Lorde ⋆ Melodrama

June 16, 2017 Scrimshaw Collective

Do Yourself A Favor & Listen To Lorde's Sophomore Album, Melodrama

'Green Light' means go. As I trust (and hope) you all do when listening to an album the first go-round, you start with track one and play it all the way through. Ideally with no distractions or stops, devoting your best attention and appreciation to the music; and that's precisely what we've done with Melodrama. From the California coast to the metropolis of New York, we've given Lorde's sophomore album a proper listen (as we're sure the rest of the global community has as well), and she's lit a digital firestorm. One could fathom the pressure a young woman - who's debut album, Pure Heroine, garnered such renown acclaim - has weighing on her to create a second album of equal or more triumphant quality. Well, ladies and gentlemen, Lorde has done it again!

"Broadcast the boom boom boom boom and make 'em all dance to it."

It's likely that if you have access to internet, you've already heard a few of the electric hits from the New Zealand artist's new release. Tracks such as "Liability," "Sober" and "Perfect Places" (to name just a few), were released over the past two-three months, in anticipation of the big day, i.e. TODAY! Lorde, who's given name is Ella Yelich-O'Connor, wrote and produced the album with the talents of her dear friend and Bleachers' lead, Jack Antonoff. The collaborative talents of Flume, Tove Lo, Frank Dukes, plus many more were also part of the magic! Now stop reading, and get to listening. Like we said, start at the beginning and work your way down... but we can't lie that after the first cycle, we may or may not be listening to "Homemade Dynamite" & "The Louvre" on repeat. Now, raise a glass for this talented Kiwi tonight, have a great Friday, and an even better weekend!

"Our rules, our dreams, we're blind
Blowing shit up with homemade d-d-d-dynamite."

Scrimshaw Sessions ➳ Artists to Watch: 2017

January 11, 2017 Scrimshaw Collective

With a new year, comes many resolutions. A healthier diet; a better workout regiment; reading more; whatever your heart desires. These are all things we at Scrimshaw try to emulate all year round, not solely at the turn of a new year. By no means are we claiming we're the best at resolutions - cause we ain't - but why not try to better yourself day in and day out, all year long. One thing that we're always on the hunt for, 24/7/365, is the best of new music. With the likes of Spotify's algorithms such as New Music Fridays, Discover Weekly, Release Radars, and a number of other services, new music is more accessible than ever. After some serious musical dissection, we've forecasted our top artists who are going to have outstanding 2017s. Some of these acts have been at it longer than others, but overall we have good feelings that this year is their year to shine. A number of these acts will be touring this year, so please get out and see them. We love them all, we hope you do to - ENJOY LISTENING!

1) Khalid

Hailing from El Paso, Texas, this 18-year-old artist is ready to take on the world. He's currently letting his soulful voice be heard across the country on his Location Tour. Khalid brings his modern twist to an old soul vibe, creating some serious beats. Catch an incredible performance in New York City next Thursday the 19th at SOBs (Sounds of Brazil), before he heads South then West. Already, with over 1.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Khalid is bound to have a monumental year.

2) The Suffers

Self-coined as Gulf Coast Soul, the ten-person musical group has been on the scene since 2011 and they've been heating up ever since. With over 150 shows across the nation, The Suffers are coming in hot - and aren't going anywhere. Performing at a plethora of music festivals, throwing down their own NPR Tiny Desk Concert, and finishing up touring with Lake Street Dive, this phenomenal squad culturally mixes a blend of genres to create something truly beautiful. They're touring across the Southeast soon, then off to Europe. Give them all the listens either in person, or with their self-titled album "The Suffers"!

3) Whitney

With roots from Chicago, and getting their start in 2015, Whitney is taking the music scene by storm. Their single "No Woman" has been a massive success, and their full album "Light Upon The Lake" blends folky guitar with a unique sound of vocals. There are times when you feel slightly transported back in time listening to Whitney, while their indie rock sound keeps you coming back for more. You'll have their album on repeat - guaranteed. Internationally touring across Asia, Australia, they'll be back in North America through May, then across to Europe for June. Catch them wherever tastefully curated venues are operating.

4) JONES

Trust us, that when you hear JONES' music you're going to melt with her. The London based songstress enchants us with her soulfully infused tunes, and sultry vocals. Her debut album "New Skin" is out now and her alternative R&B/pop music will wow you, just as it has us. JONES worked with a impressive crew of producers for this album (including HONNE, Justin Parker and Tourist to name a few) to put out something she should really be proud of. JONES, please make your way to the States ASAP - we can't wait to hear you live!

5) Roosevelt

This song will absolutely spark some essence of summer, as the German producer Roosevelt belts out a synthetic electro-pop hit, "Fever". The track featured on his self-titled album "Roosevelt" out last August, is just one of twelve that will get your feet dancing and your hips swaying. His music has a very upbeat sound, that almost makes you feel like you're grooving in slow motion. In October, he dropped a cover of the Womack & Womack hit, "Teardrops" that's really gushing the 80s inspired feel, which you'll definietly hear throughout his music. Dance it out with Roosevelt.

6) Elujay

The inspirationally talented Elujay is bringing feel good jams to the world while singing about real issues. The Oakland based artist has been in the music scene for ages, with a number of singles such as "Soul Food" and "Pushing Lines" culminating with the release of this first full album, "Jentrify". Elujay invited a number of artists to this project, including Rexx Life Raj and Ymtk to name a few. With roots in California, we believe that the nation will soon know Elujay's name and powerfully curated music.

7) MUNA

The LA based trio, describes themselves on their website as a: "brooding sensuality of R&B, rhythms of funk and pop rock, and audacity of synthpop with raw, unbridled lyricism." We couldn't have said it better ourselves (thus the direct quote). Katie, Naomi, and Josette's first single "Winterbreak" took the world by storm. So much so, that the EDM-king himself, Tiësto, remixed it into one of 2016's best summer dance hits. MUNA is off on tour with the Lo Moon, and will of course be tearing it up at Gov Ball in early June. Listen to these bad ass ladies and you'll be glad you did. #MUNAFTW

8) liv

Translated in English to "life", liv, is a Swedish collaboration for the ages. This powerhouse of a gang consists of Lykke Li, Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John, plus Andrew Wyatt & Pontus Winnberg of Miike Snow, and Jeff Bashker. Their first song together, "Wings of Love" embraces a lightness that makes you want to hold hands with someone - or run naked through the woods like Li's directed in the above video (we're going to go out on a limb and say this video probably counts as NSFW, but use your judgement - we trust you to be smart). Most of these musicians have been working together for some time in a variety of capacities, so it's inevitable that liv's got much more up their sleeves as they embark into an amazing year ahead.

9) KINGDM

What appears to have started by the masterminds of Luca Masini & Reuben James, resulted in the electronic-pop band KINGDM. Self-described on their Facebook page as "Music for the people," KINGDM's beats almost immediately put you poolside, with a frozen cocktail in your hand, set for a colossal sunset. KINDGM has four massive singles out now on Spotify and joined forces with Kevin Garrett & SG Lewis for their track "Baby". With support from Apple Music, Majestic Casual, Noon Pacific, and Spotify, KINGDM had a rockin' 2016, but we foresee their success getting even stronger in 2017. Stay tuned and get amped.

10) Mt. Joy

With only one song on Spotify that's been played over 2.3 million times, Mt. Joy's "Astorvan" captured not only our hearts, but a monthly listener pool of more than 250K. Mt. Joy belts it out in this folksy tune about how Jesus actually drives an Astrovan. With some awesome album artwork, a tune that's got some serious buzz, we can't wait to hear what else Mt. Joy puts out in 2017.

Scrimshaw Sessions ➳ Top 10 of 2016

December 30, 2016 Scrimshaw Collective

2016 was been a wild one, across the board. But luckily, the music world has been overall exemplary. After some serious filing down, we were able to sift through the hits, to find our favorite tracks from the past year. Some artists have been around for sometime, and others had their debut year, but at the end of the day, these acts are all doing what they love, which is producing quality music. We hope you enjoy our top tracks and that you all have safe and awesome New Years celebrations -- see you in 2017! Enjoy!

1) "Dog Years" by Maggie Rogers

Maggie Rogers, a Brooklyn based artist who just had the year of her life, is a name to remember. Maggie is probably best known for her song “Alaska”, which by itself could have launched her career, but was only enhanced when it was played for Pharrell in his Masterclass at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute where his reaction was: “I’ve never heard anything that sounds like that. That’s a drug for me.” Fortunately, this gave Maggie an outlet we were all hoping for in bringing her music into our homes. While “Alaska” is brilliant, our favorite song of hers thus far is “Dog Years”. The way she mixes sounds under her unique voice is something refreshing to the music industry. It sounds so raw and genuine when she sings, which is only heightened by her lyrical depth.

2) "Same Drugs" by Chance the Rapper

One’s bound to lead a thoroughly impressive life with the first name Chancelor, and Chance the Rapper’s musical intelligence is nothing shy of greatness. Immediately upon release in May, Chance’s third mixtape, "Coloring Book", gained universal praise stacked with incredible tracks and phenomenal production. The sixth track’s intimacy begins with a sole piano, and grows incrementally by incorporating gospel-inspired vocals, drum beats, strings, and so on. Age effects change, and Chance dances with Wendy in reflecting on the past while realizing the present.

3) “ILYSB” by LANY

“ILYSB” (I Love You So Bad) is beautiful and sure to make you feel cool, nostalgic, and sexy all at the same time. Taking it a step further, LANY released “ILYSB – Stripped”, which is a slower, vocal rendition of the song that the world deserved. Even though LANY released their latest album, “kinda”, more recently than this song, it deserves all the recognition it can get, and more. Not only does LANY put on a killer live show, but their coolness exudes style and lyrical finesse.

4) “Friends” by Francis and the Lights ft. Bon Iver

Released as a single in early July, before “Farewell, Starlite!”’s full-album release in September, Francis and the Lights joined forces with Bon Iver & Kanye West, plus producers such as Rostam Batmanglij, Ariel Rechtshaid and Cashmere Cat (to name a few) to crank out a killer track, “Friends.” The synthetic sounds and whimsical beats really create something. The entire album is gold, but this track is such a powerhouse it’s unfair. Advice: blast this song in the car with windows down (slow-motion-wind-in-your-hair style), or in some real quality earbuds (not the cheap ones).

5) "The Middle" by Wet

“The Middle” exemplifies Wet’s ever-cool aspirational pop music. Earlier this year we were lucky enough to photograph Wet as they mesmerized the crowd with a performance that can only be described as magical (check out our article here). The talent and vocal range of lead singer Kelly Zutrau is a beauty that must be listened to. “The Middle” is one of their most recent songs and captures the essence of emotion in a two-minute time frame. It’s simple depth in the beat and a tempo change between the chorus and bridge of the song, takes you for an addictive ride. Not only should you be listening to “The Middle” but Wet’s entire discography.

6) “Aloha” by Møme ft. Merryn Jeann

The French DJ Møme broke out in huge success with his track “Aloha” featuring the mesmerizing voice of Australia’s vocalist Merryn Jeann. The duo’s roots extend from Nice, FR to Byron Bay, AUS, and their song has covered the globe from pole to pole. If you don’t already know this track, you’re welcome. You should learn something real while listening, and maybe… even a few good dance moves.

7) “Bruce Wayne” by Memorecks & Jenna Pemkowski

Jenna Pemkowski teamed up with producer Memorecks to create a powerhouse album called “Follow”. One song on this album, “Bruce Wayne” stands out instantly. Jenna’s voice flows perfectly over Memorecks’ beat creating a song that is meant to repeat. Guaranteed, the first time you listen to it will not be the last of the day. Memorecks’ already solidifying himself, but keep an eye out for Jenna Pemkowski, as her voice is meant for greatness, with this track as her amazing jumping-off point.

8) “Show Me Love” (Skrillex Remix) by Hundred Waters ft. Chance the Rapper, Moses Sumney, Robin Hannibal

First start with a collaborative feat for the ages, then remix it further by one of EDM’s most recognizable names, and you get this beast of a track. Skrillex’s remix of “Show Me Love” is an ultimate feel good song, and gets any crowd on their feet. From house party, to beach bash, this crew knows how to release a great song, and we know you’ll love it just as much. The beats on the backend, keep me the poppy vocals aloft for a great time.

9) “Tilted” by Christine and the Queens

“Tilted” is as gorgeous as it is unique. Christine and the Queens is a vocal phenomenon who uses her French style and background to dive in and out of multiple languages while creating songs with silky melodies and insanely catchy verses. This track is addictive as hell; it lures in the listener so they can hear the deep-rooted sexuality and pureness within the lyrics.

10) “Someone That Loves You” by HONNE ft. Izzy Bizu

The true beauty of HONNE’s style is that, they’re combining an electronic style of keys, drums and other instruments with emotional lyrics, which in turn produces a deeply sexy sound. And what better way to keep that going, then add Ms. Izzy Bizu into the mix. This trio produces a sultry song which will result in repetition; playing it over, and over, and over again. Make sure to listen to their Late Night Version of the track, and read our piece on the act with shots from a gig in Brooklyn earlier this year!