

BEST ACTIVATIONSArguably one of the best activations Comic-Con has ever

seen was Warner Bros’ Blade Runner 2049 activation. Fans entered an Oculus VR spinner ride that took them through

Blade Runner’s moody metropolis, then when they removed their headset, they found themselves in a fully-immersive physical set

imitating Blade Runner’s streets.

While not as large in scale, Westworld’s experience was equally immersive. Fans sat for personalized personality assessments

in an imitation Delos Station, then were whisked away to a completely immersive recreation of the show’s Mariposa

saloon, including live actors, handmade cocktails, and Season 2 Easter eggs.

TRENDSWhile Comic-Con is known for its fans going all out

on their costumes, a remarkably understated fashion trend has begun to take place. “Disneybounding” refers to

fans dressing in the same styles as their favorite characters, but with more modern attire. Expect to see more of this in the

future!

VR had a huge presence this year in the shape of many virtual reality experiences. Some experiences of note include Marvel’s

multiplayer VR game, “Marvel Powers United VR,” and Netflix’s new, fully VR version of their “Stranger Things

VR Experience.” Probably the most buzzed about experience was “Blade Runner 2049: Replicant Pursuit” which premiered at Comic-Con, and

is available on Gear VR as well.

BEST TVHot TV shows coming out of Comic-Con include Midnight Texas (NBC), Mr. Mercedes (on AT&T’s

Audience network), Marvel’s Defenders (Netflix), The Orville (FOX), Westworld (HBO), and Stranger Things

(Netflix).

With all the movie buzz this year, the standout films include Bright (Netflix), Ready Player One (Warner

Bros.), Justice League (Warner Bros.), Kingsmen: The Golden Circle (Fox), Black Panther (Marvel), and

Thor: Ragnarok (Marvel).

LOOKING BACK,LOOKING FORWARD.

As the dust settles post-SDCC (San Diego Comic-Con), the STORM team takes a peak at what’s to come for pop culture later this

year and beyond!

6 THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 47 August 2017

FRANCES ROSE

STANAJ

R.LUM.R.

CHROMATICS

KOI CHILD

LAUV

ELOHIM

THE SCORE

AGAINST THE CURRENT

WHITE REAPER

KHALID

THE 20 ARTISTS ON OUR RADAR

BAYNK

SYMBOL KEY

THE RECORD COMPANY

CHACE

WALLOWS

MAGIC GIANT

CAPTAIN SKA

SOPHIE FRANCIS

LUCY DACUS

SAMMY BRUE

Artist

1

9

5

13

17

3

11

7

15

19

2

10

6

14

18

4

12

8

16

20

Rank Audio/Video

N/A

Republic Records, Mercury Records

PRMD

Gold Standard Laboratories

Warner Music Australasia

ABC Tunes

B3BSI Records

Republic Records

Fueled by Ramen

Polyvinyl

RCA Records, Columbia Records

Bank Records

Concord

Destination

N/A

Universal Music Group, Razor & Tie, Concord

CAPTAIN'S RECORDS

Spinnin' Records, Dirty Dutch Music, Freeway

Matador Records, Audiotree Music

New West Records

Label

N/A

182

447

65

25

2811

87

383

52

5

4532

144

414

60

15

453

87

184

26

3

Score

College Kids, 20-Somethings

Teenagers, College Kids

Teenagers, College Kids, 20-Somethings

College Kids, 20-Somethings

College Kids, 20-Somethings

Teenagers, College Kids, 20-Somethings

College Kids, 20-Somethings

Teenagers, College Kids, 20-Somethings

Teenagers, College Kids

20-Somethings, 30-Somethings

College Kids, 20-Somethings

College Kids, 20-Somethings

20-Somethings, 30-Somethings

College Kids, 20-Somethings,

Young Professionals

Teenagers, College Kids

College Kids, 20-Somethings,

Young Professionals

20-Somethings, Young Professionals,

30-somethings

Teenagers, College Kids

College Kids, 20-Somethings

Teenagers, 20-somethings

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 playlist by clicking on the

buttons above.

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

STORMWARNING

7THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 47 August 2017

829K 185K 691K R&B Miguel, Frank Ocean

Khalid is an R&B breakout sensation you need to know about. His smash single "Location," has propelled him into the spotlight, which he capitalized on with his debut album Young Dumb & Broke, released in March, and his hit collaboration with Calvin Harris, "Rollin'."

Photo © by Kacie Tomita 2017

KHALID

8 THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 44 April 2017

New York-based singer/songwriter Lauv's sound falls somewhere between pop and R&B with a dash of electronic music in the mix. His song "The Other" has gone viral on Spotify, and currently has over 103 million plays.

Photo © by Jack McCain 2017

32K 53.4K 103K Alt Pop, Electronic, R&B James Blake, Owl Cities

LAUV

"American Teen' is a promising amalgam of bedroom

art-soul and 1980s new-wave pop maximalism, and a union of lonely-

boy mirror gazing with a sense of larger cultural purpose. It most vividly recalls the promise embedded in the soundtracks of John Hughes films — that an outsider’s story might in fact be the thing that can

unify and move millions."

— Jon Caramanica, NY Times

8 THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 47 August 2017

Best known for their single "Set On Fire," that charted in the top 30 of Billboard's Alternative Chart, MAGIC GIANT are an

33.7K 80.5K 3.4K Indie-Folk The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons

MAGIC GIANT

indie-folk band based out of Los Angeles. The band just released their debut studio album In The Wind in May of 2017 via Razor & Tie. Photo © by Brantley Gutierrez 2017

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10THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 36 April 2016

Originally trained as a guitarist, Reginald Lamar Williams Jr. (R.Lum.R.), is a young sensation quickly making his name in R&B. His single "Frustrated" has struck a viral chord, and is currently sitting with over 21 million streams on Spotify and heavy radio play.

Photo © by Cedrick Jones 2017

3.4K 16.8K 5.1K R&B Chris Brown, Bryson Tiller

R.LUM.R.

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Sophie Francis is an 18 year-old Dutch DJ poised to make her mark on the world of EDM. Signed to Spinnin' Records, Sophie's big-room, anthemic sound is made for the airwaves and festival speakers.

Photo © by David Arnal

20.9K 209K 17K EDM Martin Garrix, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike

SOPHIE FRANCIS

R.LUM.R.

Coming out of New York City, The Score are an indie pop band who's hit song "Oh My Love," climbed up to #1 on Spotify's viral chart. A record deal with Republic Records soon followed, most recently they released their Myths & Legends EP in March of 2017.

Photo © by Anna Lee 2017

N/A 16.8K 32K  Indie Pop Fun., Walk The Moon

THE SCORE

The Record Company is a roaring three-piece rock and roll band originating from Los Angeles. With undeniable blues influences, the band's debut album Give It Back to You is a stomper, and shows much promise for the group's future.

Photo © by Jacob Blickenstaff 2016

6K 39K 6.6K Rock and Roll, Blues Led Zepellin, Gary Clark Jr.

THE RECORD COMPANY

Indie-electronic group FMLYBND received a massive dose of publicity when their infectious song "Come Alive" was featured in the FIFA 2015 soundtrack. Since then, their

single "Electricity" has hit #1 on the Hype Machine Popular Charts twice, and with an album due out in an undisclosed near future, they a group to keep an eye on.Photo © by FMLYBND 2016

Elohim uses her powerful voice, live instrumentation, and crafted synths to create upbeat electronic music, and is gaining quite a fan base. Besides playing Lollapalooza, she recently announced an extensive US tour with EDM artist Alison Wonderland, which will begin in September.

Photo © by Chase O’Black 2017

6K 12.1K 4.8K Electronic, Electro-Pop Alunageorge, Phoebe Ryan

ELOHIM

22.3K 90.9K 20K  Soul, Pop John Legend, Adam Levine

884 5.5K 1.7K  House, Deep House Robin Schulz, Lost Frequencies

BAYNK

BAYNK is a New Zealand based EDM producer who creates laid-back house cuts. His songs "Poolside" and "What You Need" are particular standouts, and are receiving airplay on SiriusXM.

Photo © by Conor Pritchard 2017

Soulful pop singer Stanaj was noticed by most through glowing social media endorsements from the likes of Kim Kardashian, Russel Simmons, and Drake. And for good reason: this young vocal talent creates a unique blend of pop and R&B, best highlighted by his hit single "Romantic."

Photo © by Michael Lavigne 2016

STANAJ

4.8K 10K 6K Ska, Reggae Reel Big Fish, Sublime

CAPTAIN SKA

As the name suggests, Captain Ska creates Ska music with reggae influences. Much of their music is politically motivated, their song "Liar Liar GE2017" shot up to number

4 on the official UK charts and went viral on the internet.

Photo © by Kerry Holden 2017

13THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 47 August 2017

Chromatic's sound has changed over the years from noisy and chaotic to synth-based and poppy, with several of their songs being featured in TV series such as Gossip Girl, Mr.

N/A 158K 3.2K Synth-Rock The xx, Brodinski

CHROMATICS

Robot, and Twin Peaks. Their fifth studio album Dear Tommy is due out sometime in 2017. Photo © by Rene & Radka 2017

14 THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 47 August 2017

AGAINST THE CURRENT

202K 640K 1.7M Pop-punk Paramore, Evanescence

Like so many young artists Against the Current got their start by gaining a huge following on YouTube covering artists like Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen. Led by singer Chrissy

"In Our Bones’ is a versatile, ballsy take on

modern pop-rock, and it’s impossible not to sit back and admire as Chrissy, Dan and Will

take another step on the way to superstardom."

— Andy Biddulph, Rock Sound

Costanza's voice, Against the Current have an anthemic, poppy sound that is undeniably catchy. Photo © by Andrew Lipovsky 2016

One of the few international DJ's hailing from Asia, 18-year old Chace has a sound mature beyond his years. The Shanghai-based producer's pop-dance productions are trending around the world, earning him a mainstage performance at Tomorrowland 2017.

Photo © by Chloe Matanja 2016

3.7K 9.3K N/A House, EDM Duke Dumont, Jauz

CHACE

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KOI CHILD

Koi Child are a hip-hop band from Fremantle, Australia, formed when two bands, Kashikoi and Child's Play, combined. Their conscious rap flows slide smoothly over horns, synths, and 90's hip-hop-style beats, making for a layered, intricate listening experience.

Photo © by Daniel Craig - Matsu 2017

815 12.3K 4.7K Hip-hop Logic, Beastie Boys, Sublime

Coming out of the thriving indie-rock scene of Richmond, Virginia, Lucy Dacus creates thoughtful rock tunes with her rich voice and stellar songwriting. Her debut 2016 album "No Burden" was well-received, and instantly catapulted her into indie-rock stardom.

Photo © by management

3,676 14.1K 51K Indie-Rock Car Seat Headrest, Mitski

LUCY DACUS

"...she has a voice we haven’t quite heard

before—a twangy alto that sounds light and limber despite

its depth—and a unique talent for encapsulating the emotional truth of a moment in impressionistic lyrics that

feel effortless."

— Judy Berman, Pitchfork

"Fremantle seven-piece Koi Child

keep things playful and loose on a debut LP that ably channels

the Nineties neo-soul of the Roots and their Soulquarian collective…

Koi Child is an inviting first step that begs to be heard live in the smallest,

smokiest club possible."

— James Jennings, Rolling Stone

16 THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 47 August 2017

15.1K 9K 16K Rock Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes

WALLOWS

20-year-old 13 Reasons Why star Dylan Minnette, is not only an actor, he's also both singer and guitarist in the band Wallows. With a light-hearted rock sound, they only

have two singles out publicly, so there's a lot to look forward to with this young group.Photo © by Ella Hayes 2017

17THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 47 August 2017

4,295 12.7K 50K Alt Rock, Garage, Punk Van Halen, Cheap Trick

Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, White Reaper are a garage punk trio whose energetic, gritty songs have an undeniable pop flair. Their 2017 album, The World's Best American Band, received rave reviews despite it's self-deprecating title.

Photo © by Pamela Ayala 2017

WHITE REAPER

Sisters Sarah Frances and Michelle Rose create

80's-style dance music with heavy, vintage synth

sounds and pop vocals. While they only have two

singles out, "Vampire" and "Dangerous", they are

both absolute gems.

Photo © by Ola Wilk 2017

412 3K 20 Synth-Pop Lady Gaga, Madonna

FRANCES ROSE

SAMMY BRUE

Oregon- born, Utah-based Sammy Brue was already professionally playing his brand of country-folk by the age of 13. With a voice mature beyond his years, Sammy released him full-length debut, I Am Nice, in June of 2017.

Photo © by Joshua Black Wilkins

3K 5K 11K Folk, Country Woodie Guthrie, Pete Seeger

"The Louisville band sell classic pop-rock almost perfectly. Their sophomore album is smart, well-

polished, and cheeky—loaded with more riffs than you can fit into the

trunk of a Camaro."

— Ian Cohen, Pitchfork

SOURCES

PHOTO CREDITS

http://variety.com/2017/film/news/comic-con-2017-steen-spielberg-star-trek-ben-affleck-thor-1202505372/

https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/23/16017160/marvel-dc-watch-trailers-sdcc-2017

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-comic-con-2017-moments-20170724-htmlstory.html

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/lists/25-best-things-we-saw-at-2017-san-diego-comic-con-w493659

http://www.ocregister.com/2017/03/31/wondercon-2017-disneybounding-lets-you-dress-like-disney-characters-except-for-one-rule/

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-hc-comic-con-cosplay-pg-20170720-photogallery.html

http://www.gq.com/story/thor-ragnarok-trailer-comic-con

http://www.ocregister.com/2017/03/31/wondercon-2017-disneybounding-lets-you-dress-like-disney-characters-except-for-one-rule/

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BillboardBuzzFeedDigital Music NewsFilter MagazineGoogle TrendsGorilla vs. BearThe GuardianThe Huffington PostHypeBeastHype MachineThe IndependentLast.fmMetacriticMusic MetricThe New York TimesNMENoiseyNPRNylon MagazinePigeons & PlanesPitchforkPop MattersRolling StoneSoundCloudSpin MagazineSpotifyTeen VogueTimeYouTube

Front Cover: Khalid © Provided by management. Page 8: Khalid © 2017 Kacie Tomita. Lauv © 2017 Jack McCain. Page 9: Magic Giant © 2017 Brantley Gutierrez. Page 10: R.Lum.R. © 2017 Cedrick Jones. Page 11: The Record Company © 2017 Jacob Blickenstaff. The Score © 2017 Anna Lee. Sophie Francis © David Arnal. Page 12: Stanaj © 2016 Michael Lavine (Courtesy of Republic Records). BAYNK © 2017 Connor Pritchard. Elohim © Chase O'Black 2017. Page 13: Captain Ska © 2017 Kerry Holden. Page 14: Chromatics © 2017 Rene & Radka Page 15: Chace © 2016 Chloe Matanja. Against The Current © 2016 Andrew Lipovsky. Page 16: Lucy Dacus © Photo by management. Koi Child © 2017 Daniel Craig - Matsu. Page 17: Wallows © 2017 Ella Jayes 2017. Page 18: White Reaper © 2017 Pamela Ayala. Sammy Brue © Joshua Black Wilkins. Frances Rose © 2017 Ola Wilk.

© 2017 memBrain, LLC. All contents are proprietary,

confidential, and intended for use solely by the authorized

recipient hereof.

19THE STORM REPORT Issue No. 47 August 2017

Thanks for reading! See you next month.