JENAUX & BRYCE FOX - SENTIMENTS

“Future funk” producer Jenaux and Bryce Fox are a match made in electronic collaborator heaven on “Sentiments”. Fox’s bright yet soulful, gritty vocals are a perfect complement to the dense combination of deep-grooving synths, piano hits, guitar licks and drums. I never really imagined blending funk vibes with the builds and drops of future/EDM, but Jenaux proves that with the right swung rhythms on your sidechains and vocal chops you can induce a fun “funk face” in your listeners and get them bobbing their heads. 

Jenaux is promoted by Beautiful Buzzz writer Alli Lindsey.

DANA AND THE WOLF - HIM

I'm excited to share this one for you this weekend. You could say it isn't our usual BB fare. "We are not a Christian Rock Band," epic dark pop duo Dana and the Wolf cry on their social media. After releasing clips of the overly-charismatic 1950's preacher Billy Graham juxtaposed with the dark instrumental from their new song, "Him," the LA based duo apparently received several DM's asking if they'd turned religious. 

But a close listen to their new song reveals that vocalist Dana Hobson and producer Daniel Wolf are anything but religious. "I gave it a go / gave it a roll / you don't approve of what I'm gonna do / be someone new," sings Hobson in an Amy Winehouse torching-manner.  Is she singing to a man, or the ultimate "Him" up above?

"Him" the track is an exciting and refreshing take on modern pop music, with elements of theater, hip hop, future bass, trap, it's a cinematic banger soundtracking this couple's life. There's word that more releases are in the pipeline very soon from DATW. I'm excited to say the least.

SAID THE SKY & FRND - FADED

These guys are literally two of my favorite new acts out there right now, so when I heard they were releasing a collaboration I was excited to say the least. “Faded” comes to us from producer/artists Said The Sky and FRND, the former having risen to prominence for his lush emotional future electronic compositions such as “Rush Over Me” feat. HALIENE (with Illenium and Seven Lions) and the latter for his sugary alternative/electronic pop bops such as “Substitute” and “Be Happy”. Both artists are unique and recognizable in their own rights, and both make you feel something with their music. This collaboration is no exception. A release via MrSuicideSheep’s Seeking Blue label in partnership with Crooked Paintings, “Faded” features the best characteristics of both collaborators. FRND’s neo-alternative songwriting, vocals and signature choppy/modulated sound design are complemented by Said The Sky’s gorgeously melodic, orchestral, future bass style. I’ll be blasting this one all winter long as I drive around sunny LA with the windows down and the sunroof open.

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: BEAUTIFUL BUZZZ SELECTS

Starting today, all of our playlist updates will take place on Mondays. Why you ask? Because everyone else and their brother refreshes their playlists on Friday when the deluge of new releases for each week floods in. And we think Mondays need more cool shit to make us hate them less. Pardon the later evening update for the first week, but we think you'll like our selects this week. We've got a whole slew of eargasmic new tunes from artists new and established. This week's BB Selects features goodness from Snugs, SŸDE, Phil Good, Hotel Garuda, Kidswaste, Yuppycult, The Flavr Blue, Ekali, and more.

SNUGS - RADIO SILENCE (FEAT. HAILZ)

With a name like Snugs, it’s gotta be good. This is probably the most uniquely branded DJ/Producer project I’ve ever seen, and the music is actually great. Little is known about Snugs, other than that the face of the project is an adorable light blue blob with a snaggletoothed smirk and the slogan “Get Comfortable.” But what I care about is whether the music is good, and as mentioned, it’s great. Debut single “Radio Silence” featuring vocalist HAILZ is a bright and shimmering dance pop record with effervescent and meticulously crafted production that will make newbie Soundcloud producers’ jaws drop. Within this one release, there’s hooky songwriting, high-energy builds and drops, sonic easter eggs, and loads of smile-inducing vibes. I’ll have this one on repeat for a while.

SŸDE - ABOVE THE CLOUDS (FEAT. OLIVIA REID)

Even if you aren’t familiar with SŸDE and their lightly energetic, sweetly melodic, and tribally rhythmic indie-electronic vibes, then there’s still a pretty good chance you’ve heard their massive first single “Orbit” somewhere over the past year. The duo composed of Will and Mitch, two friendly 18-year-olds out of Melbourne, Australia experienced a rare meteoric rise thanks to strong support from Spotify for their undeniable debut hit single in the form of heavy rotation on numerous official playlists. Now faced with the daunting task of following up with a sophomore track, they’ve partnered up with NYC’s Olivia Reid for “Above The Clouds” which showcases a laid back, sing-songy folk-influenced sound. It’s without a doubt SŸDE though, most noticeably in the percussion and guitar work. “Above The Clouds” is a future folk-pop anthem for Generation Z’s increasingly worldly youth. It’s exciting to see these young musicians getting to share their talent with the world, and I can’t wait for more music from them, hopefully soon.

SHY MARTIN - GOOD TOGETHER

We were sent this song a week and a half ago and were instantly impressed. I didn’t realize at first that I already knew SHY Martin’s work, but now that I’ve done my research and also see that this new single is the third song on Spotify’s primary New Music Friday playlist this week, I’m certain she’s one to watch. This song is a perfect modern pop smash. Martin’s velvety, sensual vocals, which are processed just the right amount, sit perfectly above expertly crafted and mixed electropop production. What solidifies “Good Together” as a smash is the healthily saccharine hooks and Julia Michaels-esque melodies and lyrics. It’s not surprising the Swedish songwriter has already amassed more than one billion streams globally for her writing and featured artist appearances, which include everyone from The Chainsmokers and Kygo to Bebe Rexhe and Astrid S. You might also recognize her vocals from her massive 400 million stream hit with Mike Perry “The Ocean.” I’m a huge fan already, and I’m excited to see the waves she’ll continue making in the greater music community.

PHIL GOOD - I’LL FIX IT

We’re big fans of Phil Good here at Beautiful Buzzz. Just click his name in the tags section at the bottom of this post to see all the times we’ve raved about him. This latest one is definitely one of my favorites so far. On top of just being a really rad, moving, emotional piece, it has these epic choral backing vocals that come in during the climactic moments of the chorus and lift the song to such an impactful level (presumably just Phil tweaking his own vocals to sound like a choir supporting him). Somebody please let me know when I can see Phil Good live in LA, because I’ll 100% be there.

THANKS - I CAN GET (BASTION REMIX)

Talk about a fresh funky dance jam! It’s been out for a couple weeks now, but I couldn’t let this one go unnoticed. While I hadn’t heard the original “I Can Get” by Danish duo THANKS until being sent this, I’m now a fan of both the original and this hyped up bouncy retro French Electro/House edit from Parisian duo BASTION. This is the kind of jam that I feel would even earn the respect of funk masters like James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic, and the Ohio Players. Excuse me while I get down in my kitchen to this right now.