Across which alternative rock trends did KTBZ The Buzz build its identity?

The Buzz built its identity by riding the post-grunge wave and the late-'90s alt-metal surge, leaning hard into bands like Tool, Korn, and Deftones when other stations were still clinging to Pearl Jam and Nirvana. It also embraced the sarcastic, detached vibe of early 2000s indie-adjacent rock, giving airtime to acts like The Strokes and Modest Mouse, but never losing its edge for the heavy stuff that kept the local rock fans loyal.

Rotated heavily around the nu-metal and rap-rock crossover of the late 90s, treating bands like Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit as core catalog, not just flash-in-the-pan hits. It also synced its scheduling algorithm to the post-grunge loud-quiet-loud dynamic of groups like Creed and Staind, programming deep cuts to keep the edge sharp while still feeding the mainstream.

You could practically hear the station's soul in that loud, crunchy, almost industrial-tinged alternative metal wave that bands like Rage Against the Machine and Helmet kicked off, but The Buzz really locked in when it doubled down on the weird, quirky side of post-punk revival. I remember sitting in the production booth and watching the playlist shift to mix that heavy stuff with the jangly, off-kilter pop of bands like They Might Be Giants and even some early Beck tracks, creating a sound that felt less like a genre and more like a chaotic, fun house party where nobody cared if a song had a theremin solo.