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Jeremy Remond released his single “Lord Help”. A vibe single that can be added to all our moody playlists. What was so dope about this song was the vocalist in the beginning. Her comforting voice set the vibe for the song and you can’t help but become intrigued and abducted into the atmospheric singing. Jeremy flow transitions in and it’s seemingly perfectly timed. The impeccable flow and charisma he demonstrated gave us the impression that he’s serious about his artistry and his music. He knows how to deliver bars with emotional conviction while spitting the message of each individual song. From ST.Louis, he undoubtedly represents a new generation in the Midwest. With quick-witted flows, intrinsic story-telling, and musing metaphors, he continues to prove that he belongs. He faced multiple adversities in his life in which makes you think it’s almost inevitable that he needs to be heard by a larger audience. With a story to tell and good music to back it, Jeremy Remond is an unforgettable artist we will hear more about later on down the road. Listen to "Lord Help" here, and get to know Jeremy Remond better in our interview below! How was it growing up in ST. louis? Growing up in STL was what made me who I am today. The culture, the people, and the history gave me grounding that I still hold with me to this very day. I think growing up in STL gives you a unique perspective on various things, in many ways like being known as the underdog, especially in the music scene. Do you think your growing environments impacted your artistry and music? Definitely! Growing up, I saw a lot of what STL had to offer, from violence in the city to racism in the county. This definitely helped cultivate me as a person and also helped to create my story so far. Do you have any music influences? If so who and why? Growing up, I would listen to major artists heavily. At the time it was Wayne (Carter III) Jay, Em, Ye, to name a few, then pops would always play Pac, BoneThugz, and Three6Mafia always, so their sounds all played a part. I would say these artists helped me solely with musicality as far as story telling, all the OG’s knew how to tell a story, didn’t matter what it was about but you felt connected just by being involved in the story, like hearing a movie only by ear. Also people like Wayne gave me the understanding of metaphors and how it affects the listener in a song, definitely a game changer for me as an teen. If you can collaborate with any other rapper today who would it be and why? Hmmmm. That’s a tough one, I’ll name a few for the same reason. Drake, Jay, Kendrick, Cole, Ross and Future. They not only know how to make hits but hits THAT LAST, meaning they have the story telling behind it that transcends time. That’s really the fine line that I want to come in the game with, making great story telling songs but with crazy beats that can move people. What’s your opinion on the current state of hip-hop and rap music? Honestly, I think it’s the strongest it’s ever been, from a business perspective. Meaning it has become the most influential genre and also garnered the most attention throughout the masses, EVERYONE knows major hip hop artists nowadays. On the other hand, I can say that the culture has changed for sure, it’s more of an attention game so now you have the young guys who rap only for attention instead of expression, they can care less about what rap and hip hop is truly about and only want the fame. Self expression is where I believe the true art in this craft is, it’s all about expressing yourself, no matter who’s watching. What’s the most influential part about being a rapper? Similar to my last answer, I would say self expression. Hip hop and rap has always been a release for me and given me the ability to have a voice. I think expressing yourself and telling your story helps the next generation by creating inspiration, people see what you’ve been through and can relate. The world is ever evolving and changing and I think art and self expression is what makes rappers influential. People spend money to see us or hear our voice on a track, that’s the epitome of a rapper. The influential part is how you express yourself and what you put out in your music, that’s the true power. Whats next for you in 2019? Whew, 2019! I’ve worked super hard to get things done last year and now I’m looking forward to releasing a few more of my singles from my upcoming EP “Middle of America” and hopefully gaining some looks for shows or potentially a tour! Also I’ve got some great rap video releases coming out regularly on my YouTube, they will be freestyles to all of your favorite rappers hits on the radio. So be on the look out for that and details on the next releases, but 2019 is all about more music and consistency to put myself in position to gain the attention of the masses. Connect With Jeremy Remond on social media: Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube #BuzzMusic

Welcome to the world of “Don’t You Feel So Special”, where you’re ushered out of whatever darkness you’re experiencing and into the world of brighter things, courtesy of Boccanegra. You can thank composer Valentino Farias, from Santiago de Chile, for the modern indie experience, as he can expertly tap his artistic well.For this effort, he joined up with a solid gang of musicians, including Andres Aracena, a jazz school classmate, Diego Moreta on bass, Raul Valles on keys and Esteban Isla on drums. Together they made a 5-song EP, funded via an Indiegogo campaign, slated for release this April! Lucky for us “Don’t You Feel So Special” has already been released. I first heard it in a fancy LA hipster coffee shop with people tapping away on laptops. It fit perfectly with the travel and abstract art on the walls. Its warmth is infectious. It makes you feel complete. The elements of the song are as balanced as the mixture in my third-wave Americano — balanced, but not too in-your-face. Yes, Farias has the unique ability to make you long for the kind of hopeful and tragic experiences it takes to inspire this sort of creation. It’s lackadaisical and sunny, but also contains a depth hinting at prior hardships. The guitars have adequate crunch. The song is Top 40 radio-ready and we have no doubt that it should be an instant success with the college crowd. And yet it still seems like it is enjoying the freedom of relative obscurity (at least for now). Tame Impala comparisons are to be expected, but this is somehow less trendy and more rock-oriented. A perfect addition to your playlist! Stream “Don’t You Feel So Special” by Boccanegra here Connect with Boccanegra on social media: www.instagram.com/boccanegramusic www.facebook.com/Boccanegramusic

There’s plenty to find fascinating about Mike Mokotow, who describes himself as “the illegitimate son of musicians fleeing Cold War-torn Poland for the United States.” He shares a moniker with the “cool” neighbourhood in the capital of Poland, Warsaw, where plenty of foreign embassies and corporations are based. He's a guy who can’t help but take big gambles. He was deeply impacted by his father’s death, which happened during his teenage years. And he’s fronted the Butchers of Sky Valley, a blues outfit, which prepared him for his current music trajectory. “Running On All Fours,” his latest release, is bleak, but rich in layers. The syncopated rimshots keep things moving and swaying. The video is lush in its scenery, but blue and black in presentation. We start with a quote from The Odyssey “…Why take me for a god? No, no,/I am that father whom your boyhood lacked/and suffered pain for lack of, I am he." It is a gut punch given the context. On this track, Mokotow did all the vocals, percussion, electric guitar, synthesizer, drum programming, and lead guitar work. And it’s part of a ten-song debut album titled Domino, from Heeled & Heavy records. The song keeps things turning and swerving, like a wet log on the fire. It's always smouldering, but never exultant. The bearded subject in the video drops to his knees and then on his face. He’s by the ocean, but he can’t feel it’s healing power. This song would work real well in a dingy club after a few beers on a night that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. There is a kind of sadness that men keep hidden inside or do not know how to express. There’s some of that showing through here. Listen to "Running On All Fours" by "Mokotow" here and get to know Mokotow in our interview below! Video directed by David Gross. Edited by Rob Trela. Hi Mokotow! Care to introduce yourself? Hi I’m Mike Mokotow and I like soft things. What is it like to have the same name as a famous neighbourhood in Warsaw? Confusing for most fellow Poles but root of it is inspired by this: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mokot%C3%B3w_Prison  (#RESIST) What are some of your musical influences? I’ve always gravitated to sensual doom and gloom, music that has a significant emotional undercurrent that can embolden me even if it’s  performed in controlled melancholy. Specific records would say Goldfrapp’s Felt Mountain, Neil Young’s On The Beach, Nick Cave & Warren Ellis’s Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford. Most of what T-Bone Burnett spills out of his creative gourd. I also love me a bossanova beat. How did you enjoy working with Jeff Berner (mixing) and Kim Rosen (mastering)? Both Jeff and Kim are not only master class professionals but such good people. I trusted them with something that meant the world to me. I had taken a significant amount of time finding the right people to work with on these stages of the record, had burned bridges with past mastering engineer I worked with for not actually listening to the record and was lucky to find these humans to bring this record to where it is now. Its a rare thing to find people like that in music, that along the way don’t forget the reason why we got into it in the first place. You played most of the instruments on a lot of your songs on the new album. Do you enjoy having control over the song-creation process, or do you see yourself being more collaborative as you go along? When I first starting writing music many moons  ago it was always a solo effort, and because of that a long learning curve. Over the years I’ve collaborated with people, most recently with my writing partner in Butchers of Sky Valley a few years back. Since putting that band on hold I felt my inner voice slip into place. I knew what I had to say, how I wanted it to sound even though I do not know how to play any of these instruments. I decided to patiently beat them to death in my attic, chasing what I had in my head regardless of any limitations. In truth it’s been very liberating. And now that this has been laid down I can feel myself opening up to collaborating again. Why was it important for you to reference the death of your father in the text in the intro for the “Running On All Fours” video? It is something that has kept with me since I was in my teens and will do so for the entirety of my life. I made this for my son to loosely exemplify what I have felt and gone through all these years, what my sons arrival has meant to me. I hope he doesn’t find it as terrifying in the future as he does now (he’s four year old and did not react well to the scenes of me in distress). What do you hope people will take away from listening to your work? The curiosity to dig into themselves and into me. If you’re still reading this and gave a tune a listen, consider us friends. Connect with Mokotow on social media: Instagram Facebook Twitter #BuzzMusic

UTE released the emotive and vulnerable single titled “I’ll Stand by you”. The sentimental record immediately begins with a soft and dwellsome piano melody with the vocalist mellifluous resonance serenading us alongside the subtle sad aura of the song. UTE released a video visual alongside the hit sound and the depiction of different artistic images in combination with the lyrics on each slide really help conveyed a story that may have been hard to interpret while listening. “I’ll Stand by you” is the perfect ‘venting’ song we can have on our playlist. It’s perfect for becoming intune with your emotions and allowing the lyrics and message to become projected into your mind. Music should have the intention to make us feel something other than just “oh this is a cool song” it should have the capability to let us feel an actual emotion rather it’s happiness, sadness, or simply energized and UTE successfully delivered. Listen to "I'll Stand By You" here, and get to know UTE better in our interview below! How did UTE come together? Ute is my first name. Short and easy “I’ll stand by you” seems to have a deeper meaning behind it, do you mind telling our readers the message behind the music? No matter how dark life seems to be, I am here to help you, my fans, through. There are grey days and blue days. Don‘t give up, believe in your dreams What was your overall artistic vision for the song? It is a song for a movie called Teenage Girl Valeries Holiday. Coming out soon in the United States. I play a teacher in the movie who also sings and her message is the song. I sing the song live on stage in the movie. What does music mean to you? Music was my first love. When I sing I feel alive Any upcoming plans and goals? To be played all over the world through radio stations. Connect with UTE: Instagram Youtube #BuzzMusic

Leave a Message is an Ellie d. song brought to life in square home-movie format by director Charlie Schwan and producer Jack Langlois. This music is stylish, but not overly so. The meaning is clear, and easy to get behind. The sub bass is subtle. And there are some really cool audio trails, but they never overpower the vocals. You almost don’t notice the chillstep chorus production, but when it reaches you’re awareness, you’re glad it’s there. It's pop that's not overproduced. I listened to this up in the San Fernando Valley to the north of LA, feeling disconnected from the ocean while chatting with a friend down in the South Bay. There are a lot of snooty parts to that whole sphere, known for housing NHL players, personal trainers and political donors. But watching Ellie d.’s romp past Venice canals and to the beach, I was instantly reminded of the parts of LA I love the most. You can smell the salt in the air, and the temperature is moderated. I’m definitely going down there tomorrow to look up some homies. The song itself is quite pretty. I like how it could have gone in a super hipster direction, but somehow avoided coming across as that kind of scene track. They definitely need to play this on that local Venice radio station, you know, the one midway through the dial you can only pick up from about El Segundo to Westwood (if you’re lucky). Connect with Ellie d. on social media: Instagram Facebook #BuzzMusic

If Holo were a more agro-punk or hardcore band of the Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat or Bad Religion variety, I might suspect that naming their track “Gone” was a nod to the optical imaging apparatus patent registered to Holo-Gone LLC back in December 2002. A swipe at the dawning age of out-of-control tech, or something. But the self-described “indie-punk” trio from Los Angeles isn’t that kind of band. Overall, their DNA has less Offspring, and more Yellowcard, Jimmy Eat World and Green Day. That’s why you shouldn’t hope they're actually an elaborate parody of the Holo Holo beverage company, in an attempt to discredit the makers of heart disease-inducing carbonation and sugar products. Don’t expect a grand statement or a revolution. Yet, this just might be the right thing to listen to after you discover your truck wasn’t actually stolen, you just forgot where you parked. Sometimes things aren’t as bad as you think. Holo is more suburbs and sprinkler systems, less urban wasteland and protests. Overall their new album is more O.C. than Echo Park, more San Diego than Venice. With songs like “Put Me Away” and “Hello” we have straight-up pop-punk positivity. Lyrics are relationship-based and kinda sweet, despite the gruff vocals. With the single “Gone” we’re offered one of the least pop-punk tracks of the whole World’s Worst album. Yet, despite the troubling subject matter (we’re treated to the words “I’m so far gone,” and “I’m a mess. I’m a wreck.”) the pop-rock is still relatively uplifting somehow (“I will not be the reason you drink away another night,” we hear). Certainly, the group could trace its roots to Blink 182 and the Used, but is more heavily indebted to Vampire Weekend and Rise Against. Not all music has to be caustic, you know. Listen to "Gone" here and get to know Holo better in our interview below! What does holo mean to you? Holo means the world to us. This is what we want to do for the rest of our lives and we are hoping it works out What are you doing to turn up the heat for East LA venues (Echo Park, Silverlake, Highland Park)? Last year we had played around 5 shows per month in preparation for our album release Which artists would you say are your most significant influences? There are so many artists that we like but to name a few there are bands like: have mercy/ foxing/ movements/ mom jeans. Why is “fun” such an important modus operandi for your live performance approach? In a live performance energy is everything. One of the things We look forward to the most is to go absolutely crazy at a show on the weekend after a long week Is there a message behind your music, or what do you hope fans will take away from what you’re doing? Each song has its own message and they stress how it’s important to keep realism despite all of the emotion that comes your way. -the goal is for fans to find something they relate to all while keeping things perfectly honest Connect with Holo on social media: Instagram Youtube #BuzzMusic

Ned and the Dirt released their sensational and atmospheric single titled “Toothache”. The ear-piercing and riveting chords from the guitar and the strikingly electrifying vocalist fuses together to create a combination of jam-packed articulations and stringed instruments. For me personally, it could be difficult to interpret and dissect the lyrics behind music so bewitching due to the dazzling abduction into the entire realm of the music. However, although it could be difficult to decode the meaning behind the music, it’s intriguing and has the ability to engage with your senses. “Toothache” is one of those special songs that allows you to become mesmerized and 100% in tuned with the music! Ned and the Dirt is a 4 piece garage Rock/pop band. Their edginess and grit is what makes them a unique force to be reckoned with. Their band is actually quite diverse from many other artists and bands. With members diverging from different areas on the map which includes South Carolina, New Hampshire, California, and New Zealand. Ned and the Dirt is a diverse and well rounded solidified group of artists. Listen to "Toothache" by "Ned and the Dirt" on February 15th on all streaming platforms and get to know them in our interview below! We talk about the bands career, new single & more! Can you give us a brief history of your musical career and how you all met? I started Ned and the Dirt in South Carolina six years ago and while The Dirt is a totally different cast than the one that began the journey, Ned and the Dirt has become an iteration of itself that is more representative of its name than ever before. I was introduced to Chris Clark (NATD Bass Player) through a mutual friend of ours from Chris' home state of New Hampshire, and now he has been with NATD for 3 years. Ethan Arlook (NATD Drummer) joined through he and Chris' mutual connection to Berklee School of Music a year and a half ago and Cassie Gaffaney (NATD Guitar Player) became a part of NATD through our friendship that began when NATD and her band, Young Winona (previously known as Santa Barbara), went on a mini tour out to Arizona together. How did you come up with your stage name? Is there a meaning behind it? Ned and the Dirt got its name as a sneaky/narcissistic way for me to fit my entire name into the band name. See, “Dirt”is how people from my home state of South Carolina have mispronounced my last name (Durrett) throughout my childhood, so I repurposed that into a band name. Since, however, it's become a fitting embodiment for the grit, attitude and bare-all type of honesty that we bring to our songs and performances. Do you guys write your own music? Who contributes to what? Absolutely. Our songs are 100% created in house. I write all of the songs' lyrics , main vocal melodies and guitar melodies, but that only gets them so far. I bring them to the band once the songs are mostly written, and then we collectively arrange them and put finishing touches on them. That last big step in the process of getting the whole band's input on the songs is incredibly important; without it the songs wouldn't be able to sniff how interesting and compelling they've become with everyones hands on them. Each song is a total band effort. Your new single Toothache is such a vibe! Can you tell us a bit about it? Thanks! It's the first single from and the second track on our upcoming album “Saw It Coming”. I think the vibe for “Toothache” and frankly most of our new record is “Don't care, turn it up 'til it doesn't hurt anymore,”so that made it the perfect song to announce that our new release is on the way. Where did the inspiration behind the song come from? “Toothache” is me giving the middle finger to depression. It had been knocking me around for a couple of years without me even realizing it, and my way of fighting back in the moment in which I found myself writing “Toothache” was to tell it that it's nothing more than a stupid nag. The whole song is an effort to take back the power from a terrible thing that's gripped, myself and so many people that I love, and I hope it helps others make that effort too. What’s next for you? Our new album “Saw It Coming”is going to be released one song per month for the next 9 months, so make sure you stay tuned to our Spotify, Instagram and Youtube because we'll have bonus material coming out with each song that's released. We're also going to be playing shows all over the Western US for all of March, and we're headlining Frozen Dead Guy Days in Nederland, CO on March 9th, so get your tickets to that 'cause it's going to be one hell of a show. Connect with Ned and the Dirt on social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter #BuzzMusic

Carbonated released their single titled “Empathy”. One of the unique characteristics of this song was the whole funky psychedelic element. The synthesizers i heard were magnificent and I personally isn’t the most familiar with this specific subgenre of rock music however “Empathy” plays as a good ‘first impression’ record that helps me get a good idea of the genre as a whole. It instantly begins with multi-colorful instrumental before carbonated idiosyncratic vocals transitions in. their voice is quite unique. It’s obviously distinguishable and doesn’t seem to be a cardboard copy of any other artist that’s in the industry today. However, that individualistic trait makes them more of a pop out band in my opinion. They show off their dynamic voice in different parts of the song, allowing melodramatic belts to progress the hit forward. The five piece, indie band from toronto canada who met in 2017 is here to stay and we don’t see them going anywhere! Listen to "Empathy" here and get to know .carbonated. more in our interview below! Hello all! Care to introduce yourselves to our readers? Hi, we’re .carbonated. – a psychedelic indie pop band expressing the sonic interpretation & appreciation of pineapple from Toronto, Canada. .carbonated. has five members: - Lobes: vocals, guitar and synths - Jamie: guitar, synths and vocals - Michaël: percussion - Shaheeny: synths and guitar - Kohje: bass and vocals Can you give us a brief history of your musical careers? Everyone in the band (except Jamie) isn’t from Toronto. Lobes is from Ottawa; Michaël is from Montreal; & Shaheeny and Kojhe emigrated from Iran and Venezuela, respectively, about 10 years ago. None of us had ever met before .carbonated. How did you come up with your band name? Is there a meaning behind it? Oh wow, that’s a long story! It took us FOREVER to find a name we all loved and that hadn’t been used before. We initially had picked the name “Gross Domestic Happiness” but after a few weeks we hated it and had to go back to the drawing board. We finally landed on .carbonated. and haven’t looked back! Is there meaning behind it? Some in the band would say ‘no – it’s just a name we dig’ while others might say that the name signifies how we are trying to evolve pop music into something more than it currently is and that the name ‘.carbonated.’ represents that aspiration. Do you write your own music? Can you tell us a bit about your writing styles and how you combine everyones to create your sound? Yes, all our music is 100% written by us. Jamie and Lobes write the lyrics. Sometimes songs will come about from a band member bringing an idea to practice and we jam on it to flesh out the arrangement/parts. Other times we will send ideas (as little sound recordings) over WhatsApp to see if they resonant with other members and whether we should continue producing that idea into a finished song. Creating our sound is grounded on the notion of ‘what serves the song best” and “what can we do to make the song sound better”. We have a philosophy of ‘there are no bad ideas until we play them’ so we try out all ideas to see what works best for the song. Oh, and we eats lots of pineapple for inspiration for our sound! We’re really into your new song Empathy! Can you tell us a bit about it? Awww shucks, thank you so much for your kind praise! Empathy came about and was put together so fast by us – everything just fell into place immediately. One day at practice we were about to go outside for a break and Shaheeny just started playing that opening synth riff of Empathy and we all literally stopped dead in our tracks and looked at him and shouted “What the hell is that?!?!” We know it’s cliché when artists say they wrote a song in 15mins but yeah – that song was created in around 15mins. Where did the inspiration behind Empathy come from? The inspiration for Empathy happened about three years ago. Lobes had just gone through a very painful break-up with his long-term girlfriend and was struggling hard. It was also around the time that Donald Trump was elected; Black Lives Matter was gaining ground as part of the national conversation on equality and systemic racism as well as First Nations reconciliation in Canada. On top of these moments there was also the beginnings of the #MeToo movement. Lobes was trying to figure out how these cultural and societal winds of change affected him – he was trying to understand these other people’s points of view; people who didn’t have the same background as him and life events as him – and how he could help and be more understanding of their causes. And being an ally, listening and utilizing and growing his empathy was how he thought he could do this. Who are some of your musical influences that have influenced you as a band? We have so many influences – Tame Impala; LCD; Radiohead; Washed Out; The War on Drugs; Beach House; Kanye; Jenny Lewis; Mars Volta; Ratatat; Gorillaz; Neil Young; Joy Division. What’s next for .carbonated.? Our goal for 2019 is to open for an established band in Toronto. We have four shows coming up in the Spring in Toronto and we want to play as much as possible in 2019. We continue to write and record new music as well as further develop our video projections for our live shows. Oh and we hope to get a pineapple/pineapple pizza sponsorship too. Connect with .carbonated.: Facebook Instagram Twitter Website #BuzzMusic

The Data Waves are an interesting group of individuals who make as equally interesting music. Their sound is a brash concoction of instrumental funk which will surely have something for the music lover and enthusiast. Their EP titled “Lady In Red” hosts five tracks each tinkering with various music genres, while showcasing their musical abilities and artistic vision. The EP is kind of like a sample platter to the band where it starts of with a track titled, “Sun Salute” which gives the listener a kind of throwback funk while providing a new age twist to it. It is a very upbeat song that will get you moving along with their next track titled “Move on Up”. The third track called “Cameo” gives some leisurely played jazz piano while picking up the momentum into the fourth track. The punchy and thick bassline of “Autumn Breeze” is beautifully accompanied by a saxophone solo which gives it a slight angst giving a contrasting mood compared to the last three tracks. The final track is titled, “Drunk Funk” which seems to reflect someone who is indeed drunk. Hurried piano playing, slurs and notes bumping into each other give you some leeway into the more smooth section of the song painting a picture of this “Drunk Funk”. The band has a natural talent of using instrumental funk to tell stories and bring the listener into their music. A solid blend of hip hop, jazz, blues, rock and gospel will get you reeling in for more! Listen to "Lady In Red" here and get to know The Data Waves in our interview below! What is the meaning and inspiration behind the EP’s titled, “Lady in Red”? Shravan Raghuram, drums: The EP’s title is the original name of the art piece, but we specifically selected it for its color scheme and design. To us, it seemed like a callback to some of our favorite jazz fusion records from the early 1970’s such as Sextant Herbie Hancock, Abraxas by Santana and Bitches Brew by Miles Davis. Joey Parker, keys: The name itself only relates to the image we used as a cover. However, the image itself stood out because of its contrast in color. The lady in red calls for one's attention, but the space around her is equally beautiful. Aditya Kashyap, bass: Matthew Lesniak was the artist behind our album cover. His talent with collages and many other mediums made him an obvious choice for us, plus he's a great friend of mine. I love how iconic the lady in red is. You can check out more of his art on Instagram (@jayjaymattjay). What was the most challenging track to compose as a whole and why? Joey: Surprisingly, "Sun Salute" was the more challenging of the two originals to compose. With "Drunk Funk", there was built-in variation, and its structure inspired some improvised sections that became permanent. The repetitive nature of "Sun Salute" made improvised variation more challenging, so it took longer to work out a definitive structure. Even this recording was somewhat impromptu, despite having a predetermined sequence of events. What is the inspiration behind the track “Drunk Funk”? Joey: "Drunk Funk" was the fortunate collision of one idea from guitarist Sammy Gessesse and another from myself. When jamming together one day, Sammy started playing the riff now heard in the introduction and throughout the first section. After jamming for a while, Sammy stopped and said, "I feel like this needs another section." I had separately thought of another progression that was contrasting in feeling, and when the two sections were put together, the seeds of a title track were planted. As soon as the band played the track together, it organically developed, including an amazing bass/drum feature from Aditya and drummer Seth Graham, and a beautifully rhythmic solo from saxophonist Kevin King. "Drunk Funk" is a testament to the collaborative nature of the band's compositional process. The title comes from the band's history playing funk music at crowded Urbana basement parties. What was the composing process of “Cameo”? Joey: "Cameo" is not an original, but the process of arranging it for the band was very intuitive. Aditya proposed the cover, and inspired the band with his crunchy bass effects. From there, the band filled in the rest of the sound, doing their best to replicate the feeling of the original track while injecting their own individual sounds. Aditya: The song is originally by a great English band called Childhood.  I knew the song would fit our band well, and it helped us break new sonic ground and expand our sound. Shravan: "Cameo" was an interesting choice for us due to its genre; since it is more of a smooth pop song than what we are used to covering, it allowed us to experiment with our sound and style. The track provided a nice contrast to the upbeat funk that usually dominates our live sets. As a band, how do each of you communicate your creative input into each track? Joey: One or two members work from a simple groove to a chord progression to a fully developed song with a defined structure. As soon as the band begins rehearsing, something new always pops out. An important part of our composition comes from the unexpected. As we improvise, we find what works best and run with it. Over time, new sections and a structure gradually form, until the whole band is satisfied. Everyone's opinion is valued equally for every song, while giving respect to the person who composed it. Shravan: The goal for our work with covers is to fully capture the feeling and vibe of the original song, while using solos and improvisation to make our version unique and different. This sort of format works really well for us because of our ability to improvise and explore new sounds while still keeping the song intact. Regarding our creative process, each of us are able to compose our own individual parts, and we each also provide suggestions and alternatives to each other in order to achieve the best possible sound. Connect with The Data Waves on social media: Instagram Facebook Soundcloud #BuzzMusic

Xeno is from West Palm Beach, Florida. He’s a 18 year old artist who has been making music for three years. Xeno produces, writes and engineers most of his own music. Let’s check in to his latest track “Side Effects”. I am blown away by the piano melody that opens the track. Then the 808 drops and you are immediately drawn into the production. His rap flow is diverse; he can rap fast and then slow it down and make it melodic. It reminds me of a lyrical hip-hop track. You can tell he’s got a story he is telling and there’s aggression in the choice of rapping but the tempo and production work smooths it out and makes it a vibe. Young hearted but his sound is mature and refined. The choice of artwork speaks volumes without even speaking. It’s so simple yet so strong and powerful. Curious to know the story behind it and the true meaning behind this really sick track. Listen to "Side Effects" by "Xeno" here. Care to introduce yourself to our readers? My name is Xeno. Can you give us a brief history of your musical career? My father and brother have always been into creating music and they always kept me around, it was bound to rub off on me but I thought I didn’t have what it takes then suddenly one day it hit me around 3 years ago and never let up since. How did you come up with your name? Is there a meaning behind it? Xeno stems from the Greek word Xenos which means strange which was perfect because when I enter the public eye I’ll be like nothing they’ve ever seen. Do you write your own music? Can you tell us a bit about your writing style? I produce and engineer most of my tracks , I write every word. I like to exercise lyricism while making sure the message is still coherent. Making sure my punchlines hit hard. It’s almost like a sport and trust that I’m planning to win every time. We’re really into your new song Side Effects! Can you tell us a bit about it? Side effects is speaking about all the side effects of a G, I mean in the presence of one you can walk into a club with like three girls who are obsessed with you and leave with none, it’s like that sometimes. Where did the inspiration behind the song come from? The song comes from all the haters and the people who watch with envy that don’t want to see your success, this song shows my hunger and that I’m not stopping until I get what’s mine. These are all side effects of a G. Any upcoming shows? For someone who hasn’t seen you live yet, how would you describe your performance? I’m definitely planning to perform soon there are none lines up at the moment but I can assure you that very soon the world will hear about it. The energy I bring is unmatched, I have to live up to Xeno so I’m definitely putting on a show like you've never seen. What’s next for you? Next I plan to work, never become complacent, and always remain humble, but I promise I’m going to make some noise! I’m working on building my following now. Connect with Xeno on social media: Instagram #BuzzMusic