Wednesday MidDay Medley
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Michael Tipton & Matthew Hayden + Stephen Roper of Hotel Leo + Austin Marks of oldnothing

1. Various Artists – “Main Title Instrumental (It’s Showtime Folks)”
   from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979
   [WMM’s theme]

2. Meshell Ndegeocello & Cat Power – “Don’t You Want Me”
   from: Synonym / Blue Note – Verve / October 2, 2026
   [15th album from acclaimed GRAMMY-winning multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello. // This is Ndegeocello’s third Blue Note album, With Synonym, the acclaimed singer-bassist-producer reimagines and reconceptualizes a brilliantly curated collection of classic songs as duets with an astounding rollcall of special guests. Ndegeocello has shared the 2nd single “Don’t You Want Me” featuring Cat Power, an inventive cover of The Human League’s 80s synth-pop hit given a Reggae groove with horn embellishments and performed as a duet by two of the most distinctive song stylists of our time. // Synonym was introduced last month with the lead track “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” an arresting take on the George Michael/Aretha Franklin duet sung by Ndegeocello and Cynthia Erivo. Other featured guests on the album include Chaka Khan, Brandi Carlile, Bill Callahan, Chris Thile, Madison Cunningham, Laura Lee (of Khruangbin), Lizz Wright, Emily King, Lianne La Havas, Moses Sumney, Destin Conrad, Nick Hakim, Robert Glasper, ANOHNI, WILLOW, Evann McIntosh, and Ink. // The album also notably marks a reunion with David Gamson, the producer of Ndegeocello’s first two classic albums – Plantation Lullabies (1993) and Peace Beyond Passion (1996) – who co-produced Synonym with Ndegeocello and Abe Rounds. A rotating cast of instrumentalists also anchors the music on the album, many of whom are Ndegeocello’s close artistic conspirators, including drummers Rounds and Deantoni Parks; guitarist Chris Bruce; keyboardists Jake Sherman, Jebin Bruni, and Larry Goldings; saxophonists Josh Johnson and Levon Henry; flutist Elena Pinderhughes, banjoist Bela Fleck; and others. // Exploring expressions of desire, care, heartbreak, friendship, disappointment, and love in all forms, the songs range from 1960s folk and 70s soul, country, and pop to 80s R&B and electro-boogie, early-90s alternative rock, and early-aughts hip-hop. “This project is about classic songs that are known and loved,” Ndegeocello says. “The songs have diverse tones, representing various genres and intentional grooves. But the album is also about joy, selfhood, individual representation, and universal experience.” // When asked about the album’s intriguing title, Ndegeocello first suggests that the word “just feels good on the mouth,” before expounding upon its true definition: a word or phrase that means the same thing as another word in the same language. “That’s how humans are,” Ndegeocello theorizes, “Regardless of our differences, deep down we essentially want the same things: healthy food and a safe place to live. We are all different. But at the core of the human condition, we are the same.” //

The tracklisting for Synonym is as follows:
I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) with Cynthia Erivo
Don’t You Want Me with Cat Power
Don’t Stop The Music with Nick Hakim, Robert Glasper
Islands In The Stream with Chaka Khan
It Ain’t Me Babe with Madison Cunningham
Always on Time with Laura Lee
Be Real Black For Me with Emily King, Lizz Wright
Don’t Look Any Further with Lianne La Havas
The Closer I Get To You with Destin Conrad, Moses Sumney
Golden Ring with Brandi Carlile
I Got You Babe with ANOHNI
Here We Come (Here He Comes) with Evann McIntosh
Guilty with Ink
Hunger Strike with WILLOW
With God On Our Side with Bill Callahan, Chris Thile.

/ / On August 2, 2024 Meshell Ndegeocello released her acclaimed No More Water: The Gospel Of James Baldwin on Blue Note – Verve. A tribute album to African-American thinkers and writers, including namesake James Baldwin and Audre Lorde. The album was released on Baldwin’s Centennial: August 2, 2024. (from www.bluenote.com): The visionary work is at once a musical experience, a church service, a celebration, a testimonial, and a call to action. With No More Water, Ndegeocello embarks on a prophetic musical odyssey that transcends boundaries and genres, delving headfirst into race, sexuality, religion, and other recurring themes explored in Baldwin’s canon. Following 2023’s The Omnichord Real Book, her acclaimed Blue Note debut which won the inaugural GRAMMY Award for Best Alternative Jazz Album, the multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer renders an immersive and palpable document that is as sagacious, unabashed, and introspective as Baldwin was in life. // Co-produced by Ndegeocello and guitarist Chris Bruce, No More Water features some of the bassist’s frequent collaborators including Bruce, vocalist Justin Hicks, saxophonist (and Omnichord producer) Josh Johnson, keyboardist Jebin Bruni, and drummer Abe Rounds. Also appearing on various songs are vocalist Kenita-Miller Hicks, keyboardists Jake Sherman and Julius Rodriguez, and Executive Director of the NYCPS Arts Office and trumpeter Paul Thompson. The album also showcases powerful spoken word by venerated poet Staceyann Chin and Pulitzer Prize-winning author and critic Hilton Als. // Nearly a decade in the making, the album’s origins began in 2016 during a performance at The Harlem Stage Gatehouse as part of their annual showcase honoring Baldwin. Ndegeocello had delved into Baldwin’s work the year before, including the seminal nonfiction work The Fire Next Time, which she considers “life-changing” and carries with her as a “spiritual text.” Ndegeocello says, “It was just a revelation to me, and it softened my heart in so many ways.” // Meshell Ndegeocello released her Blue Note Records debut with The Omnichord Real Book, on June 16, 2023. // At The 2024 Grammy Awards, Meshell Ndegeocello won the first-ever GRAMMY for Best Alternative Jazz Album for The Omnichord Real Book. In her acceptance speech, the two-time GRAMMY winner and 12-time nominee thanked Don Was, the president of Blue Note Records, as well as other colleagues and loved ones — including her two sons. “I hope I haven’t forgotten anybody,” Ndegeocello graciously said at the end, and invoked an elder of the music: “Oliver Lake, this is for you.” // It was a visionary, expansive, and deeply jazz-influenced album that marks the start of a new chapter in her career. Following her 2018 album Ventriloquism, Meshell returns with an album of new original material that taps into a broad spectrum of her musical roots. The Omnichord Real Book was produced by Josh Johnson and features a wide range of guest artists including Jason Moran, Ambrose Akinmusire, Joel Ross, Jeff Parker, Brandee Younger, Julius Rodriguez, Mark Guiliana, Cory Henry, Joan As Police Woman, Thandiswa, and others. // Meshell Ndegeocello was born Michelle Lynn Johnson on August 29, 1968 in West Berlin, Germany, to US Army Sergeant Major and saxophonist father Jacques Johnson and health care worker mother Helen. She was raised in Washington, D.C. where she attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Oxon Hill High School. She is a singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on some of her later work. Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk, soul, jazz, hip hop, reggae and rock. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, being nominated for eleven Grammy Awards, and winning one. She also has been credited for helping to “spark the neo-soul movement”. // Ndegeocello adopted her surname, which she says means “free like a bird” in Swahili. Early pressings of Plantation Lullabies were affixed with stickers to help pronounce her name. The spelling has changed in the hands of record labels a few times during her career; the correct spelling of her stage name as of 2001 is Meshell Ndegeocello.]

3. Katy Guillen & The Drive – “Staying Awake”
   from: MAKE THAT SOUND / Are and Be Recordings / October 17, 2025
   [Katy Guillen & The Drive released the singles: “What If: on July 25, and “Outcome” on August 22, 2025) from the band’s upcoming album.// MAKE THAT SOUND was Produced by Megan McCormick, Engineered & Mixed by Brandon Bell with Annie Petrik, Mastered by Kim Rosen. Katy Guillen on vocals & guitar; Stephanie Williams on drums & percussion; Megan McCormick on bass, backing vocals, additional guitars & percussion; Erin Manning on Synthesizers; and Brandon Bell on Loops & programming. // Established in 2019, Katy Guillen & The Drive is an independent Indie Roots Rock band from Kansas City, Missouri, formed by partners Katy Guillen (Vocals, Guitar) and Stephanie Williams (Drums). The band’s 2022 debut album Another One Gained, produced by Kevin Ratterman (My Morning Jacket, Heartless Bastards), “hit the sweet spot with a mix of spiky garage rock and soulful country torch songs,” lauds Uncut Magazine. Under The Radar Magazine declares the duo “evokes a timeless indie rock sound” and displays “effortless instrumental chemistry that gives both members a chance to shine.” Following this release, the band unleashed Another One Gained Deluxe featuring ‘Batallas,’ a highly anticipated Spanish version of the fan-favorite ‘Battles,’ which spotlighted special guest Latin Grammy winner Mireya Ramos (Flor De Toloache) on violin and backing vocals. // Katy Guillen & The Drive prides itself on fostering empowered spaces for women in music both onstage and off, and performances showcase the group’s signature all-female powerhouse formation, technical prowess, and electrifying chemistry. This core value heavily influenced the band’s second full-length effort Make That Sound. Guillen admits, “Having never worked with a woman in the studio, that’s something we wanted to change on this record. We wanted more female energy, ideas, and power to influence this album.” With this goal in mind, the band was eventually led to Producer Megan McCormick (Allison Russell, Amythyst Kiah). As a result of their fast friendship and facile chemistry, the duo embraced their newfound creative trust in this relationship and ran with it. Within a matter of a few days, the three collaborated on everything from songwriting and arrangements to live tracking and overdubs, resulting in a liberated, emboldened, and nuanced new record. Williams shares, “The recording process was dense and fast. It required being totally present, trusting our initial instincts, and pushing into some uncharted territory at times.” Guillen speaks to the inspiration behind the songs and process, “In creating this album I felt particularly inspired by the countless strong and important women in my life, the love that I’ve grown with my partner, and the strength I’ve gained from digging inward through challenging times.” Make That Sound is a celebration of self-empowerment, liberation, vulnerability, honesty, and love. In addition to McCormick, the band was fortunate to work with engineers Brandon Bell (Brandi Carlile, Joni Mitchell) and Annie Petrik on tracking and mixing, as well as mastering engineer Kim Rosen (Bonnie Raitt, Allison Russell). The band will partner with Nashville-based indie label and artist collective Are & Be Recordings for the release.]

[Katy Guillen & The Drive play Light Up the Lawn Light Up the Lawn of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary for Art Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS on Friday, August 21, at 8:00pm.]

4. the eradicats – “I Ate a Sandwich”
   from: “I Ate a Sandwich” – Single / Celery Wolf Records / February 27, 2026
   [the eradicats released their singles, “Be My Baby” on August 15, 2025, “Smead” on July 18. 2025, “89 Batman” on May 13, 2025. the eradicats released their EP, best in show on October 2, 2024. Words by Kristi Who and Josh Thomas. Music by Josh Thomas, Chris Smead, Justin Brooks, and Kristi Who, Artwork by Kristi Who. // What if Pixies were funny? Black Francis specifically, Kim Deal is hilarious and the coolest person ever. What if They Might Be Giants grew up listening to punk? The eradicats answer these questions, and maybe even a few others, on their debut EP “Best in Show”.]

[the eradicats play Sound Bite at Warehouse on Broadway, 3951 Broadway BLVFD., KCMO, on Friday, August 21, 2026 , at 6:00pm, with The Touchdowns, and Headlight Rivals.]

5. The Womack Sisters – “I Just Don’t Want You (To Say Goodbye)”
   from: The Womack Sisters / Daptone Records / August 14, 2026
   [The Womack Sisters: Kucha, Zeimani, and BG Womack, were singing before they could walk. The Sisters grew up on the road. Their schools were stages & studios all over the world, where they sang behind their parents, Zekkariyas & Zeriiya (fka Womack & Womack), alongside their four siblings. Nowhere was home for long. No matter where they lived they were always surrounded by music and family. // Their 2026 debut album,The Womack Sisters, is the musical culmination of the Sisters’ long and winding journey to find them-selves. Over an intensely soulful collection of tunes that harkens back to when pop music had substance, vibe and purpose, each of their distinct voices have their moments in the spotlight. // www. thewomacksisters.com.]

6. Sara Swenson – “Your Town” [Video released April 7, 2026]
   from: TALLER / Sara Swenson / February, 28, 2026
   [Sara Swenson and more than 20 beloved KC singer-songwriters, instrumentalists, radio DJs and promoters sing “Your Town”. Includes live footage from Swenson’s performances at KC music venues – the Gospel Lounge at Knuckleheads, recordBar and Crossroads Music Fest at Stockyards Brewing Co. Sara Swenson has released some of our most played and favorite recordings of the last 7 years. Her self titled debut ended up at the top of our list of The 100 Best Recordings of 2009. In 2010 Sara Swenson released her second full length recording, “All Things Big and Small” again working with Don Chaffer in Nashville who added new layers to Sara’s great songs and voice. In November of 2011, Sara released her 5 song EP called “Never Left My Mind,” featuring her band at the time, The Pearl Snaps. In that time frame, she also had picked up two KC Singer-Songwriter of the Year awards, performed with Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair, and placed a song on the season finale of ABC’s “Private Practice.” Then after the school year ended in 2012, Sara Swenson left her job as a High School English & Journalism Teacher in Platte County High School, and left KC, and she flew off to the United Kingdom, where she got married. In the spring of 2014, Sara returned and performed for the Folk Alliance International Conference. On July 18, 2014 she released her 4th album, RUNWAY LIGHTS that captures snapshots of her 18-month experience of living abroad, moving from dating to marriage and sorting through the accompanying transitions. Produced by Don Chaffer in Nashville. On March 26, 2021 Sara Swenson released, “I Wont Let You Feel Alone”a song from husband Michael Price’s film “The Hidden Pandemic” that premiered on KCPBS that also features Mark Lowrey’s piano. Info: saraswenson.com.]

[Sara Swenson plays Greenwood Social Hall at 1750 Belleview Ave. KCMO on Fri., Aug. 21, at 8:00pm]

7. The Elders – “Next To You Love”
   from: The Spirits and The Sea – EP / The Elders / August 7, 2026
   [Ian Byrne on vocals & percussion, Norm Dahlor on vocals, bass, guitar, banjo; Kian Byrne on vocals, drums, bass, mandolin; Bill “Liam” Latas on guitar, Brent Hoad – vocals, keyboards, fiddle, guitar; Dan “Danko” Loftus on keyboard, Shannon O’Shea on violin. // The Elders formed in 1998 with a passion for music rooted in Americana & Celtic folk rock. From the beginning The Elders seemed to be channeling something ancient and enduring, unaffected by fads, trends and the giant maw of mind-numbing commercialism. The Elders remain one of the top Celtic-rock bands in the U.S. after more than two decades because of their timeless sound. Their fans feel connected to the band because of their passion, great melodies, unique harmonies, unparalleled musicianship and strong song-writing. And that songwriting began in 1998 when two musicians moved back from Los Angeles to KC to play Irish music. Norm Dahlor & Brent Hoad, played in numerous bands but their American and Celtic-folk rock roots were calling and The Elders were born. // Their ability to bring together the art of story telling with elements both musically progressive and rooted in tradition, has won them a broad international fan base, as well as critical acclaim ifrom: PASTE Magazine, Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange, Music Row Magazine, Goldmine Magazine, TRAD Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times, Kansas City Star and more. Their 8th studio album, TRUE, builds upon The Elders’ song-writing reputation. The songs feature story lines with vibrant narratives that explore history, legends, tall tales & true-life experience. www.eldersmusic.com

[The Elders play Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester Ave. KCMO on Fri., Aug. 21, at 8:00pm]

The Elders Discography
2000 CD – “The Elders”
2002 CD – “Pass it on Down”
2004 CD – “American Wake”
2005 DVD/CD – “Live at the Gem Theater” (Live)
2006 CD – “Racing the Tide”
2007 DVD/CD – “Alive & Live in Ireland” (Live)
2009 CD – “Gael Day”
2010 CD – “The Best of The Elders”
2011 CD – “Wandering Life & Times”
2012 DVD/CD – “The Elders Hoolie” (Live)
2014 DVD – “Live at The Uptown Theater”
2014 CD “Story Road”
2017 CD “True”
2022 CD “Well Alright Then”
2026 EP – The Spirits and The Sea

Filmography
“Live at the Gem” (2005)
“Alive and Live In Ireland” (2007)
“American Music: OFF THE RECORD” (2008)
“The Elders: Hoolie” (2012)
“Live at The Uptown Theater” (2014)
“Evergy & The Elders Light up the Plaza” (2020) Emmy Winner

10:29 – Underwriting

8. Hotel Leo – “It’s Not Working Out”
   from: Everybody You Know / The Record Machine / August 28, 2026
   [Stephen Roper on Vocals, Synth, Piano, Guitar, Drums; Darin Breeden on Backup Vocals, Guitar, Bass Guitar; and Evan Verploegh on Drums. Mixed by Ross Brown. Mastered By Mike Nolte. Artwork by Tessa Kriss. // In 2026 Hotel Leo released the singles: “It’s Not Working Out” on February 27, 2026; “Mechanical” on March 27, 2026; “Just a Rumor” on May 1, 2026; “Notes in the Door” on June 5, 2026; “Limerence” on July 24, 2026. In 2024 Hotel Leo also released the singles: “Another Low” on May 19, 2024; “Give It a Chance” on June 21, 2024, and “Time Apart” on August 2, 2024. Hotel Leo is the musical project of Stephen Roper who told It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine, “ Hotel Leo has always been a studio-only project, and the idea to bring these songs to a live format is a fairly recent one. I’m lucky to have met several awesome musicians over the past year, and bringing them in to play on Hotel Leo songs feels like unlocking a whole new dimension of the band. I love the different sounds and ideas everybody brings to the table. When writing songs I don’t think about how I’m going to recreate them live – I just try and serve the song however I can. Moving those songs into a more traditional live band lineup has been a challenge. For example, how do we translate some of these synth parts to electric guitar? Or how do some of these songs recorded with a drum machine sound with real drums? I’m really enjoying the new takes on the music, and I feel like it has given new life to these songs.]

[Hotel Leo play an Album Release Show on Friday, August 28 at miniBar, 3810 Broadway, KCMO with Teri Quinn & The Coyotes and The Creepy Jingles.]

[Hotel Leo also plays The RINO, 314 Armour Rd., North Kansas City on September 19 with Brotha Josh, and Mel Crosby, and Pool Culture.]

10:35 – Interview with Stephen Roper

Hotel Leo an indie rock/dream pop project based in Kansas City. It started in 2016 as a bedroom project from songwriter Stephen Roper, and has grown over the past two years into a full band, wth Stephen Roper on vocals, synthesizers, piano, guitar, drums; Darin Breeden on backup vocals, guitar, bass guitar; and Evan Verploegh on drums, regularly playing live shows. The band’s sound was originally built around analog synthesizers and drum machines – still a big part of the project – but has since waded into utilizing electric guitars, acoustic drums, and more. Hotel Leo’s new album “Everybody You Know” will be released through The Record Machine on August 28, 2026.

Hotel Leo play an Album Release Show on Friday, August 28 at miniBar, 3810 Broadway, KCMO with Teri Quinn & The Coyotes and The Creepy Jingles.

Hotel Leo also plays The RINO, 314 Armour Rd., North Kansas City, on September 19 with Brotha Josh, and Mel Crosby, and Pool Culture.

Stephen Roper, thanks for being with us again on WMM

Where are you originally from?
I’m from Kansas City, Missouri

Where did you go to school?
I went to Belton High School, then JCCC, and then UMKC. I dropped out to go on tour with my band.

Have you been another bands?
Yes! I was the drummer in Jump Rope for Heart and Reward Tree, started playing synth in a band called Riddles, and I currently play Synth in Lava Dreams.

When did you start playing music?
I come from a musical family, so played piano as a child. My mother is a drummer in an all-girl classic rock cover band, and inspired me to start playing drums through school and high school.

Who are your biggest influences?
So many, but let’s go with Animal Collective, Broken Social Scene, Future Islands, The Good Life

On the album’s core idea: It’s about connection. Really how everyone’s got their own separate life going on, but we’re all tied together by the same basic truth: none of us get forever. That could sound dark, but for me it actually landed the opposite way. There’s certainly themes of fear and anxiety around mortality on the record, but also how the limited time we have is what makes life worth living.

On the relationship side: I also went through a pretty significant breakup while writing this, and that’s all over the record too – longing, rejection, the process of letting something end. It’s less “concept album about death” and more about how endings of all kinds – a relationship, a chapter, eventually everything – force you to pay attention to what actually matters.

On loss: I also lost my brother while I was working on this record, and that loss is woven through it too. Grief has a way of showing up in your writing whether you plan for it or not. I don’t think of the album as being about any one loss – it’s more that everything I was going through at the time, the breakup, missing him, thinking about how fragile all of it is – it all ended up in the same place.

Stephen Roper, thanks for being with us again on WMM

Hotel Leo play an Album Release Show on Friday, August 28 at miniBar, 3810 Broadway, KCMO with Teri Quinn & The Coyotes and The Creepy Jingles.

Hotel Leo also plays The RINO, 314 Armour Rd., North Kansas City, on September 19 with Brotha Josh, and Mel Crosby, and Pool Culture.

10:54

9. Hotel Leo – “Notes in The Door”
   from: Everybody You Know / The Record Machine / August 28, 2026
   [Stephen Roper on Vocals, Synth, Piano, Guitar, Drums; Darin Breeden on Backup Vocals, Guitar, Bass Guitar; and Evan Verploegh on Drums. Mixed by Ross Brown. Mastered By Mike Nolte. Artwork by Tessa Kriss. // In 2026 Hotel Leo released the singles: “It’s Not Working Out” on February 27, 2026; “Mechanical” on March 27, 2026; “Just a Rumor” on May 1, 2026; “Notes in the Door” on June 5, 2026; “Limerence” on July 24, 2026. In 2024 Hotel Leo also released the singles: “Another Low” on May 19, 2024; “Give It a Chance” on June 21, 2024, and “Time Apart” on August 2, 2024. Hotel Leo is the musical project of Stephen Roper who told It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine, “ Hotel Leo has always been a studio-only project, and the idea to bring these songs to a live format is a fairly recent one. I’m lucky to have met several awesome musicians over the past year, and bringing them in to play on Hotel Leo songs feels like unlocking a whole new dimension of the band. I love the different sounds and ideas everybody brings to the table. When writing songs I don’t think about how I’m going to recreate them live – I just try and serve the song however I can. Moving those songs into a more traditional live band lineup has been a challenge. For example, how do we translate some of these synth parts to electric guitar? Or how do some of these songs recorded with a drum machine sound with real drums? I’m really enjoying the new takes on the music, and I feel like it has given new life to these songs.]

[Hotel Leo play an Album Release Show on Friday, August 28 at miniBar, 3810 Broadway, KCMO with Teri Quinn & The Coyotes and The Creepy Jingles.]

[Hotel Leo also plays The RINO, 314 Armour Rd., North Kansas City on September 19 with Brotha Josh, and Mel Crosby, and Pool Culture.]

11:00 – Station ID

10. Molly Picture Club – “Disconnected”
    from: In My Own Time Machine / Indep. / Orig. April 30, 2013 / Re-released Sept. 8, 2026
    [Aniko Adany: vocals, keys, synths & omnichord; Matthew Hayden: drums, & drum sequencing; Michael Tipton: vocals, guitar, & bass. All songs written, arranged, performed, & produced by Molly Picture Club. Additional percussion by Justin Skinner. Drums recorded, EP Mixed & Mastered by Duane Trower at Weights & Measures Soundlab. All other sounds recorded by Matthew Hayden at Southland Studios.]

[Thursday, August 27, 2026 – Mike Tipton Trio plays Knuckleheads with The Clay Clear Band, Free Rent Band and The Band Grim.]

[Friday, August 21 – Found a Job play The Ship 1221 Union Ave, West Bottoms]

[Friday, August 28, 2026 – Found A Job play Light Up the Lawn Light Up the Lawn of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary for Art Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS on Friday, August 21, at 8:00pm.]

11:03 – Interview with Michael Tipton & Matthew Hayden

Michael Tipton & Matthew Hayden are part of the eight piece, Talking Heads tribute band, Found A Job. The two have collaborated together in many projects and as part of the acclaimed bands: Molly Picture Club (2009-2013), and Kodascope (2013-2016). Molly Picture Club called themselves a “dark disco” band from Kansas City. Heavily influenced by 80s and 90s punk, Hungarian-born Aniko Adany added punchy synth and raw vocals backed by the afro-beat and Latin influenced rhythms of drummer Matt Hayden, while front man and lead guitarist Michael Tipton accentuated the group’s music with yelps and quips that form the characters in MPC’s songs. Matthew has played in the band Afrolicious. Michael & Matt will share two tracks from their upcoming EP re-release, “My Own Time Machine” from Molly Picture Club.

Michael Tipton & Matthew Hayden thanks for being with us on WMM

Shows:

Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 7:00pm – Mike Tipton Trio plays Knuckleheads with The Clay Clear Band, Free Rent Band and The Band Grim

Friday, August 21 – Found a Job play The Ship 1221 Union Ave, West Bottoms

Friday, August 28, 2026 – Found A Job play Light Up the Lawn Light Up the Lawn of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary for Art Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS on Fri., Aug. 21, at 8:00pm.

Michael B. Tipton released 5+ new singles Michael B. Tipton released in 2025. This single was recorded at Weights & Measures Soundlab here in KC. Performers on the track are Nate Holt- organ, Aaron Lewis– bass, Jace Hughes– electric guitar, Sam Shoemaker-pedal steel guitar, Justin Danner-drums, Ashleigh Guthrie-backing vocals, and myself on acoustic and vocals. Written by Michael B. Tipton. // Along with the country singles Michael recently teamed up with vocalist Seyko of The Freedom Affair member Seyko to release a Christmas collab they co-wrote called “Better To Believe” in early December. This song features performances by The Freedom Affair, members of Found A Job and Michael’s country band The Scoundrels, and Seyko’s daughter Reiko. // Michael B. Tipton has been working with Nashville songwriters and studios this past year and recently recorded an original song “Favorite Place in Town” (written about Strawberry Hill’s Hillsiders), at County Q Studios in Nashville. This song will be released TBA in 2026 and distributed to FM and AM Country stations across the country. Michael B. Tipton was signed to Stone Bridge Entertainment in July 2025. His debut solo album, Out of the Woods, was released on October 13, 2023. With his band The Scoundrels, Michael has shared stages with Bronwyn Keith Hynes and Jason Isbell.

Michael Tipton was one of the first musical guests we ever interviewed on WMM when he was in the band Tabla Rasa. We also played almost everything they recorded when Michael was part of the band, Molly Picture Club. Michael’s band Found a Job has been rocking venues in Kansas City for over 10 years playing Talking Heads tracks.

Michael has also been a frequent contributor to The Band That Fell to Earth proving he can serve and deliver with the lyrics of David Byrne and David Bowie.

Michael B Tipton is a seasoned singer-songwriter who has performed for audiences nationwide for over 26 years. With a remarkable versatility across genres like folk, country, electronic, indie rock, and hard rock, his compositions are written to be adapted to various musical styles. Michael made his mark as a member of acclaimed bands: Tabla Rasa (1999-2005), 5 Defy (2006-2008) (With Aniko Adany), Molly Picture Club (with Aniko Adany) (2009-2013), and Kodascope (2013-2016).

He is also the driving force behind Found A Job, a popular 8-piece tribute to Talking Heads since 2012, where he embodies David Byrne’s essence.

In addition to his live performances, Michael’s songwriting prowess has earned him placements on notable TV shows like “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” and various Discovery Channel segments. With an extraordinary ability to connect through heartfelt lyrics, captivating melodies, and a solid beat, Michael B Tipton continues to enchant audiences with his music. Stay tuned as this artist ventures into new musical horizons.

Michael has also been a frequent contributor to The Band That Fell to Earth KC proving he can serve and deliver with the lyrics of David Bowie as well as David Byrne.

Michael B Tipton is a seasoned singer-songwriter who has performed for audiences nationwide for over 26 years. With a remarkable versatility across genres like folk, country, electronic, indie rock, and hard rock, his compositions are written to be adapted to various musical styles.

Michael is / was a member of acclaimed bands:
Tabla Rasa (1999-2005),
5 Defy (2006-2008),
Molly Picture Club (2009-2013),
Kodascope (2013-2016)
Michaek B. Tipton & The Scoundrels (2024-2026)
Found A Job (2014 -Present)

Michael B. Tipton is singer-songwriter whose stories are shaped by his expansive life experiences: cowboy, preacher, teacher, massage therapist, door-to-door salesman and dad. He has four kids. www.michaelbtiptonmusic.com

Found A Job:
Michael Tipton: lead vocals, guitar
Matt Hayden: drums
Camry Ivory: vocals, choreography
Peter Lawless: multi-instrumentalist and band director
Justin Skinner: percussion, sound engineering & Jedi-like, show-saving skills
Katelyn Jamison; vocals, choreography
Brent Jamison: bass, keyboards
Ashleigh Guthrie; keyboards (2014-2024)
Lauren Williams: bass (2024-present)

Friday, August 21 – Found a Job play The Ship 1221 Union Ave, West Bottoms

Friday, August 28, 2026 – Found A Job play Light Up the Lawn Light Up the Lawn of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary for Art Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS on Fri., Aug. 21, at 8:00pm.

Michael Tipton & Matthew Hayden thanks for being with us on WMM.

11:23

11. Molly Picture Club – “As You Were”
    from: In My Own Time Machine / Indep. / Orig. April 30, 2013 / Re-released Sept. 8, 2026
    [Aniko Adany: vocals, keys, synths & omnichord; Matthew Hayden: drums, & drum sequencing; Michael Tipton: vocals, guitar, & bass. All songs written, arranged, performed, & produced by Molly Picture Club. Additional percussion by Justin Skinner. Drums recorded, EP Mixed & Mastered by Duane Trower at Weights & Measures Soundlab. All other sounds recorded by Matthew Hayden at Southland Studios.]

[Thursday, August 27, 2026 – Mike Tipton Trio plays Knuckleheads with The Clay Clear Band, Free Rent Band and The Band Grim]

[Friday, August 21 – Found a Job play The Ship 1221 Union Ave, West Bottoms]

[Friday, August 28, 2026 – Found A Job play Light Up the Lawn Light Up the Lawn of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary for Art Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS on Friday, August 21, at 8:00pm.]

11:28 – Underwriting

12. oldnothing – “Take You To The Sun”
    from: Don’t Call Me Tina / oldnothing / August 15, 2026
    [Produced by David Bennett. Album artwotk by Sarah Dowen. // Austin Marks who is currently recording and performing as, oldnothing. Austin Marks is a songwriter from St. Joseph, Missouri. He writes sad songs and love songs (not that there’s any difference), and creates them all himself as warm, hazy, and drenched in reverb. He spent years playing in the Kansas City band Dreamgirl before setting out on his own. His debut album, “Don’t Call Me Tina,” is out now. You can find all of his stuff at www.oldnothing.com.]

11:32 – Interview with Austin Marks

Austin Marks records and performing as, oldnothing. Austin Marks is a songwriter from St. Joseph, Missouri. He writes sad songs and love songs (not that there’s any difference), and creates them all himself as warm, hazy, and drenched in reverb. He spent years playing in the Kansas City band Dreamgirl before setting out on his own. His debut album, “Don’t Call Me Tina,” is out now. You can find all of his stuff at www.oldnothing.com

Austin Marks Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Take you to The Sun (Lyrics)

Well I don’t know your name
But it sure sounds the same
And I could never say “I love you”

But if you wanna try
I guess you’ll blow my mind
And it might be a crime
Why don’t ya

I’l take you to the sun
You might just be the one that I’m sticking to
But you can bathe alone
And I’ll get stoned
And secretly watching

Yeah, I try
Try to make it up to the rainbow
And I lie
Lying when I said I won’t hurt you
Now I desert you
And it’s fine
Fine to move along til you forget me
Say it’s mine
Mine forever til you up and left me
I know it’s crazy

I’l take you to the sun
You might just be the one that I’m sticking to
But you can bathe alone
And I’ll get stoned
And secretly watching

oldnothing writes sad songs and love songs (and he adds: not that there’s any difference). He creates them all himself as warm, hazy, and drenched in reverb.

Oldnothing aka Ausitn Marks is also in the band Dreamgirl

Before Dreamgirl he played in the band eyelit with is ex-wife Dansare.

11:40 – Live Performance

13. oldnothing – “Take Your Time” (LIVE)

11:43 – More Interview with Austin Marks

Austin Marks records and performing as, oldnothing. Austin Marks is a songwriter from St. Joseph, Missouri. He writes sad songs and love songs (not that there’s any difference), and creates them all himself as warm, hazy, and drenched in reverb. He spent years playing in the Kansas City band Dreamgirl before setting out on his own. His debut album, “Don’t Call Me Tina,” is out now. You can find all of his stuff at www.oldnothing.com

Austin Marks Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

His debut album, “Don’t Call Me Tina,” is out now. You can find all of his stuff at www.oldnothing.com

For WMM, I’m Mark Manning. Thanks for listening!

11:55

14. oldnothing – “More Than You Used To Know”
    from: Don’t Call Me Tina / oldnothing / August 15, 2026
    [Produced by David Bennett. Album artwotk by Sarah Dowen. // Austin Marks recorda and performs as, oldnothing. Austin Marks is a songwriter from St. Joseph, Missouri. He writes sad songs and love songs (not that there’s any difference), and creates them all himself as warm, hazy, and drenched in reverb. He spent years playing in the Kansas City band Dreamgirl before setting out on his own. His debut album, “Don’t Call Me Tina,” is out now. You can find all of his stuff at www.oldnothing.com.]

15. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
    from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]

Next week, on Wednesday, August 26 we welcome our friend Jocelyn Olivia Nixon joins us to share new music from The Creepy Jingles. Also next week: Al Hawkins and Fritz Hutchison join us to talk about Cold Gravy Bowl 2: The Coldest Bowl playing August 28 and August 29 at Charlotte Street Foundation with The Matchsellers. AND, Amanda Davis and Derek Trautwein of the Spooky Shxt Show, join us to share details about Beach Basement Party September 3, 7:00 to 9:00pm at Hula Hoop KC.

You can find our playlists at: www.wednesdaymiddaymedley.org & www.kkfi.org
www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM
www.instagram.wednesday_midday_medley

Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein-Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Office Manager Book Keeper – Shaina Littler.

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to KKFI’s Summer Fund Drive during WMM we had a total of 33 people donate a total of $3513.50. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made extra effort to keep our station alive.

Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
http://www.kkfi.org,
http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM

Show #1161

Wednesday MidDay Medley
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

New & MidCoastal Releases + BOSCO + D. Rashaan Gilmore

1. Various Artists – “Main Title Instrumental (It’s Showtime Folks)”
   from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979
   [WMM’s theme]

2. Joel Kraft – “Wooden Castle”
   from: The End / Joel Kraft / March 1, 2026
   [Joel Kraft on voice, guitar, drums, bass, synth, production, programming, writing, dishwashing, slide flute & guitar; Nick Baker on drums on Awakening, Queen of Kings & The Foundness; Stephen Flanery on vocals on Awakening; Ross McLeron on synthesizers on Start It Over; Marty Kraft on vocals on Awakening; Adam Selzer -on mixing & mastering; Shane Ogren on album art; Philip Cheaney on graphic design. // The End is the fourth album from Kansas City–based singer-songwriter and producer Joel Kraft. It’s a layered indie pop record with roots in folk and a twist of art pop—featuring toy pianos, disco bass lines, square wave synths, and field recordings stitched together by hand. Ten years in the making, it’s the first album Kraft fully produced himself after years of learning from collaborators and experimenting with tape, MIDI, and microphones. // Kraft’s songs are rich with impressionistic lyrics, unconventional structures, and sonic textures that reward repeated listening. His songwriting blends the personal and surreal, moving between vivid imagery and quiet emotional weight without ever settling into one mode for long. // The result is a dreamy, bittersweet, and slightly eccentric pop record built on “slow-release architecture,” as Kraft calls it. The End doesn’t sound like goodbye—it sounds like waking up with a new sense of clarity. All songs written by Joel Kraft ℗ & © 2026 Joel Kraft (BMI). All rights reserved. License all rights reserved.]

[Joel Kraft plays an Album release show on Friday, August 7, 2026 at 6:00pm, Matinee Show with Miss Boating at The Ship, 1221 Union Avenue, KCMO West Bottoms.]

3. THAO – “Sick of the Times (ft. Tune-Yards, The Linda Lindas)”
   from: Show Me / Kill Rock Stars / October 30, 2026
   [Primal, expansive, sexy and wrenchingly tender-hearted, critically acclaimed songwriter and performer THAO has announced her first album in six years. Titled quite appropriately Show Me – due out October 30 via Kill Rock Stars – the new collection is a deeply personal exploration of her journey toward full embodiment; a flaying of flesh and old burden to reveal the rapturously beating heart therein. It is a suite of lush, lovingly crafted and powerfully voiced songs that act as portals into THAO’s kaleidoscopic inner life. Show Me was self-produced alongside Nate Brenner (also a co-writer) and Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards and features special guests: Tune-Yards, The Linda Lindas, Neko Case and Adrian Quesada (Black Pumas). // Lead single “Sick of the Times” is an art-rock protest anthem made for community activation and organizing. It is a sure fire anthem of and for these times and arrives alongside a powerful official video. Featuring vocals from powerhouse punks The Linda Lindas and close friend and collaborator Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards (who are also featured in the video), the song thrums and seethes and soothes, the infectious synth drum hook leading us into punk rock battle, the vocals uplifting and defiant. “I wanted it to be an anthem that will be used at political rallies, grass roots organizing and mutual aid events, anything that can help us emotionally prepare to activate and to stay politically engaged at all levels, but especially at the local level,” says Nguyen. “We need to keep each other buoyant, to remind ourselves we’ve got the numbers and the imperative.” Putting action to her ideas, THAO has teamed up once again with Working Families Power to donate $1 per ticket for her newly announced west coast dates. // Sometimes life starts educating you before you are ready to receive the lesson. In the midst of her multidisciplinary artistic forays, THAO’s personal life underwent a reckoning: divorce, the upending of a home. “I learned that the point of life is not to emerge unscathed, and that I don’t want to operate as I always have — masking fear as indifference,” she says. “This album is a real-time record-keeping of my life evolving into a different relationship with love and desire over the last few years. For example, I came out publicly years ago but I’ve never really written a song about sex or queer identity. So, that’s in there,” she winks. “Some songs are snapshots of moments I’ve never felt before. Some are ruminations of what I need to keep, what I want to shear, what I want to move toward.” In the shearing spirit, out went her long-time band name — Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. Show Me is a record of that journey. // The beloved songwriter has been endlessly busy outside the realm of record making since her last lauded album Temple: guest-hosting the iconic Song Exploder podcast, hosting the PBS TV show Southern Storytellers, developing a musical, film scoring and film starring (with collaborator/ Macarthur Fellow artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen, currently on exhibit in contemporary art institutions), gracing the cover of New York Times’s T Magazine, performing on Fred Armisen’s 2018 Netflix special Standup for Drummers and working on her first book for renowned publisher Graywolf Press. But THAO is a stage commanding recording artist first and foremost, and she is thrilled to be back in our ears and live in our sights.]

4. SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES – “SMILE (ft. Frogpond)”
   from: SMILE (ft. Frogpond) – Single / SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES / July 28, 2026
   [Kate McCandless is SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES (vocals, looping pedal, music, lyrics, guitar) featuring members of Kansas City’s iconic band, Frogpond – Heidi Phillips (guitar), Kristen Conkright (bass), Michelle Bacon (drums). Recorded at Element Recording, Kansas City KS with Joel Nanos as Engineer + Mixing + Mastering. Kate McCandless writes, “this song was created to capture the feeling of that “second skin” – a feeling all too familiar for women – that curdles and writhes when we’re being perceived. when power and entitlement are being projected onto us by men. the song highlights the root of rape culture, this sense of entitlement to women’s bodies rooted in patriarchy. this entitlement translates to gestures of violence that needle away at us, gradually building to a full on bleed. leers, stares, cat calls, and “innocent” remarks – “why don’t you smile, honey?” – translate directly to more extreme acts of violence – abuse, sexual assault, murder. this is the air we breathe. its pervasiveness and constancy is mirrored in the repetitive nature of the song, looping the same line again and again until it builds to a chorus of voices, all chanting the same mantra – “DON’T BAT ONE PITCH.” // don’t make eye contact, just walk down the street, ignore them, walk tall. // a body can’t just walk down the street. the second skin recoils. // beyond the chorus arises a woman’s solo cry, increasingly persistent and terrified – // “DON’T. DON’T. DON’T! DON’T!!!” // she said no, and they’re not listening.] [www.shespeaksintongues.bandcamp.com]

5. Sweeping Promises – “Cocoon”
   from: You Say I Romanticize / Feel It Records – Sub Pop / August 14, 2026
   [From bandcamp page: Sweeping Promises’ introduction to the global punk underground was their debut album, Hunger for a Way Out, one of the breakout successes in music during 2020’s pandemic lockdown. In 2023, they followed up with the acclaimed Good Living Is Coming for You, which made Album of the Year lists for Pitchfork, NPR, Paste, and BBC, just to name a few. The album found guitarist/producer Caufield Schnug and bassist/vocalist Lira Mondal testing the limits of their home-recording resourcefulness as freshly minted Kansans – new place, new space. Now, the band is back with a frenetic new offering: You Say I Romanticize. // Recorded over an 18-month period, largely prepared and periodically interrupted by Schnug’s non-SP production work, You Say I Romanticize is a tribute to the chaos of creation and collaboration under shifting circumstances. For years now, Schnug and Mondal have embedded themselves in their combination tour house and recording studio in Kansas, annually working on dozens of albums from other bands, hosting tour stops, planning shows, and the like. After an immersive process of tracking and whittling down YSIR demos and carving out an idiosyncratic chamber recording method for the album’s intentional wall-of-sound, the duo brought in touring drummer Spenser Gralla to play the songs like the band would on stage. // The album’s frenzied execution, akin to the group’s renowned live show, prevails most of all in Mondal’s vocals. Whereas previously, you might have heard a growl here and there on certain Sweeping Promises tracks, the band’s formidable singer shouts, roars, hits all sorts of tricky notes, and shreds her throat all over the record, notably on the pummeling opener “Shooting Shadows” and the smoldering “Cocoon.” // A shadow side exists along with Sweeping Promises’ love of their artistic community—borne of weirdos channeling their misfit status into vibrant art and punk rock music, often passing through the revolving door that is their home studio. You Say I Romanticize takes the art-by-any-means-necessary ethos Mondal and Schnug have developed over the years and turns the prompt upside-down, landing on a personality epidemic manifesting across all ten tracks. // A big theme of You Say I Romanticize is hinted at in its title. Taken from a lyric sung on driving album closer “Write Lightly”—a narrative about the importance of self-expression in writing being scrubbed away by “professional” concerns—many of the characters Mondal fleshed out here are outcasts, marginalized by society and morphed into longing fanatics. The personalities depicted on You Say I Romanticize are often writerly types; as writing is, by and large, an art of obsession. To wit, “Last Man,” by equal turns musically nervous and cathartic, loosely takes after Mary Shelley’s literary work of the same name, The Last Man—a dystopian 19th Century novel written in wake of a cholera outbreak. Similarly, “My Anchoress” resonantes in its portrayal of 15th Century author Julian of Norwich—centered around her enduring Revelations of Divine Love (one of the earliest English-written works by a woman), which details her eccentric, sensuous religious visions. // Sweeping Promises have long been progenitors of concept-forward art-punk music that is remarkably immediate and irresistible. For being largely about personalities boxed in by isolation, You Say I Romanticize is carried by an outright soaring energy. —Martin Douglas ]

[Sweeping Promises play Toy Store at 936 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS Wed, August 12, 2026.]

6. Karate Boogaloo – “Tremendous Fantastic”
   from: Access All Areas / Colemine Records / October 9, 2026
   [Written by David Thor, Henry Jenkins, Hudson Whitlock, and Callum Riley
   Produced by Karate Boogaloo // DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL STREET DATE 10/9/2026 // May it please the people of the known universe that the multi-monikered musical ensemble legally trading as Kay-Bee Funk Music Group are releasing what will alphabetically be their first album, ‘Access All Areas’. Created with Karate Boogaloo’s patented ‘Lovely Recording Technique’ these recordings let you know that everyone’s a VIP when you’re listening to KB. // ‘Access’ was the one word maxim philosophically guiding The Old Kar-Boo’s this innings. If a tune became convoluted, to the bin it went. Only those that could be hummed by any and all were kept. This sieve was on hand throughout the whole process, arrangements and forms were kept watertight, bells and whistles to a minimum. If 2024’s ‘Hold Your Horses’ was an epic, ‘Access All Areas’ is a haiku. // The band’s tried and true recording process was dutifully respected save for one wonderful addition, the magnificent ‘Sound Recordings’ helmed by its proprietor and engineer extraordinaire Alex Bennet. Steering the 4 track Ampex 440 off road when required and making sure the vibes were constantly correct, Alex is a bonafide Booger. // Although it feels only a moment, the clock tells us it’s been nearly 20 years since Kay’s Bees first tried to play the songs of their musical heroes, The Meters, Booker T & The MG’s, and The JB’s to name but a few. Since then The Famous Flying Karate Boogaloo Brothers have put one foot in front of the other and distilled their own sound, one that respectfully acknowledges the history of instrumental Funk & Soul music, and reflects the time they’ve spent crafting their distinctive sound. // As bright as each member shines individually, it is a special event when all four planets in the Booger System align. ‘Access All Areas’ is one such eclipse, it is an artistic expression of equal measure by each member and it casts a shadow unique to the occasion. Every second of music was composed and produced with all hands on deck, mixing was handled by Henry Jenkins, artwork by Hudson Whitlock and Callum Riley, and Darvid Thor did things you’d have to see to believe. Music is a team sport and there’s no I in Funk. // Coming out on the two greatest record labels in the galaxy ‘Colemine Records’ from Loveland, USA, and College of Knowledge from Coburg, Australia, please listen to Karate Boogaloo’s new album ‘Access All Areas’. ]

7. The Womack Sisters – “If I Let You”
   from: The Womack Sisters / Daptone Records / August 14, 2026
   [The Womack Sisters – Kucha, Zeimani, and BG Womack – were singing before they could walk. The Sisters grew up on the road. Their schools were stages and studios all over the world, where they sang behind their parents, Zekkariyas & Zeriiya (fka Womack & Womack), alongside their four siblings. Nowhere was home for long. No matter where they lived they were always surrounded by music and family. // Their 2026 self-titled debut album,The Womack Sisters, is the musical culmination of the Sisters’ long and winding journey to find themselves. Over an intensely soulful collection of tunes that harkens back to when pop music had substance, vibe and purpose, each of their distinct voices have their moments in the spotlight. // See them on tour this summer. All upcoming dates at thewomacksisters.com.]

8. TheBabeGabe – “Stargirl”
   from: Love Language / Seven Rings Media / June 10, 2025
   [New 4-track EP. Follow up the HONEYPOP RELOADED (August 8, 2025) also through Seven Rings Media. Honeypop Reloaded was one of two full length albums released in 2025 by TheBabeGabe, the other being HONEYPOP on Seven Rings Media released March 5, 2025, both with production by The Human. // After years of being the girl in the band, TheBabeGabe is stepping out, and standing ten toes down. As she dives into her solo career, Gabe brings the same sugary raps and addicting energy that she did as 1/3 of the alt-rap trio BLACKSTARKIDS. This time though, she’s telling her story, and forging a fresh start. The debut mixtape HONEY POP introduces the world to a young black girl from Kansas City that’s hungry for better things for herself and everyone who looks like her. Her energy is infectious, and you won’t want to be the one standing in her way, which becomes clear from the rowdy hook of the project’s lead single PSA. “It’s in my DNA, killing shit like every day, take this as a PSA, don’t give a fuck ‘bout what you say.” // With BLACKSTARKIDS, Gabe gained experience crushing a stage, opening on tour with The 1975, beabadoobee, Glass Animals, & more. That confidence shines through on braggadocios tracks like Only See Me, Pulse, and Pep Rally where she raps, “hoe shut the fuck up when I’m talking, got a pretty face but this mouth repulsive.” Pulling inspiration from future peers like Doja Cat & Tyler, The Creator, Gabe is quick to prove she isn’t restricted to one sound. There’s no shortage of variety with sticky hooks, soulful ballads, Janelle Monáe -esque pop hits, somber reflective cuts, and boomy west-coast kickbacks. // No song boasts this genre-bending ability better than the double track RIOT GRRL//DRAMA QUEEN. Starting with an inspirational pop-punk banger that could make any Olivia Rodrigo fan nod in approval, it soon turns to the emotional DRAMA QUEEN, seeing Gabe grapple with difficult changes and struggle to find the best way forward. Listening to Gabe can often feel like hanging with your bestie in that you’re getting both the yap sessions about the everyday as well as the venting about life’s drama and all its uncertainties. // These confessions, boasts, hooks, croons, screams, beats, and sounds all come together to create an extraordinary portrait of a young artist figuring it out. It’s an unfiltered showcase that sees Gabe pull back the curtain and step forward so you can meet her where she’s at. So when you listen, you’re seeing her for who she really is. And for many, that’s someone you can see yourself in. That’s TheBabeGabe. // TheBabeGabe was one-third of the Kansas City based BLACKSTARKIDZ Gen-Z upstarts BLACKSTARKIDS have released their sixth studio album Saturn Dayz on Sept. 20, 2024 through Dirty Hit Records and immediately followed with an 8-track 7th studio album HEAVEN ON URF, on Oct. 25, 2024 on Dirty Hit Records. Music writer Bill Brownlee talked with us about how the band created a double album, but the record company decided to release as two separate albums. The music from both albums relate to each other. Before the release of Saturn Dayz the band released their single and video “SOULMATEZ!” on August 30, 2024. “SOULMATEZ!,” is a magnetic, blissed-out bop that brings together pop, indie, and alt-rap, reminiscent of Dev Hynes-era Solange mixed with De La Soul. // The follow up to BLACKSTARKIDS’ acclaimed 2022 album CYBERKISS* which featured standout singles “CYBERKISS 2 U* ft. beabadoobee” and “SEX APPEAL,” SATURN DAYZ is an otherworldly, genre-crossing testament to their unrelenting artistry and is their most impressive work to date. PRESS HERE to pre-save SATURN DAYZ. // Putting out music at a prolific rate and making waves for their formidable songwriting and producing talents, as well as their endless energy and truly limitless sound, BLACKSTARKIDS have received critical acclaim from New York Times, MTV, UPROXX, Billboard, Alternative Press, SPIN, Ones To Watch, Rolling Stone France, The Line Of Best Fit, DIY, Coup De Main, and more. Blending garage rock with synth-punk and hip-hop to usher in a new surge of indie, such as on their beloved album Puppies Forever which features anthemic singles “ALL COPS ARE BASTARDS*,” “JUNO,” and “FIGHT CLUB,” BLACKSTARKIDS are well on their way to indie stardom and have previously toured with the likes of The 1975, COIN, Glass Animals, beabadoobee, Christian Leave, GroupLove. // Incorporating each member’s wide-ranging influences into their blissful DIY sound, such as Toro Y Moi, NERD, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer, Outkast, Odd Future, and A Tribe Called Quest, BLACKSTARKIDS first captivated the internet with their “black coming of age trilogy” of projects Let’s Play Sports, Surf, and Whatever, Man that feature critically acclaimed singles including “BRITNEY BITCH” and “FRANKIE MUNIZ.” // Blackstarkids are phenomenon who came out of KC in 2020 became the soundtrack for the summer. Members include: TheBabeGabe, Deiondre, and TyFaizon (of the Drop Dead XX collective). The members have known each other since high school in Raytown, Missouri. Members met at Raytown South High School and formed the band in 2019. The group released its first album, Let’s Play Sports, on August 1, 2019. Blackstarkids then released their second album SURF through their own label Bedroom Records on February 28, 2020. Blackstarkids caught the attention of The 1975’s frontman Matty Healy and were then signed to The 1975’s management company and UK-based label Dirty Hit Records. They were featured in Clash Magazine. Blackstarkids then released, Surf Basement Demos on Dirty Hit Records on March 5, 2020. On Oct. 29, 2020, Blackstarkids released Whatever, Man on Dirty Hit Records, their third album release of 2020. Gabe, of Blackstarkids recently described the KC Music community to an interviewer, “The music scene here is really nice. There are a lot of bands who are super talented and do all types of genres. The jazz music here is really great as well. KC is honestly a hidden gem when it comes to music. I feel like you can meet an artist anywhere and anyplace in this city.”]

10:30 – Underwriting

9. ear – “Ne Plus Ultra”
   from: “Ne Plus Ultra”- Single / A24 Music / May 8, 2026
   [Following a breakout 2025, idm-indebted duo ear return with a new single via A24’s label imprint A24 Music. Emotionally complex yet danceable and cathartic, ear demonstrates their unique ability to seamlessly blend unforgettable electronic melodies with pensive indie songwriting. // Ear (stylized in lowercase) is an American electronic music duo formed by musicians and producers Jonah Paz and Yaelle Avtan in 2024. The group released their debut album The Most Dear and the Future in September 2025. Their song “Real Life” was listed among the best songs of 2025 by The Fader. // Jonah Paz and Yaelle Avtan met in 2024 while attending Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. They are both of Sephardic Jewish ancestory. They bonded over shared musical interests including British post-punk, IDM, and the work of Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse. Paz was noted as being into twee and had previously performed in the group the Barns, while Avtan was into digital hardcore. Prior to making music, Paz worked as a painter and Avtan worked as a ceramicist. // The duo recorded their debut single “Nerves” in 2024 on Avtan’s iPhone in their university library. Within a few months the track garnered the group “200k monthly Spotify listeners”. After a series of releases, they performed a small number of shows. In September 2025, Ear released their debut album The Most Dear and The Future. Followed by performing as supporting acts for Yung Lean in Canada and a backyard concert at UCLA. The duo performed a sold-out European tour, including two sold-out shows in London at Ormside Projects.Paz formed the solo project Sacred Holes in 2025. The band’s album Rumspringa released on May 29, 2026. // According to British magazine The Face, Ear are “the no-caps, lower-case sound of the indietronic underground” Their song “Real Life” was listed among the best songs of 2025 by The Fader. Writer Hajin Yoo stated, “It begins gently, shy vocals ease over a lilting, sing-song synth […] But the soft beginning belies the anxiety bubbling underneath the surface, evinced in stuttering electronic chords that never quite explode to full-out dissonance.” Kieran Press-Reynolds of Pitchfork described the band’s music as “small, sampledelic pop”. // Paz uses Ableton to produce music.]

Discography
Albums
The Most Dear and the Future (2025), self-released
Rumspringa (2026), A24 Music
Singles
“Nerves” (2024), self-released
“Fetish” / “Valley Serpent” (2025), self-released
“Theorem” (2025), self-released
“Ne Plus Ultra” (2026), A24 Music]

10. Field Daze – “On The Couch”
    from: “On The Couch”- Single / Field Daze / July 31, 2026
    [Our new single “On the Couch” is the exploration of the feeling of dread and anxiety that comes from doom scrolling and the 24 hour news cycle that ends up paralyzing us into inaction and isolation. Society is suffering from the weaponization of that feeling, and manifests itself in the form of us being glued to our couch waiting for the revolution to be televised. // Produced, mixed, and mastered by Ian Dobyns at Element Recording Studios. Earlier this year Field Daze released the singles: “Shade of Blue on April 3, 2026, “Hula Girl” on March 3, 2026, “Hate Me” on March 9, 2026, “Melona 99” on March 8, 2026. // Field Daze, is an Indie Rock/Dreampop band, originated in KCMO when Rodd Fenton & Dan Camino responded to a Facebook call to start a Dreampop band. Their collaboration led to the creation of early demos. Shortly after, they were joined by Tracer Cauy, Kyer Lasswell, & Beau Harris, solidifying the band’s lineup. // Their magnetic sound quickly found a home in the KC music community, playing The Rino, The Ship, and The Bottleneck. Field Daze’s live performances became synonymous with an immersive musical experience, drawing in crowds with their captivating melodies. // Currently, the band channels their creativity by recording homegrown tracks within Rodd Fenton’s personal studio, honing their craft and evolving their unique sound. More Info at: http://www.fielddazekc.com]

11. Joy Oladokun – “Kind”
    from: Hope Is A Heavy Thing / Feed The Family – Concord / September 25, 2026
    [“This song is about letting go of the things that might be holding you back,” shares Oladokun. “That includes systems or ways of thinking. We wanted to tell the story of a Nigerian queer couple in this video as a way to showcase that. The criminalization of queer relationships is a product of homophobia inherited from colonizers. It is not reflective of the beauty of Nigeria’s open-hearted culture.” // “Kind” is the latest song unveiled from Oladokun’s highly anticipated new album, Hope Is A Heavy Thing, out September 25 via Concord Records (pre-order/pre-save HERE). Produced by Oladokun with additional contributions from Nigerian producer Spellz, the new 12-track project marks a bold new chapter, expanding Oladokun’s sound while continuing to prove her ability to not only bend genres but also to bridge cultures. Across the album, Oladokun explores identity, connection and self-discovery with the emotional honesty that has become a hallmark of her songwriting. In addition to “Kind” and the previously shared track “Zombie,” the album features a collaboration with Nigerian artist Adekunle Gold. // “‘To understand your future you have to confront your past.’ This is the driving theme behind Hope Is A Heavy Thing,” shares Oladokun. “It’s a collection of 12 songs that I wrote to help myself find my light again after burning out. Produced in Nashville, New York, and the back of a speeding tour bus, this album is sonically an homage to all of the music that inspires me. On this record you’ll find music that nods the brilliance of the Soulquarians, the rawness of Bob Dylan, the rhythms of afrobeats, and the sampling prowess of J Dilla. Not to mention a callback to the Ronettes and a few songs that find inspiration in rock and roll protest music of the 60’s and 70’s. You’ll also find me at the most authentic I’ve been able to be as an artist. It is a record I wrote for anyone who finds themselves wondering how to hope in these times. Sometimes it means looking back and digging through the muck to find what’s worth fighting for again.” // This fall, Oladokun will embark on her extensive “The Heavy Things Tour,” with newly confirmed stops at Austin’s Scoot Inn, Los Angeles’ The Bellwether, Seattle’s Moore Theatre, Denver’s Paramount Theatre, Chicago’s The Vic Theatre, Washington D.C.’s Howard Theatre and Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, among many others. See below for complete tour itinerary. // Hope Is A Heavy Thing follows Oladokun’s critically acclaimed albums in defense of my own happiness (2021), Proof of Life (2023) and Observations From A Crowded Room (2024), which led NPR Music to call Oladokun “one of the great singer-songwriters pushing beyond roots or conventional singer-songwriter music today.” Additionally, The New York Times praised, “her songs are conversational and confessional, and her hooky but profound melodies turn her lyrics into mantras,” while Consequence declared, “One of the most refreshing voices coming out of Nashville…there’s a deeply honest quality to her music that makes her hard to shake.” // Oladokun is one of today’s most compelling genre-defying voices, using deeply vulnerable songwriting to seamlessly connect folk, soul, pop and rock with striking emotional clarity. A queer Black musician and daughter of Nigerian immigrants, Oladokun has become a vital cultural voice, writing songs that explore identity, faith, mental health, and social justice with honesty and restraint. She earned a nomination for Americana Artist of the Year and her protest anthem, “i see america,” was a finalist for the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Award for Best Song for Social Change. Oladokun has performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, CBS Saturday Morning’s “Saturday Sessions,” TODAY, PBS’ Austin City Limits and NPR Music’s “Tiny Desk (Home) Concert” series. Widely respected by her peers, Oladokun has collaborated with artists such as Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Maxo Kream, Jack Antonoff, Jason Isbell and Noah Kahan and has joined Isbell, Kahan, John Mayer, Hozier, My Morning Jacket, Tyler Childers, Pink Sweat$, Leon Bridges and Manchester Orchestra on the road. Joy Oladokun released Observations From A Crowded Room on Oct. 18, 2024. // Joy Iladokun released Proof of Life her 4th studio album on April 28, 2023. The album was supported by five singles released throughout 2022 & 2023. The album features guest appearances from Mt. Joy, Manchester Orchestra, Chris Stapleton, Maxo Kream, and Noah Kahan. In a press release about the album, Oladokun said that she intended for the songs on Proof of Life to be “helpful anthems” and to resonate with “anybody who feels normal and needs a little musical boost to get through the day”. The first single, “Keeping the Light On”, was released on January 21, 2022. The second single, “Sweet Symphony” (featuring Chris Stapleton), was released on September 23, 2022. Of the song, Oladokun said that the song was about “the vulnerability, the fear, and the ups and downs that come from loving someone.” The third single, “Changes”, was released on February 17, 2023, simultaneously with the album announcement. The fourth single, “We’re All Gonna Die” (with Noah Kahan), was released March 17, 2023. The 5th and final single, “Taking Things for Granted”, was released on April 21, 2023. // Joy Oladokun was born April 6, 1992, she is an American singer-songwriter. Oladokun’s music spans the genres of folk, R&B, rock, and pop and is influenced by her identity as a queer woman of color. Oladokun grew up in Casa Grande, Arizona, listening to country and folk music, as well as Bob Marley and Lauryn Hill. Both of her parents are Nigerian immigrants to the United States. Her family regularly attended a Christian church, where Oladokun was chosen to lead worship. Later, Oladokun left the church because it limited her creativity. // When Oladokun was 10, a video of Tracy Chapman inspired her to learn guitar.// After college, at a friend’s suggestion, Oladokun moved to Los Angeles to pursue her music career. She later moved to East Nashville, where she signed with Prescription Songs. She has released three studio albums. In 2015, Joy Oladokun self-released her debut EP Cathedrals. Her debut studio album, Carry Me was funded by Kickstarter and released on April 29, 2016 through Well Records. // Oladokun released the single “Sunday” in 2019, saying “‘Sunday’ is the song that 12-year-old Joy, seated in the back of church youth group, needed to hear. She needed to hear that you can be queer and happy. Queer and healthy. Queer and holy. She needed to see married women kissing and playing with their kids.” The music video highlights people in LGBTQ relation-ships and has a predominantly queer cast. // Oladokun’s song “Mercy” follows in the same theme, describing her experience as a Black person in the United States, while the single “I See America” criticizes systemic racism. NPR listed “I See America” on its 100 Best Songs of 2020. // On July 17, 2020, Oladokun released her 2nd studio album, In Defense of My Own Happiness (Vol. 1). Billboard described the album as a “stunningly emotional collection.” Mitch Mosk, editor-in-chief of Atwood Mag., called it a “a sweeping, soaring, and stunning sophomore record oozing heart and soul.” // In 2021, Oladokun received a grant from YouTube’s “#YouTubeBlack Voices Fund”. The same year she signed with Amigo Records, Verve Forecast Records, & Republics. http://www.joyoladokun.com Oladokun played The Truman on Sept. 12, 2024.]

12. Lykke Li – “Happy Now”
    from: Afterparty / Virgin / May 8, 2026
    [THE AFTERPARTY – a one shot dusk-to-dawn odyssey, turning the collective feeling of hopelessness into celebratory revenge. Its focus track, “Happy Now,” is Lykke Li’s version of an Abba song: a gorgeously melancholic harmony reminiscent of “Dancing Queen,” the sound of someone promising love and happiness – only to drag you straight back to the ground. This is female rage thrown into the void when joy is absent. // Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson (born 18 March 1986), professionally known as Lykke Li, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, model and actress. Her music often blends elements of indie pop, dream pop and electronic. Her debut studio album, Youth Novels, was released in 2008, and has been followed by Wounded Rhymes (2011), I Never Learn (2014), So Sad So Sexy (2018), Eyeye (2022), and The Afterparty (2026). She is best known for her biggest hit single to date, “I Follow Rivers”.]

13. Danny McGaw – “What’s A Boy Gonna Do”
    from: Songs In The Key Of Hope / Northern Sky Recordings / July 19, 2026
    [New 10-track album. // Manchester, England born Danny McGaw was a footballer, then a street musician, then a bar musician, and then a husband and father living in Lawrence, Kansas, where he released one of our favorite recordings of 2012 called, “Eccles Road.” After that he formed the band, Welles The Traveler with Jason Jones, Dan Hines, Chad Brothers, and Mike West, who produced the group’s debut recording. Eventually Danny and family relocated to California. He has made over 10 records in 25 years and records his songs in his home studio. // Danny McGaw released the singles: “SOHO” on April 22, 2024, “Step Into The Future “i n 2024; “Love Is Real” on 2024; “Start Over” on July 25, 2024; “Human” on May 24, 2024; “Scars” May 8; “Any More That I Do” on April 15. ]

14. Phoebe Bridgers – “Lost Boys”
    from: Lost Weekend / Dead Oceans / August 14, 2026
    [Phoebe Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American singer, songwriter record producer. Her indie folk music typically centers on acoustic guitar and electronic production, with melancholic lyrical themes. She has won four Grammy Awards on eleven nominations. // Bridgers has performed music since her youth and was a member of Sloppy Jane. She released her debut solo album, Stranger in the Alps, in 2017, followed by Punisher (2020), both of which received critical acclaim. She is also a member of the supergroup boygenius, with which she released a self-titled EP in 2018, followed by its debut album The Record and the EP The Rest in 2023. She was also a member of Better Oblivion Community Center with Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, with whom she released a self-titled album and two singles. // Bridgers has been featured on tracks with Taylor Swift, the 1975’s Matty Healy, The Killers, Muna, SZA, Kid Cudi, Christian Lee Hutson, Shame, and the National. She has progressive political views, and has advocated and fundraised for various causes. // Phoebe Lucille Bridgers was born on August 17, 1994, in Pasadena, California. Her mother, Jamie, works in real estate and stand-up comedy, while her father was a film and television set builder. She has a younger brother named Jackson.Her parents divorced when she was 19 years old She was raised in Pasadena, but also spent some of her childhood in Ukiah, California. As a child, she made extra money by busking at the Pasadena Farmers Market, and started playing guitar around the age of 13. After graduating from the Sequoyah School, she began studying vocal jazz at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts in 2009. She was later accepted by the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out after orientation.// Bridgers was a member of various groups while in high school, including Einstein’s Dirty Secret and Sloppy Jane, and frequently played solo shows around Los Angeles. After deciding not to attend college to focus on her career, her growing presence in the L.A. music scene led to her befriending producer Tony Berg, who began working with her on her first album for free. Making an Apple commercial with Sloppy Jane had given her some financial security, so she planned to complete her record and then sell it to a label, rather than try to get signed first. This allowed her much more time and creative freedom to create what became Stranger in the Alps. Around this time, Bridgers met American singer-songwriter Ryan Adams through mutual collaborators, and he put out her EP Killer on his label PAX AM.Bridgers also supported Julien Baker on her 2016 tour of the East Coast. // In January 2017, Bridgers released the single “Smoke Signals” and opened for Conor Oberst on his European tour. The two had met the previous summer at a secret showcase Oberst organized at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles. He and his Bright Eyes bandmate, Mike Mogis, contributed vocals and production to Stranger in the Alps. Bridgers joined The Joy Formidable and Adams for select dates on their respective U.S. tours before playing at South by Southwest in March 2017. In June 2017, Bridgers signed to independent label Dead Oceans. /// In September 2017, Bridgers released her debut studio album, Stranger in the Alps, to critical acclaim. The album was produced by Tony Berg, Ethan Gruska, and Rob Moose, all of whom became consistent collaborators with Bridgers. . // Bridgers has been called a “serial collaborator”, and has either been featured on or co-released tracks with Lord Huron, Fiona Apple, Matt Berninger the National, Andrew Bird, Manchester Orchestra, the 1975, Maggie Rogers, Kid Cudi, Taylor Swift, and SZA, among others. She has participated in full-album projects with Oberst, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus.]

15. Hello Biplane – “Don’t Let Go”
    from: how to hold a bug / Hello Biplane / March 27, 2026
    [Spencer Goertz-Giffen – vocals, guitar, charango; Braden Young – vocals, electric, acoustic, baritone guitar; Jeff Jackson – bass; Austin Sinkler – drums; Hugh Naughtin – cello, synth; Nate Holt – piano, accordion, organ. // Engineered by Jim Piller and Braden Young. Produced by Braden Young, Spencer Goertz-Giffen, and Jim Piller. Mastered by Winston Goertz-Giffen at Pulp Arts Studio. All songs written by Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young. // Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young of Hello Biplane also have the band, Alien Hellbop who released the EP, After The Quake on October 25, 2021. // Alien Hellbop is a maximalist rock duo from Lawrence, KS combining guitar, drums, sample pad bass and vocal harmonies to create a sonic duo larger than the sum of its parts. Attendees of shows past have been hypnotized and dumbfounded by how the sound is pulled off. Originally formed in Chico, CA members Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young set out to create a full band sound with only two members. After a flurry of positive feedback from shows played in northern California, Alien Hellbop managed to drive cross country with their two small children to Gainesville, FL and record a five song EP at PULP studios with the help of engineer and producer Winston Goertz-Giffen. Alien Hellbop is now based out of Lawrence, KS. Spencer and Braden have been involved in many other bands over the years including: Hospital Ships, The Kinetiks, The Willnots, Accursed Wound, The Magentlemen, Saything, and Old and Gray. The duo also fronts another group called Hello Biplane, a six-piece dream-folk-pop band with focus on songwriting and male/female harmonies.]

[Hello Biplane play MidCoast LIVE! Friday, August 14, from 12:00 Noon to 1:00pm performing a live 60 minute concert on LIVE o 90.1 FM! ]

[Hello Biplane play Crossroads Music Fest Sat, Sept. 12, in the historic West Bottoms with 25 bands.]

11:00 – Station ID

16. Sly & The Family Stone – “Family Affair”
    from: There’s A Riot Goin’ On / Sony Music / November 1, 1971
    [On June 9, 2025 we lost one of the biggest change makers inAmerican music. Sylvester Stewart passed away quietly at home surrounded by his family. // Sylvester Stewart (March 15, 1943 – June 9, 2025), better known by his stage name Sly Stone, was an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He was the frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, playing a critical role in the development of psychedelic soul and funk with his pioneering fusion of soul, rock, psychedelia, and gospel in the 1960s and 1970s. AllMusic stated that “James Brown may have invented funk, but Sly Stone perfected it,” and credited him with “creating a series of euphoric yet politically charged records that proved a massive influence on artists of all musical and cultural backgrounds”. Crawdaddy! has credited him as the founder of the “progressive soul” movement. // Sly & The Family Stone changed everything. RIP Sly Stone. He was a musical genius who deserved so much more than we gave him. He was a genius DJ, songwriter, producer, band leader, and father. Thank you for making my radio sound so much better!!!!! // High Moon Records is proud to announce the official release of Sly & The Family Stone’s ‘The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967’, available Friday, July 18 on CD, LP, and digital download. This earliest live recording of the pioneering band is accompanied by a deluxe booklet with liner notes from the set’s GRAMMY nominated producer Alec Palao, featuring exclusive interviews with Sly Stone and all of the original band members, never-before-seen photos, rare memorabilia, and more. The CD edition includes a bonus performance of Otis Redding’s classic “Try A Little Tenderness.” An electrifying “I Gotta Go Now / Funky Broadway.” // Sly & The Family Stone were true pioneers on so many levels: black/white, male/female, rock/soul, the act shattered all preconceptions of what popular music could be and would go on to become one of the most innovative and influential groups the world has ever witnessed. // Originally released as a sold-out, limited edition LP, earlier this year for Record Store Day, The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967 is an electrifying live performance by the original Family Stone line-up, a full year before their chart breakthrough with “Dance To The Music.” This fascinating recording was featured in Questlove’s critically acclaimed 2025 documentary, Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) and spotlights Sly Stone’s singular brilliance on a tremendously exciting and atmospheric set of vintage soul covers and original compositions, peppered with the arrangements, motifs, and intoxicating energy that would soon become familiar during the group’s ascent. // Sly & The Family Stone served as the house band at Redwood City, CA’s Winchester Cathedral from December 16, 1966, to April 28, 1967, lighting up the club with their dynamic, crowd-pleasing performances. The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967 was recorded in the early hours of March 26, 1967, by Sly & The Family Stone’s first manager, Rich Romanello. Upon the group’s signing to Epic Records later that year, Romanello put the 7-inch analog tapes into storage where they sat for thirty-five years. The reels were rediscovered in 2002 by Dutch twins Edwin and Arno Konings, renowned Sly & The Family Stone archivists, and carefully restored by their co-producer Palao for this set. // With mastering by Dan Hersch and a lacquer cut by Kevin Gray, the result is an electrifying fifty-minutes that proves the genius of Sylvester Stone.]

11:04 – Interview with D Rashaan Gilmore

On Saturday, February 14 at 5:00pm on 90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community radio relaunched the very good radio show called, “Unbossed and Unbothered with D. Rashaan Gilmore.” After nearly four years as part of the team on 90.1’s The Tenth Voice, D. Rashaan made the leap to producing and hosting his own weekly radio show “Unbossed and Unbothered” that aired from 2021-2022 on 90.1 FM KKFI, that was until our friends at KCPT Kansas City PBS took D. Rashaan away from us to be host and producer of Flatland In Focus where he won two Emmy Awards. Last year, KC PBS ended this critically acclaimed program, and we’re are lucky to have D. Rashaan’s old time slot suddenly become open again, around the same tome D Rashaan was looking to return to KKFI.

A life-long resident of Kansas City. D Rashaan is community connector, organizer, collaborator, and AIDS activist, who serves as Founder and President/CEO at BlaqOut KC, which seeks to organize and mobilize the black, gay community in Kansas City and develop a leadership core. Gilmore has previously managed multiple significant HIV/ AIDS awareness and prevention grants for the Kansas City CARE Clinic. D Rashaan has also served as the Senior Field Organizer for PROMO, Missouri’s statewide LGBT equality and advocacy organization. Rashaan’s stellar and innovative work led to his being the distinguished recipient of the 2020 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Equity Award.

“Unbossed and Unbothered with D. Rashaan Gilmore” airs Saturdays at 5:00pm. More info at: www.blaqout.org

D. Rashaan Gilmore thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

Unbossed and Unbothered – The slogan “unbought and unbossed” appeared on Shirley Chisholm’s campaign posters, one of which resides in the collections of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. NMAAHC, Gift of Ellen Brooks

In 1972 Shirley Chisholm announced her historic run for the White House, challenging fellow Democrats George McGovern, Hubert Humphrey, Edmund Muskie, Henry M. Jackson and George Wallace. “I am not the candidate of Black America, although I am Black and proud. I am not the candidate of the woman’s movement of this country, although I am a woman and I am equally proud of that.” Before Carol Moseley Braun, before Barack Obama, before Hillary Clinton, Shirley Chisholm was both the first woman and the first African American to run for the nomination of a major party for president of the United States. Already the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress in 1968, Chisholm made her ambitious attempt to win the White House decades before her country was ready for her, garnering just 152 delegate votes at the Democratic National Convention.

One of the segments of D. Rashaan’s show was “Reclaiming My Time” in honor of Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) who is the first woman and first African American Chair of the House Financial Services Committee. Waters ‘went viral’ in 2017 when she invoked House procedural rules during Steven Mnuchin’s House Financial Services Committee hearing. Rejecting Mnuchin’s attempts to avoid her questions, Waters repeated the phrase “reclaiming my time” to indicate her right to retain minutes on the clock that had been allotted to her. The hashtag #ReclaimingMyTime began trending on social media and has since become a symbol of resistance and refusal.

D Rashaan Gilmore’s sister is Dana Gilmore. Mark interviewed Dana in the early years of WMM. Dana Gilmore appeared in episode 5 of the 4th season of Russell Simmons presents Def Poetry on HBO. The show ran for 7 seasons from 2002 – 2007. Tell is about your parents and how they raised two children both gifted in words and communication.

D Rashaan is community connector, organizer, collaborator, and AIDS activist, who serves as Founder and President/CEO at BlaqOut KC, which seeks to organize and mobilize the black, gay community in Kansas City and develop a leadership core.

HEADLINES:

In Missouri – Amendments 4 and 5 were rejected by over 81 percent of the vote! Amendment 5 has been one of the most discussed measures in the days, weeks and months leading up to the August primaries. // Implementing this new amendment has been at the center of numerous debates; however, many high-profile lawmakers, including Gov. Mike Kehoe, have expressed their support for the measure, claiming that it will drive business and growth for the state. // The ballot language is as follows: “Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to: Require legislative phase-out of the individual state income tax based on revenue growth, and authorize the expansion of sales and use taxes; Curtail constitutional limits on taxing goods and services; and Require local tax rate cuts without reducing school funding if local sales tax revenue increases? // The proposal has no direct impact on state or local tax revenue. If passed, implementing legislation will have an unknown impact to state and local tax revenue. If implemented, state government entities expect a reduction of $57,000 annually in income tax check-off donations and implementation costs of at least $100,000.” // Missouri’s income tax has been around for more than 100 years. According to Gov. Kehoe, the state needs to implement a new tax code that fits the current economy. // If Amendment 5 passes, the Missouri General Assembly will have to slowly phase out the income tax over several years. The state’s revenue growth will largely determine the amount of time and rate of reduction. // Amendment 5 will also prevent the state from being able to implement income taxes in the future. // The passing of the amendment would mean Missouri would face significant economic losses, and lawmakers would have to replace that lost revenue with increased sales and use tax rates or expanded taxes on goods and services. How this will be done and what will be taxed is unknown. // If voters say “no” to Amendment 5, the individual income tax will remain the same. // One of the biggest worries surrounding the passing of Amendment 5 is its actual risks to Missouri taxpayers. // Some claim eliminating the individual income tax will not save people money; instead, it would cost them more by taking critical funding away and increasing taxes on other necessary service

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche cleared a critical hurdle Tuesday in his bid to be confirmed to the post after swaying Republican holdouts on a Senate committee to advance his nomination for a floor vote. // The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 along party lines in support of the nomination of President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, who has aggressively pushed the Republican administration’s priorities since taking over from Pam Bondi in April. // The vote followed a deal struck late Sunday between Blanche and two Republican senators — John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — who had been threatening to block his confirmation over the settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service regarding the president’s leaked tax returns. // Cornyn and Tillis backed Blanche’s nomination after the Justice Department confirmed in writing that it wasn’t moving forward with a $1.8 billion fund to compensate Trump allies who believe they were prosecuted for political purposes, which the administration announced as part of the settlement.

D. Rashaan Gilmore thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

“Unbossed and Unbothered with D. Rashaan Gilmore” broadcasts live Saturday at 5:00pm. More info at: www.blaqout.org

11:35

17. Alabama Shakes – “I Feel Hope Coming”
    from: I Must Be Dreaming / Alabama Shakes – ATO Records / August 28, 2026
    [Formed in Athens, Alabama in 2009. The band currently consists of lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell, keyboard player Ben Tanner, and drummer Steve Johnson. The group rose to prominence from virtual obscurity in the early 2010s with their distinctive and soulful roots rock sound. The band began their career touring and performing at bars and clubs around the Southeast for two years while honing their sound and writing music. They recorded their debut album, Boys & Girls, themselves in Nashville while still unsigned. Online acclaim led ATO Records to sign the band, which released Boys & Girls in 2012 to acclaim. The album had a hit single, “Hold On,” and was nominated for three Grammy Awards. After a long touring cycle, the band recorded their sophomore record, Sound & Color, which was released in 2015 and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. Brittany Howard’s solo releases are fabulous.Alabama Shakes released Sound & Color on April 21, 2015 ]

11:30 – Underwriting

11:32 – Interview with BOSCO

“The Marvelous Miss Gender” Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 8:00pm at The Folly Theater 300 W. 12th, KCMO.

BOSCO is an international showgirl, RuPaul’s Drag Race superstar, writer, and creative producer and star of, “The Marvelous Miss Gender” to be presented Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 8:00pm at The Folly Theater 300 West 12th Street, KCMO.

Bosco is best known as the globally beloved star of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 10 (2025), as well as a finalist of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 (2022). Though based in Seattle, Bosco has toured the world with dazzling showgirl performances in sold-out venues across Europe, Asia, Australia, and beyond. From walking the New York Fashion Week runway, to a residency on the Las Vegas Strip, and to starring in her own Paramount-produced documentary. More information at dragfans.com. or www.follytheater.org

from wikipedia: Blair Constantino (born June 11, 1993). Bosco was raised in Great Falls, Montana. She was raised Catholic. She received formal dance training at a young age. Bosco was profiled in the Tribune after being awarded the q Senior Boy Titlist, ranked at the national competition in Las Vegas in 2010.

The name “Bosco” is taken from her deceased dog as a tribute to him, jokingly stating that “He’s not using it anymore, he’s dead, so now it’s mine”.

In 2022, on season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. She performed a burlesque routine for the opening episode’s talent show. In the fifth, ninth, and thirteenth episodes of the season, she won the main challenges, winning three cash prizes of US$5,000. For Snatch Game, Bosco portrayed Gwyneth Paltrow but landed in the bottom seven, and thus participated in a lip-sync tournament which took place the following episode. She lost two lip syncs, one against Willow Pill to “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross and one against Lady Camden to “Don’t Let Go (Love)” by En Vogue. In the final lip sync, Bosco went up against Jasmine Kennedie to “Swept Away” by Diana Ross, and won.

In episode 12, Bosco landed in the bottom two alongside Jorgeous and had to lip sync to “Heartbreak Hotel (Hex Hector Remix)” by Whitney Houston. She lost the lip sync but was saved after she received the Gold Bar (a twist introduced in the third episode where each queen was assigned a chocolate bar and whoever had a bar which contained a golden ticket wrapped inside would be saved from elimination). This allowed Bosco to stay in the competition. In the subsequent episode, Bosco won the main challenge, which was a roast of Ross Mathews. She ended up placing third in the finale. She appears in RuPaul’s Drag Race Live Untucked.

On April 23, 2025, Bosco was announced as one of eighteen former Drag Race contestants participating in the tenth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.[11] Bosco competed in the season’s first bracket and advanced to the semifinals, having earned six points and won two challenges. She advanced to the finale after winning the talent show in the penultimate episode. She ultimately placed third a second time after winning a lipsync against Daya Betty and losing to Ginger Minj, the season’s eventual winner.

Bosco uses “she” and “they” pronouns out of drag and “she” in drag. Bosco came out as a transgender woman in February 2022, having begun her transition after filming Drag Race. In 2023, she underwent facial feminization surgery and debuted her new look while walking in New York Fashion Week.

Season 15 contestant Irene the Alien has been described as a drag “sister” to Bosco. Bosco has lived in Seattle since 2015.

Filmography

2022 RuPaul’s Drag Race (season 14) TV 3rd place (15 episodes)
2022 RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked (season 14) TV Herself (13 episodes)
2024 RuPaul’s Drag Race Live Untucked Web series Main cast Season 1–present
2025 RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars (season 10) TV 3rd place (6 episodes)

Awards and nominations

2022
MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Fight (Shared with Lady Camden)
RuPaul’s Drag Race Won
Critics’ Choice Real TV Awards Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series Won
People’s Choice Awards The Competition Contestant of 2022 Nominated

2023
Queerty Awards Closet Door Bustdown (Shared with Jasmine Kennedie, Kornbread Jeté and Willow Pill) Runner-up [23]

2024
Future All-Star Herself Nominated

2026
Drag Royalty Won

“The Marvelous Miss Gender” to be presented Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 8:00pm at The Folly Theater 300 West 12th Street, KCMO.

Directed, co-written, and co-produced by Bosco, The Marvelous Miss Gender is a cinematic two-act musical comedy featuring her supervillain alter ego: Miss Gender. Enter Miss Gender’s lair and watch as Bosco blends comic book noir, burlesque, dance, high-fashion, satirical storytelling, lip sync numbers, stand-up, and over-the-top camp for a narrative-driven and immersive night of drag spectacle.

Inspired by Batman: The Animated Series, Kill Bill, Elvira, and Pee-wee’s Playhouse, The Marvelous Miss Gender is a send-up of current sociopolitical topics, and a journey through jewel heists, chase scenes, champagne celebrations, and battles with archenemies.

“I am so excited and deeply grateful to be heading out on my first solo tour with The Marvelous Miss Gender! This show has been living in my notes app for years, and after spending so much time on the road performing, producing, and writing, the time has finally come to bring it to life, now that I have an incredible team behind me,” Bosco says.

“This show is also a love letter to physical media, analog theater, and the magic of practical effects—because people are craving something they can feel and touch, not just a general approximation spit out by a computer. The Marvelous Miss Gender feels like everything I’ve been building toward in my career, and I truly can’t wait to share it with you all.”

“The Marvelous Miss Gender” marks Bosco’s first full-length solo touring show. Pulling from her years of experience as a choreographer, dancer, director, and show-maker, audiences will see intentionally crafted practical stage effects, giant props, video elements, forced-perspective sets, artist-illustrated backdrops, and GLAMOUR.

Bosco is best known as the star of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 10 (2025), as well as a finalist of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 (2022). Though based in Seattle, Bosco has toured the world with dazzling showgirl performances in sold-out venues across Europe, Asia, Australia, and beyond.

Reserved seats for The Marvelous Miss Gender are $45 – $129. The VIP add-on package is $99 and includes a special meet & greet with Bosco before the show. The 2-hour show includes a 20-minute intermission. Doors open at 7pm with an 8pm showtime. Admission is restricted to persons 18+.

2026 Tour Dates:

July 8 – Detroit, MI (Royal Oak Music Theatre)

July 9 – Cleveland, OH (Agora Theater)

July 10 – New York, NY (Town Hall)

July 11 – Washington, D.C. (Warner Theatre)

July 12 – Pittsburgh, PA (Roxian Theatre)

July 14 – Boston, MA (The Wilbur)

July 15 – Philadelphia, PA (The Fillmore)

July 16 – Raleigh, NC (Fletcher Opera Theatre)

July 17 – Knoxville, TN (Bijou Theatre)

July 18 – Atlanta, GA (Center Stage)

July 19 – Orlando, FL (Plaza Live)

July 21 – New Orleans, LA (Civic Theatre)

July 22 – Houston, TX (House of Blues)

July 23 – Dallas, TX (House of Blues)

July 24 – Austin, TX (Emo’s)

July 25 – San Antonio, TX (Aztec Theatre)

July 28 – Palm Springs, CA (Plaza Theatre)

July 29 – Las Vegas, NV (House of Blues)

July 30 – Los Angeles, CA (The Wiltern)

July 31 – Phoenix, AZ (The Van Buren)

August 1 – San Diego, CA (Observatory North Park)

August 2 – San Francisco, CA (Palace of Fine Arts)

August 4 – Portland, OR (Newmark Theatre)

August 5 – Boise, ID (Egyptian Theatre)

August 7 – Salt Lake City, UT (The Complex)

August 8 – Denver, CO (The Fillmore)

August 10 – Tulsa, OK (Cain’s Ballroom)

August 11 – Kansas City, MO (Folly Theater)

August 12 – Minneapolis, MN (Pantages Theatre)

August 13 – Chicago, IL (Vic Theatre)

August 14 – St. Louis, MO (The Pageant)

August 15 – Columbus, OH (Lincoln Theatre)

August 16 – Buffalo, NY (Shea’s 710 Theatre)

“The Marvelous Miss Gender” written, produced, starring BOSCO – Tues, Aug 11, 8:00pm at The Folly Theater 300 W. 12th St. KCMO. dragfans.com. or www.follytheater.org

11:49

18. The Golden Republic – “NYC”
    from: The Golden Republic / Astralwerks / February 8, 2005
    [The Golden Republic is the only studio album by American rock band The Golden Republic. It was released in United States by Astralwerks on February 8, 2005. // The Golden Republic was an American rock band, originally formed in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1999 under the name People by founding members Ben Grimes and Ryan Shank. // In 2003, the Golden Republic signed to Astralwerks, releasing one album and one EP. The band’s album received a two-and-a-half-star rating from AllMusic,[1] and a score of three from PopMatters. // The band split up in December 2006 and Kenn Jankowski went on to form the Republic Tigers. // Band members: Ben Grimes – guitar, lead vocals; Kenn Jankowski – guitar, keyboards; Harry Anderson – bass; Ryan Shank – drums. Discography: Studio albums – The Golden Republic, released February 8, 2005. EPs – People, released September 21, 2004. Compilation – Their final single “Hemel Dalingen” was included on the compilation First Blood on OxBlood Records in 2008.]

11:54

19. Kat King – “It’s In A Dream”
    from: It’s In A Dream (Alt Versions) – EP / Kat King / July 31, 2026
    [4-track EP various remix versions of “It’s In A Dream.”// Kat King released the EP Merry Go Rounds on September 12, 2025. // Kat King released the single “It’s In a Dream” on July 11, 2025. // Kat King released the single “Somersaults”on May 2, 2025. // Kat King released the single “I Might Like It” through Manor Records on February 28, 2025 / / Kat King, on lead vocals, Derek Melies on guitar, John Kaul McCain on bass, Daniel Cole on drums, & Kara LePage on keyboards. Produced by Isaac Flynn of Hembree. // Kat King released the EP Domestic Bliss on April 5, 2024. Domestic Bliss was in the Top 25 of WMM’s 129 Best Recordings of 2024. // On October 6, 2023 Kat King released the single. “Bight-Eyed.” // On June 16, 2024 Kat King released the single “Baby Talk.” // On Jan. 13, 2023 Kat King released “Gone South” Produced by Joel Martin. Centering on themes of self-care, steadfast friendship, and revitalizing optimism. On September 20, 2022 Kat King released the single “With Nothing In My Way.” This followed their single “New Sun” released July 29, 2022. “New Sun” was a follow up to the June 9, 2021, SAY WHAT YOU MEAN 5-track EP, recorded with her band. Co-produced & mixed / mastered by Joel Martin. Lawrence KS based singer songwriter Kat King released her last single “Song of Spain” in 2019 and her single “2017” in, 2018. She released her 5-song EP “Falling Up” on Dec. 1, 2017. // Kat King’s career started as far back as 2nd grade in small town Kansas. As a solo singer-songwriter act, she produced one 13-song album and three EP’s. Now based in Kansas City, Kat King graduated into a 5-piece indie-pop rock group who are gearing up for the release of their second EP together. Their infectious energy has landed them on some of KC’s biggest stages.]

[Kat King plays Greenwood Social Hall, 1750 Belleview Ave., KCMO on Thursday, August 6, at 7:00pm with Fullbloods and Brian Gerald Bulger]

[Kat King plays Flew the Coop Fest at Blip Roasters, 512 Mulberry St., KCMO on Sat, August 29 at 2:30pm – featuring over 20 artists from our recent live sessions across three stages. The fest starts at 2:30 PM at Blip Coffee Roasters and keeps kicking till 2 AM at our afterparty hosted by our sponsor Sinse Cannabis! Catch performances from Kirstie Lynn, Brian Gerald Bulger, Eddie Moore, Corners of The Sky, Kapten, Pale Tongue, Kat King, Miki P, Jairy, Virga, Nature Boys, Alber, killusonline, Jass(ContraBand), Lauren Lovelle, Conflicts, Ezgi, Big Fat Cow + DJ sets from KB Mixes; DJ Billo!]

[Kat King plays Crossroads Music Fest on Saturday, September 12, 2026 in West Bottoms.]

20. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
    from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]

Next week, on Wednesday, August 12, Just Angel and Clarence Copridge join us to perform LIVE in our 90.1 FM Studios and to share details about REMINISCE – Stories from the Living Room, hosted by Cherayla, with Just Angel, Ashley Brewer, and LeShea & Clarence Copridge, at GALLERY AT 705 on August 23, 2026, at 6:00pm. Also joining us is Rosie O’Brien of the Sass-a-Brass Band

You can find our playlists at: www.wednesdaymiddaymedley.org & www.kkfi.org
www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM
www.instagram.wednesday_midday_medley

Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein-Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Office Manager Book Keeper – Shaina Littler.

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to KKFI’s Summer Fund Drive during WMM we had a total of 33 people donate a total of $3513.50. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made extra effort to keep our station alive.

Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
http://www.kkfi.org,
http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM

Show #1159