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 27, 2025

New & MidCoastal Releases + TheBabeGabe & TyFaison + Mitzi McKee + Don Simon & Morgan Holcomb

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
   from: Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack All That Jazz / Casablanca / December 20, 1979
   [WMM’s Adopted Theme Song]

2. Cass McCombs – “Peace”
   from: Interior Live Oak / Domino / August 15, 2025, 2019
   [First single from Cass McCombs new album Interior Live Oak. Pubnlicity material reports this is Cass’s most personal album to date, and, more than any previous record, shows Cass’ vast range as a lyricist and musician. It draws from everything Cass has created over two decades of experimentation to cut through with a direct and clarifying light. Throughout, his attitude is hopeful, which may sound odd for someone who often sings about the more extreme aspects of modern life. Interior Live Oak, however, is the resolve of someone who has lived those extremes. NPR MUSIC writes: “Cass McCombs’ songs are slow, languid and beautiful, which feels like the right counterbalance to our fast-paced times.” MOJO writes: “Steadily, Interior Live Oak becomes the kind of record it’s impossible to be casual about… Those who find themselves in his songs can expect to be transformed, no longer just lover, friend, chance encounter, but an epic hero, warrior, a creature in the throes of metamorphosis.” // Cass McCombs was born 1977 in Concord, California. He is an American musician, best known for blending genres such as rock, folk, psychedelic, punk, and alt country, he has played in numerous bands in the Bay Area and Pacific Northwest during the 1990s, often in DIY spaces, before relocating to New York City. He moved to San Francisco in 2001, where he recorded his debut E.P., entitled Not the Way E.P., released on Monitor Records in Baltimore. McCombs then recorded a Peel Session for John Peel in 2003, and that year released his first LP A, also touring with Baltimore’s OXES as his backing band. McCombs and his band spent much of 2003 and 2004 touring, performing everywhere from the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival to house shows. McCombs otherwise divided his time amongst the Pacific Northwest, England and Baltimore. In spring 2005 he released PREfection on Monitor Records and 4AD, and in support of the album he toured with Modest Mouse. Later that year, he moved to Southern California to begin work on his third full-length, Dropping the Writ, which was released on October 9, 2007, by Domino Records. It was named one of Amazon.com’s Best Albums of 2007. Also in 2007 he toured with Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. He signed a multiple-album deal with Domino Records, who released his following four records including Catacombs (2009), which was voted one of the “50 Top Albums on the Year” by Pitchfork. It was followed by Wit’s End (2011), Humor Risk (2011), and Big Wheel and Others (2013). He toured with John Cale in 2012, and also performed at the benefit concert Occupy Sandy. Other bands he has performed or toured with include Ariel Pink, Cat Power, Band of Horses, Andrew Bird, The Decemberists, Arcade Fire, Peter Bjorn and John, Papercuts, The Shins, Iron and Wine, Deerhoof, The Walkmen, Jana Hunter, Thurston Moore, Joe Russo and The War On Drugs. His single “Bradley Manning” premiered on the Democracy Now News Hour in 2012. His songs have been featured in films including the surf film The Present (2009), and Ralph Arlyck documentary Following Sean, as well as notable skate videos featuring Jason Dill, Jerry Hsu Chima Ferguson and Dylan Rieder. His song “Bobby, King of Boys Town” appeared in HBO show Girls (Season 2, Episode 9 – “On All Fours”). In 2014 he did a co-headlining fall tour with the Meat Puppets. McCombs is a member of The Skiffle Players, who released their debut LP, Skifflin’ on February 12, 2016. In June 2016, McCombs performed at the Primavera Sound and Field Day music festivals. McCombs ANTI- Records debut, Mangy Love was released on August 26, 2016. // Cass McCombs released Tip of the Sphere on Anti Records on February 8, 2019.]

3. Kathleen Edwards – “Save Your Soul”
   from: BILLIONAIRE / Dualtone / June 3, 2025
   [Acclaimed singer, songwriter and performer Kathleen Edwards returns with her highly anticipated new album, Billionaire, August 22 on Dualtone Records. Evoking her debut, Failer, the new 10-song album is full of Edwards’ trademark lyrical sharpness and unflinching observations and was produced by Jason Isbell and Gena Johnson. Celebrated as one of the forebears of modern alt-country and Americana music, Edwards is beloved by fans and fellow musicians, and praised by The New York Times for her, “droll, observant and unsparing tone that is all her own. In her best lines, Edwards has the conversational vernacular and emotional eloquence of a great short-story writer.” Since debuting in 2003, Edwards has released five albums, including 2020’s Total Freedom — her first after stepping away from music for almost a decade. Released to overwhelming acclaim with pieces at The New Yorker, The New York Times, Rolling Stone and more, Pitchfork called it,”a creative breakthrough, written solely for the thrill of discovery,” while Rolling Stone declared it as, “devastatingly great.” Most recently, Edwards released a covers EP featuring special guests Isbell, Bahamas and Daniel Tashian and including renditions of Isbell’s “Traveling Alone,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Human Touch,” The Flaming Lips’ “Feeling Yourself Disintegrate,” Tom Petty’s “Crawling Back To You” and more. She has been nominated for multiple JUNO and Americana Awards and, in 2012, was awarded the SOCAN Songwriting Prize.]

4. Jon Batiste – “BIG MONEY”
   from: BIG MONEY/ Verve – Interscope / August 27, 2025
   [Multi-GRAMMY® and Academy Award® winner Jon Batiste today announced his new album BIG MONEY, out August 22 via Verve/Interscope. Described by The Guardian as “a certified musical genius,” Batiste continues to defy categorization with BIG MONEY—a bold, groove-driven statement about humanity, capitalism, and Americana. Stripping things down to their most essential elements, the album delivers a richly textured sound layered with spirit, irony, joy, and depth. Written and recorded mostly live in single takes over the course of just two weeks, BIG MONEY captures the raw immediacy of creative expression. The emphasis on collective energy and spontaneity draws on the roots of American music as a communal force—and offers an antidote to modern disconnection. // At the heart of the album is its title track—a percussive, hook-laden anthem sparked by a moment of inspiration following Batiste’s 2024 performance at The Ryman Auditorium. He wrote the song on guitar before he even knew he was making a new album. On the surface, it’s an infectious call for ambition. Beneath the rhythm, it’s a layered meditation on capitalism, survival, and what we choose to value. // “This is the circus of love. Under our tent there is revival and joy,” Batiste says. “You don’t lose your soul—you gain it. When Mama says, ‘Don’t be a dummy, everybody chasing that BIG MONEY,’ Mama is pushing you—while warning you. It cuts both ways.” // The track, anchored by Batiste’s guitar and retro-soul revivalist Nick Waterhouse, is brought to life by the soaring vocals of The Womack Sisters—a rising trio and granddaughters of soul legend Sam Cooke—who echo the refrain: “Might as well live for something you can feel…something that’s real.” // Batiste co-produced the album with longtime creative confidant Dion “No ID” Wilson. Other collaborators include Andra Day, Randy Newman, and a tight-knit group of musicians, songwriters, and engineers. Rather than aiming for polish, the sessions prioritized feel and presence—capturing performances in real time and preserving their imperfections as part of the record’s spiritual DNA. // Anchored by lyricism, heart, and the power of collaboration, BIG MONEY reframes and recasts Americana for a new generation—drawing on Batiste’s New Orleans roots, his gospel and protest music lineage, and his love of raw, immediate expression. The sonic palette spans blues, soul, reggae, and minimalist balladry, daring to classify them all as part of a new, evolving genre: New Americana. // Variety has called Batiste “a protean pianist and megawatt personality”—a description embodied here as he dances between styles and philosophies without losing cohesion. Each track builds on the last to create a unified vision of music as both resistance and release. // “However you interpret the songs,” Batiste says, “you can’t help feeling them. You can’t help accepting an invitation into the tent. Come in and have fun…some deeply serious fun.” // Earlier this year, Batiste made headlines for his powerful performance of the National Anthem at the 2025 Super Bowl, which brought his singular artistry to one of America’s most-watched stages. He also took home two GRAMMY® Awards—Best Music Film for the critically acclaimed Netflix documentary American Symphony, and Best Song Written for Visual Media for “It Never Went Away,” the Oscar-nominated track he co-wrote with Dan Wilson for the film. // BIG MONEY follows Beethoven Blues, released November 15 via Verve/Interscope. The album marked Batiste’s biggest sales week to date, debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Classical Albums chart and No. 9 on the Top Album Sales chart. It also entered the Billboard 200 at No. 64—his highest debut on the chart and his fifth career entry. Beethoven Blues held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Classical Crossover Albums chart for nine consecutive weeks and topped the Billboard Classical Albums chart for five weeks. Showcasing his interpolations of Beethoven’s most iconic works through an expansive and innovative lens, the album expands the boundaries of classical music by infusing it with spontaneity, soul, and inclusivity. // Batiste will support BIG MONEY with a national headlining run, The BIG MONEY Tour: Jon Batiste Plays America, kicking off August 27 in Kansas City, MO. The tour will stop at more than 30 venues across the country, including Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the Grand Ole Opry, and a co-headline date with Diana Ross at The Muny in St. Louis, MO. Full tour dates below and ticket information are available at jonbatiste.com.]

[Jon Batiste plays The Midland Theatre 1228 Main St, KCMO, TONIGHT – Wed., Aug. 27, at 8:00, doors at 7:00pm.]

5. KeiyaA – “stupid prizes”
   from: “stupid prizes”- Single / XL Recordings / August 20, 2020
   [After five years of navigating loss, grief, and anger, Chicago-born, NYC-based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer keiyaA emerges in the light of reinvention and healing, shaped by years of solitude spent in the unending tide of mess and renewal, returning to share her findings with unapologetic clarity. Her new single “stupid prizes,” accompanied by a self-co-directed music video with Caity Arthur, is a soulful, arresting prelude that marks a powerful next chapter. Known for her penetrating explorations of Black womanhood and liberation, rich harmonies, and fearless experimentation, keiyaA reintroduces her artistry with the same emotional intensity and sonic innovation that defined her 2020 debut Forever, Ya Girl, arriving in the wake of her first theatrical stage play, milk thot. // Speaking about “stupid prizes,” keiyaA says: “i wrote, recorded, and produced “stupid prizes” all in one sitting, at home late at night in my living room in Brooklyn. i sampled Percy Faith, an orchestral composer known for creating rich and luscious scores and show tunes, helping contribute to this classic “American” sound. i sought out to create this sort of bed of irony, to speak and sing about being miserable on top of this beautiful, dreamy and romantic music. which speaks not only to what it can feel like navigating my internal and external worlds, but also what it feels like being a marginalized person in America.” // In 2020, keiyaA released her self-produced debut album Forever, Ya Girl, a genre-defying blend of jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and experimental music that earned widespread critical acclaim. The project went on to receive Pitchfork’s “Best New Music” designation, landed on year-end best-of lists from The New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian, and was later named to Pitchfork’s Best of the Decade So Far list. It also drew praise from artists including Solange, Jay-Z, Earl Sweatshirt, Blood Orange, Kimberly Drew, and Moses Sumney. The album announced keiyaA as one of music’s most vital new voices and producers, and the attention it garnered gave her the access to expand on her creative vision—one that has since grown into a thriving garden of projects, performances, and collaborations, each distinct but rooted in her singular artistry. // Since the release of Forever, Ya Girl, keiyaA showcased her dynamism through a Tiny Desk concert and appearances at Solange’s El Dorado Ballroom show at BAM, Wales Bonner’s Togetherness presentation at the Guggenheim, ESSENSE’s Girls United Summit, and MoMA PS1’s Warm Up series. She walked in Telfar’s 20th-anniversary show, contributed music to the brand’s Moose Knuckles collaboration, and scored Nike’s Come Thru series. She also performed at the Bourse de Commerce in Paris, as well as in her hometown of Chicago at Pitchfork Music Festival and Theaster Gates’ Kenwood Garden community space. // Earlier this year, keiyaA expanded her artistic expression with milk thot, her first full-length stage production, which premiered at Abrons Arts Center in New York City. The performance combined live music, poetry, and choreography to delve into topics such as self-image, family lineage, and societal consumption. Developed during a residency at Abrons, milk thot marked a significant evolution in her multidisciplinary approach to storytelling. // In 2025 keiyaA will release her much anticipated sophomore album. // KeiyaA released her break through album Forever, Ya Girl through Forever Recordings on March 27, 2020 This album was part of WMM’s 120 Best recordings of 2020. The debut album from KeiyaA originally from Chicago, now based in NYC. Written and produced by keiyaA, featuring additional production from dj blackpower & dj cowriiie. Mixed & mastered by BSTFRND. // Chakeiya Camille Richmond was born July 28, 1992. She is known professionally as Keiyaa (stylized as KeiyaA), is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and a record producer. She independently released her debut album Forever, Ya Girl in 2020. // Chakeiya Camille Richmond was born and raised in Chicago on the city’s south side. During childhood she sang in the Chicago Children’s Choir until switching to the alto saxophone in seventh grade. She cited soul artists including Chaka Khan, Patrice Rushen, jazz musicians like John Coltrane and Miles Davis and R&B groups such as SWV as early musical influences. She also finds inspiration in goth and post-punk/alternative rock artists like Nirvana and Siouxsie and the Banshees. // Richmond attended University of Illinois at Chicago and Columbia College to study jazz and play alto sax before leaving due to disillusionment with the program’s hierarchical nature, as well difficulty balancing school with working full-time. Shortly after she decided to pursue music professionally. // While still playing and performing on alto sax, she collaborated with Chicago musicians including Noname and Vic Mensa. She decided to switch her focus to solo work producing and singing R&B and electronic music. Perform-ing under the name Keiya, she released her debut EP, WORK, in July 2015. It was described as “emotional, sleepy, and yet strikingly optimistic” by These Days magazine. Shortly after its release she moved to New York. She added an additional “A” to her name (KeiyaA) in order to differentiate herself from other performers on streaming sites. // KeiyaA’s debut album Forever, Ya Girl was released in March 2020 and self-produced under her personal label Forever Recordings. It was reviewed by Olivia Ovendon for KEXP as featuring “powerful mantra-esque lyrics, and woozy, heady, immersive beats in captivating fashion.” Esquire described the sound as “downcast grime and smooth R&B.” Pitchfork writer Clare Lobenfeld rated the album an 8.2/10 and praised its “resolute realness that can only happen outside the major label gaze.” Forever, Ya Girl was named to Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian’s “Best Albums of 2020” lists. // Keiyaa resides in Brooklyn.]

6. Kat King – “It’s In A Dream”
   from: “It’s In A Dream”- Single / Kat King / 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 The Ship 1221 Union Ave., KCMO WEST BOTTOMS on Saturday, October 25.]

7. Paris Williams & Bloom Allen – “Truthfully” (radio edit)
   from: Give Em Hell, Truthfully – Single / BitterSweet Sound / August 12, 2025
   [Paris Williams is a 26-year old artist from Muskegon, Michigan in the midst of redefining the bedroom pop label. Employing his own sound that he’s dubbed, “bittersweet,” Williams never shuts away from his DIY aesthetic – producing his own work to maintain full creative flexibility. Premiering in December of 2019 with his debut album, DROP DEAD GORGEOUS, Paris is a believer in hitting the ground running and then just never letting off the gas. This mentality was shaped by the inspiration he’s pulled from other famously out-of-the-box artists: such as Kanye West, Pharrell, and Toro y Moi. // Fueled by the multi-faceted artists, Williams believes heavily in pulling from all creative mediums as a way to add layers and texture to his music. This approach has led to Williams seeing support from larger than life musical pillars, like Iggy Pop himself – who showed love to Williams’ song of the same name by spinning it on his BBC radio show in 2018. Williams reshapes the musical landscape around him as his burgeoning career continues to solidify its own form more and more each day by bringing in a breath of fresh air with him everywhere since he wrote his first bars in elementary school. Paris Williams previously released the EP COCOA on December 10, 2020 . // He released the single , “Austin”on February 18, 2021. // Paris Williams released the single, “Sweeter” on July 9, 2021. // He released the single, “Sunsets & Solariums (feat. Bloom Allen)” on October 21, 2021 through Bittersweet Sounds. // He released the single ,“Chunky”on April 20, 2022. // He released the single, “Hopscotch” on June 21, 2022. // Paris Williams released the EP REBEL HEART on January 31, 2023. This release was part of WMM ‘s 120 Best Recordings of 2023. // Paris Williams released the single, “Pack Light” on July 25, 2023. // Paris Williams with Globetrotters & Kaleab Samuel released the single, “C.est La Vie” on September 14, 2024, // Paris Williams with Globetrotters & Kaleab Samuel released the single, “Ayo (Feat TyFaison)” on September 18, 2024. // Paris Williams & The Human released the 10-track album, A Paris Williams Joint through Bitter Sweet Sound on November 19, 2024. This release was part of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2024. // Paris Williams & TheBabeGabe released the single “Me Again” on April 28, 2025, // More info at: allmylinks.com/popstarparis]

[Paris Williams plays Turnaround Fest August 29 – 30 at White Schoolhouse, 1510 N. 3rd Street, Lawrence, KS. with, Dalima Kapten, The Elektrik Band, Flora From Kansas, Teazers, Discotek Mama, and 95 Sweetbird – All Ages.]

8. Significant Brother – “Look At You Now”
   from: Low Tempo, High Times / The Record Machine / July 18, 2025
   [Written, performed, mixed by Alex Ward“Look At You Now” is one of three mew singles released from the upcoming solo debut album LOW TEMPO, HIGH TIMES. The single “Temporary Phase” was released on June 20, 2025. // The Single. “Less Me, More You” was released on August 22, 2025. // Significant Brother is the indie-rock solo project of Alex Ward – a longtime collaborator in bands like Hembree, The Noise FM, and Scores. After more than 25 years playing in bands, Alex decided it was finally time to release music that didn’t rely on his bandmates texting him back. // Significant Brother’s debut album, Low Tempo, High Times, is a five-year collection of tracks pulled directly from the “could this be a song?” folder on his desktop. These were the oddballs, the misfits, the tracks that didn’t quite fit with his other bands but were too personal (or too weird) to let go. Nearly every sound on the album was written, performed, and mixed by Alex — sometimes at 3 a.m., usually in gym shorts, and never far from his cat Carl. The result? Dreamy, low-key, yet danceable songs about navigating aging, relationships, and the end of the world — set to a melodic, slightly offbeat soundtrack.]

10:28 – Underwriting

10:30 – Interview with Morgan Holcomb and Don Simon

Morgan Holcomb is a senior at Smithville High School in Smithville, Missouri. For over a year, she has hosted The Local Show with Morgan, a program spotlighting local and regional artists. The show airs Sunday evenings from 5-8 p.m. on Warrior Radio, the school’s online station, and is also syndicated on community radio stations Oak Grove Radio in Minneapolis, Kansas, and Radio Joe in St. Joseph, Missouri. After graduation, Morgan plans to attend Missouri State University in Springfield, where she will major in marketing and minor in broadcasting.

Don Simon teaches broadcasting, business, and marketing at Smithville High School in Smithville, Missouri. Now in his fourth year as a high school teacher, he previously worked in a variety of legal and business roles in the Kansas City area. He is a former Board Member of 90.1 FM KKFI, he has worked with the Art Institutes of Kansas City, Artist Inc., Folk Alliance International, and has consulted artists and worked in record labels and festivals.

Morgan Holcomb and Don Simon join us in our 90.1 FM studios to share details about Warrior Radio, an award-winning, Internet student-run station for Smithville High School, in Smithville, Missouri. More info at: http://www.tinyurl.com/Warrior-Radio

Morgan Holcomb and Don Simon Thank you for being with us on WMM

About Warrior Radio: Curated by high school students, Warrior Radio is on the air 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the Live365 streaming service.

The following link is http://tinyurl.com/Warrior-Radio.

From Smithville to the World…it’s Warrior Radio, an award-winning, student-run Internet station! Part of the Smithville Media Network.

The station can also be accessed by downloading the Warrior Radio app from Google Play or the Live365 app to a mobile phone or tablet from the Apple App Store or Google Play and adding Warrior Radio as a “Favorite.” Or listen on ROKU, AppleTV, Amazon Fire Stick, Chromecast, or other streaming devices by adding the Live365 app

645 S. Commercial Ave., Smithville, MO, United States, Missouri (816) 532-0405

Morgan Holcomb is a senior at Smithville and is host of “The Local Show with Morgan,” Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 8:00pm, spotlighting local & regional artists.

It’s The Local Show with Morgan! Three hours of local and regional artists every Sunday. This week, new music by 90 MInute Cassette, Land Lion, and Kasey Rausch.
If you want to hear your music on a future episode of the Local Show, email or share your MP3s and album art to: broadcastingshs@smithville.k12.mo.us.

Morgan plans to attend Missouri State University in Springfield, and major in marketing and minor in broadcasting.

Don Simon teaches broadcasting, business, and marketing at Smithville High School. Now in his fourth year as a high school teacher, he previously worked in a variety of legal and business roles in the Kansas City area.

Morgan Holcomb and Don Simon Thank you for being with us on WMM

For more information about Warrior Radio you can visit: http://www.tinyurl.com/Warrior-Radio

10:51

9. Katy Guillen & The Drive – “What If”
   from: “What If” – Single / Are and Be Recordings / July 25, 2025
   [One of two new singles (including “Outcome” released August 22, 2025) from the band’s upcoming album MAKE THAT SOUND.// “What If” was written by Katy Guillen & The Drive with Megan McCormick. 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 set out for a 32 city tour September 19 through November 23, 2025 with a show at Knuckleheads on Friday, November 14 at 8:00pm.]

10. Religion of Heartbreak – “100 Degrees”
    from: LUNATE EP / Kosmic City Records / September 12, 2025
    [Religion of Heartbreak transform perpetual longing into dance floor salvation with their new single “100 Degrees,”another taste of their upcoming EP Lunate (September 12). Mikal Shapiro’s sensually detached vocals float over Dedric Moore’s pounding EBM foundation, where snakey synth leads coil around italo disco-ized bass lines in a haze of post-wave nostalgia. The track resuscitates lost loves through desperate dreamscapes that spark second chances, casting shadows from the past while the fog machine churns at maximum capacity. // “100 Degrees”captures that feeling when eyes meet across a crowded floor and resistance becomes impossible—a moment when dancing eyeliner moves and syncretic chemistry collide. This is electronic pop music for the romantically wounded, the perfect soundtrack for those who prefer their heartbreak served with a relentless beat. // Religion of Heartbreak Bio: Music for those broken moments and flashes of love. // Religion of Heartbreak formed out of a desire to make music with a darker dance floor focus. The combination of Mikal Shapiro’s vocals battling against Dedric’s icy synths, mechanized beats and dub-inflected electro-bass creates a juxtaposition that works in all the right ways. // Religion of Heartbreak delves into the sounds of Darkwave, EBM, and the darker side of Synth Pop. The grooves are there. The songs are clever, and always filled with a sense of lost love as we follow our dark hearts. // Religion of Heartbreak delves into the sounds of Darkwave, EBM, and the darker side of Synth Pop. The grooves are there. The songs are clever and always filled with a sense of lost love as we follow our dark hearts. // ROH is the band formerly known as Monta At Odds. It was recently announced that Krysztof Nemeth was stepping away for Religion of Heatbreak to focus on his band ReViser also with Dedric Moore and with Breaka Dawn. // On June 27, 2025 Religion of Heartbreak released the single “Love Tourniquet” through Kosmic City Records // On February 3, 2025 Religion of Heartbreak released the 5 song EP Dream Reflection with Dedric Moore on vocals, guitar, synths, programming; Mikal Shapiro on vocals, Krysztof Nemeth: baritone guitar, electronic percussion; Alexander Thomas on electronic percussion on MGGG, Dream Reflection, Skeptic; Regan Moore on electronic percussion on Dark Hour of Meditation // Dream Reflection EP carries forward the motorized heartbeat of classic darkwave while forging its own metallic path. Drawing from EBM and Synth Pop traditions, this five-track release sees the Monta At Odds offshoot strip away unnecessary embellishments, leaving only the essential elements and textural remnants that speak to our collective digital malaise. // The EP’s centerpiece and title track emerges like a ghost in the machine, with Mikal Shapiro’s coolly delivered vocals floating above Dedric Moore’s gritty synth programming and precision-guided guitar along with Krysztof Nemeth’s synth pad percussion. Each track builds upon this foundation, from the robot-dance urgency of “Forget About You” to the beautiful desolation of “Skeptic,” creating a cohesive statement about modern isolation and the personas we construct. The result feels familiar and alien—like catching your reflection in a black mirror and seeing someone else staring back.]

[Religion of Heartbreak plays miniBar, 3810 Broadway Blvd., KCMO on Sunday, September 14, 2025 at 7:00pm with Carrellee and Sleep Akima, Juliette Frost opening.]

11:00 – Station ID

11. Mitzi McKee and The Precious Cargo – “Your Scream and Shout”
    from: Inverted Shadows / Mitzi McKee and The Precious Cargo / Fall, 2025
    [From upcoming debut album Inverted Shadows. Mitzi’s band, Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo, call themselves a “spacey KC rock & roll trio” w/ Mitzi on guitar, piano, & vocals; Brendan Bennett on bass, & Caleb Robertson on drums Mitzi has lived in KC since 2011 where she began singing in the jazz fusion band Valency. // Mitzi has also played drums, keyboards, and sang backup in the KC proto-punk Iggy & The Stooges cover band, No Fun, and the New York Dolls cover band, Trashed with Britt Adair. Mitzi played her first solo show in 2022 at the Pairing, where she also worked the front-of-house. Mitzi and on first Saturdays, at Chartreuse Saloon in the Crossroads.]

[Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming Street, West Bottoms, KCMO on Friday, August 29, 2025 at 7:00pm with Mikal Shapiro & The Musical, Stephonne, Supermassive Black Holes with Les Izmore.]

[Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play a Single Release Party @ miniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO, on Sat., Sept. 6, 2025 at 7:00pm with Shapiro Brothers, Kissy Fit and Cat Voltron.]

11:03 – Interview with Mitzi McKee

And now we happily welcome back to Wednesday Midday Medley, Kansas City based Mitzi McKee who grew up in a musical and theatrical family in Phoenix, AZ, and has played in several punk bands over the years, along with performing in over 40 plays & musicals since the age of 5. Mitzi has also played drums, keyboards, and sang backup in the KC proto-punk Iggy & The Stooges cover band, No Fun, and the New York Dolls cover band, Trashed with Britt Adair. Mitzi began playing out solo here in KC back in 2022, frequenting The Pairing and Chartreuse Saloon, until forming the Precious Cargo in 2024 with longtime friends & previous bandmates Brendan Bennett (bass) of The Stonebreakers & Nuthatch 47, and Caleb Robertson (drums) of Valency. Mitzi McKee and the Precious Cargo are proud to be releasing their debut album, Inverted Shadows, later this fall.

Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming Street, West Bottoms, KCMO on Friday, August 29, 2025 at 7:00pm with Mikal Shapiro & The Musical, Stephonne, Supermassive Black Holes with Les Izmore.

Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play a Single Release Party @ miniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO, on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 7:00pm with Shapiro Brothers, and Cat Voltron.

Mitzi McKee thanks for being with us on WMM.

We just heard “Your Scream and Shout”

We had Mitzi on WMM on July 3, 2024. That was over a year ago and so much has happened since then…

The Pairing closed.

Mitzi and wife had a baby, Charlie – a new addition to their family.

Mitzi McKee and the Precious Cargo have recorded a new album called Inverted Shadows

Mitzi McKee and the Precious Cargo have been playing out more.

Mitzi McKee grew up in Phoenix, Arizona in a musical theatre household, and performed in nearly 40 stage productions in Phoenix.

Mitzi McKee played in punk & hardcore bands for over 10 years.

Mitzi played drums, keyboards, and sang backup in the KC proto-punk Iggy & The Stooges cover band, No Fun,

and the New York Dolls cover band, Trashed with Britt Adair.

Mitzi has lived in KC since 2011 where she began singing in the jazz fusion band Valency.

Mitzi began playing out solo here in KC back in 2022, frequenting The Pairing and Chartreuse Saloon, until forming the Precious Cargo in 2024 with longtime friends & previous bandmates Brendan Bennett (bass) of The Stonebreakers & Nuthatch 47, and Caleb Robertson (drums) of Valency.

Mitzi McKee and the Precious Cargo are proud to be releasing their debut album, Inverted Shadows, later this fall.

11:12

12. Mitzi McKee and The Precious Cargo – “Metamorphosis”
    from: “Metamorhosis”- Single / Mitzi McKee and The Precious Cargo / August 6, 2025
    [First single, ‘Metamorphosis’, off our upcoming debut album Inverted Shadows. Mitzi’s band, Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo, call themselves a “spacey KC rock & roll trio” w/ Mitzi on guitar, piano, & vocals; Brendan Bennett on bass, & Caleb Robertson on drums Mitzi has lived in KC since 2011 where she began singing in the jazz fusion band Valency. // Mitzi has also played drums, keyboards, and sang backup in the KC proto-punk Iggy & The Stooges cover band, No Fun, and the New York Dolls cover band, Trashed with Britt Adair. Mitzi played her first solo show in 2022 at the Pairing, where she also worked the front-of-house. Mitzi and on first Saturdays, at Chartreuse Saloon in the Crossroads.]

[Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming Street, West Bottoms, KCMO on Friday, August 29, 2025 at 7:00pm with Mikal Shapiro & The Musical, Stephonne, Supermassive Black Holes with Les Izmore.]

[Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play a Single Release Party @ miniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO, on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 7:00pm with Shapiro Brothers, and Cat Voltron.]

11:15 – More Interview with Mitzi McKee

We are talking with singer-songwriter Mitzi McKee

Mitzi played her first solo show in 2022 at the Pairing, where she worked the front-of-house.

The Precious Cargo were formed in 2024 with longtime friends & previous bandmates Brendan Bennett (bass) of The Stonebreakers & Nuthatch 47, and Caleb Robertson (drums) of Valency.

Mitzi’s band, Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo, call themselves a “spacey KC rock & roll trio” w/ Mitzi on guitar, piano, & vocals; Brendan Bennett on bass, & Caleb Robertson on drums.

Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming Street, West Bottoms, KCMO on Friday, August 29, 2025 at 7:00pm with Mikal Shapiro & The Musical, Stephonne, Supermassive Black Holes with Les Izmore.

Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play a Single Release Party @ miniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO, on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 7:00pm with Shapiro Brothers, and Cat Voltron.

She/her. Musician, mama, actress, baker, cook. Thinks mostly in movie quotes. Punx 4 lyfe

Mitzi writes: I actually didn’t join AA until last December, having already white-knuckled it for 29 months. My addictive tendencies, while not succumbing to alcohol, were manifesting in other ways that were of no help at all to my mental health & family life. At the urgent behest of my wife & father, I finally sought out a queer group (which I didn’t think existed in town; BIG thanks to Annie Thrax for the tip-off 😘) that met on Sunday nights, in the backroom of the very same bar where I’d started my heaviest drinking by that point, way back in the summer of 2014. The group was a revelation.

People like me, having dealt with things I had too, all coming together to essentially do some real growing up and become the people we wanted to be. It’s honestly akin to a second therapy session every week, and I highly recommend ripping off the bandaid for anyone who’s been thinking of going but has been hesitant. I’ve realized, and have happily accepted, that I need the group in my life. The camaraderie of the people. The catharsis of speaking my piece every week. It mentally cleanses me somewhat. And I truly couldn’t be more grateful to still be sober, and to have the support of the folks in this lovely group.

Mitzi talked with Mark about her receiving her first-ever recovery milestone coin in front of the whole group after revealing her 3-year soberversary had passed. She talked all the hard work she has been putting in so far in her maturity & self-care, and that even though the learning journey never ceases. “Take it from someone who almost did: Don’t ever give up on yourself. There is always a light.”

Mitzi works as a construction tech at Kind Mind Organization & Renovation

Mitzi McKee is married to Tarryn Godwin-Failla

Their oldest child Lyric James is now in First Grade

Mitzi McKee Thanks for being with us on WMM.

Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming Street, West Bottoms, KCMO on Friday, August 29, 2025 at 7:00pm with Mikal Shapiro & The Musical, Stephonne, Supermassive Black Holes with Les Izmore.

Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play a Single Release Party @ miniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO, on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 7:00pm with Shapiro Brothers, and Cat Voltron.

11:25

13. Mitzi McKee and The Precious Cargo – “Threads and Branches”
    from: Inverted Shadows / Mitzi McKee and The Precious Cargo / Fall, 2025
    [From upcoming debut album Inverted Shadows. Mitzi’s band, Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo, call themselves a “spacey KC rock & roll trio” w/ Mitzi on guitar, piano, & vocals; Brendan Bennett on bass, & Caleb Robertson on drums Mitzi has lived in KC since 2011 where she began singing in the jazz fusion band Valency. // Mitzi has also played drums, keyboards, and sang backup in the KC proto-punk Iggy & The Stooges cover band, No Fun, and the New York Dolls cover band, Trashed with Britt Adair. Mitzi played her first solo show in 2022 at the Pairing, where she also worked the front-of-house. Mitzi and on first Saturdays, at Chartreuse Saloon in the Crossroads.]

[Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming Street, West Bottoms, KCMO on Friday, August 29, 2025 at 7:00pm with Mikal Shapiro & The Musical, Stephonne, Supermassive Black Holes with Les Izmore.]

[Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play a Single Release Party @ miniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO, on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 at 7:00pm with Shapiro Brothers, and Cat Voltron.]

11:28 – Underwriting

14. TheBabeGabe X The Human – “Miss U”
    from: HONEYPOP: RELOADED / Seven Rings Media / August 15, 2025
    [This isn’t a remix album, these are 12 new songs. // Production by The Human which is the production duo of Kansas City based TyFaison and Medici from Manchester, United Kingdom. // 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.”

[TheBabeGabe plays The Bottleneck 737, New Hampshire Street, Lawrence, KS. on Friday, August 29 at 8:00pm opening for Niontay with Tah, Naasha,, Lov3, L4va, and Melak.]

11:33 – Interview with TheBabeGabe & TyFaison

TheBabeGabe and TyFaison are 2/3rds of the BLACKSTARKIDS. After the break-up of the band last year, longtime friend TyFaison is collaborating with TheBabeGabe in launching her solo career. Years of being the girl in the the alt-rap trio, TheBabeGabe brings the same sugary raps and addicting energy to the released of her debut mixtape HONEYPOP, on March 5, 2025 and five months later, HONEYPOP: RELOADED on August 8, 2025. RELOADED isn’t a remix album, these are 12 new songs. Both albums introduce to the world a young black girl from KC hungry for better things for herself and everyone who looks like her. With BLACKSTARKIDS, Gabe gained experience crushing a stage, opening on tour with The 1975, beabadoobee, and Glass Animals. That confidence shines through as she pulls from influences such as Doja Cat, Tyler The Creator, Missy Elliott, & Janet Jackson to prove she isn’t restricted to one sound.

BabeGabe thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

HONEYPOP and HONEYPOP: RELOADED were both produced by “The Human” which is the production duo of Kansas City based TyFaison and Medici from Manchester, United Kingdom. On Bandcamp we found that TyFaison made a 14 track album when he was 13. He released Space Cult on August 31, 2013, followed by the 12 track album, internet en casa, which was released September 26, 2015, and the 12 track album, scottie, which was released on October 8, 2016. (Ty told us there were several others before these that he didn’t put on Bandcamp.) The first album from BLACKSTARKIDS, LET’S PLAY SPORTS was released August 1, 2019, followed by SURF in February 2020, WHATEVER MAN on October 22, 2020, PUPPIES FOREVER on October 15, 2021, CYBERKISS on September 23, 2022, SATURN DAYZ on September 20, 2024, and HEAVEN ON EARTH in September 20, 2024. With Medici as “The Human” Ty produced Paris Williams 2024 album A PARIS WILLIAMS JOINT released November 19, 2024, and the full length album MANGO MARAI & SATURN STAR, released in December 2024.

TyFaison Thanks for being with us on Wednesday Midday Medley

TheBabeGabe plays The Bottleneck 737, New Hampshire Street, Lawrence, KS.on Friday, August 29 at 8:00pm opening for Niontay with Tah, Naasha,, Lov3, L4va, and Melak.

Formerly a member of alternative Kansas City trio BLACKSTARKIDS, rapper-singer TheBabeGabe reemerges on her debut solo mixtape HONEYPOP. Released on March 5, the 12-track project is a detour from the original Gabe, born Gabrielle Kearney, that BLACKSTARKIDS loyalists met in 2019. Just five months separated from the group’s final release, Heaven on Earth, Gabe’s fearlessness shows in her delivery and vision, no longer being hindered as a lone female voice.

Over spaced-out beats by BLACKSTARKIDS alum TyFazion, one-half of production duo TheHuman, Gabe’s deeply reflective on HONEYPOP, whether she’s intensely expressing the burdens she carries (“Soul Food”) or seamlessly fitting herself in the current drum and bass wave (“Futuristic Lovers”). Gabe’s individuality knows no bounds, and on HONEYPOP, she gets to know explorative versions of herself.

Gabe and Ty met in high school, where they first planned to collaborate on a project together, but it was following the disbanding of BLACKSTARKIDS, including former member Deiondre, that the artist sat with herself to rediscover her musical perspective.

When we first heard BLACKSTARKIDS – “Sounds Like Fun!” from: SURF on Bedroom Records, released February 28, 2020, we lost our minds. It was one of our most played song on the radio show that year and landed at #2 in WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2020.

Blackstarkids were/are phenomenon who came out of Raytown, Missouri and SURF became the soundtrack for the summer of 2020.

Blackstarkids are a pop/R&B/hip-hop trio based in Kansas City, Missouri. 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 October 29, 2020,

Blackstarkids released Whatever, Man on Dirty Hit Records, their 3rd album 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. Kansas City is honestly a hidden gem when it comes to music. I feel like you can meet an artist anywhere and anyplace in this city.”

Ty wrote, “The Kansas City scene is great, the community here is so supportive and genuine. This is a really prideful city here and I think they’re finally getting the musicians they deserve.”

11:42

15. TheBabeGabe X The Human – “Minutes”
    from: HONEYPOP: RELOADED / Seven Rings Media / August 15, 2025
    [This isn’t a remix album, these are 12 new songs. // Production by The Human which is the production duo of Kansas City based TyFaison and Medici from Manchester, United Kingdom. // 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.”

[TheBabeGabe plays The Bottleneck 737, New Hampshire Street, Lawrence, KS.on Friday, August 29 at 8:00pm opening for Niontay with Tah, Naasha,, Lov3, L4va, and Melak.]

11:45 – More Interview with TheBabeGabe & TyFaison

TheBabeGabe and TyFaison are two thirds of the acclaimed BLACKSTARKIDS. After the break-up of the band last year, longtime friend TyFaison is collaborating with TheBabeGabe in launching her solo career. Years of being the girl in the the alt-rap trio, TheBabeGabe brings the same sugary raps and addicting energy to the released of her debut mixtape HONEYPOP, on March 5, 2025 and five months later, HONEYPOP: RELOADED on August 8, 2025. RELOADED isn’t a remix album, these are 12 new songs. Both albums introduce to the world a young black girl from Kansas City hungry for better things for herself and everyone who looks like her. With BLACKSTARKIDS, Gabe gained experience crushing a stage, opening on tour with The 1975, beabadoobee, and Glass Animals. That confidence shines through as she pulls from influences such as Doja Cat, Tyler The Creator, Kelis, Missy Elliott, & Janet Jackson to prove she isn’t restricted to one sound. HONEYPOP and HONEYPOP: RELOADED were both produced by “The Human” which is the production duo of Kansas City based TyFaison and Medici from Manchester, United Kingdom.

BabeGabe and TyFaison thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

TheBabeGabe plays The Bottleneck 737, New Hampshire Street, Lawrence, KS.on Friday, October 29 at 8:00pm opening for Niontay with Tah, Naasha,, Lov3, L4va, and Melak.

The following notes are from: TheBabeGabe’s HONEYPOP Era: A Black Girl Weirdo Anthem By Jaelani Turner-Williams March 19, 2025

TheBabeGabe:

“When I was working on this project, there was so much going on in my personal life and then we’d just disbanded the group, so I was just kind of lost on what’s next,” Gabe tells AFROPUNK. “I just had doubts about going as a solo artist. It’s not always easy for people who are in bands to make that transition, so just worried about that and then coming out of a label situation that didn’t go as well. So, I feel like this project in a way really healed me and Ty specifically because we got to regroup together and figure out what’s next.”

“We were both going through the band breakup. It was kind of hard for us and so we really took that time to come back together and figure out what’s going to be next. I’ve known Ty for so long and I feel like it just makes sense that me and him really locked in on this project,” Gabe shares.

“I feel like a lot of the songs on ‘HONEYPOP,’ they would not make sense to do in BLACKSTARKIDS, but those are the songs I’ve been wanting to make for so long,” Gabe says. “After ‘Saturn Dayz,’ we were going to take a break initially and just say, ‘Yeah, let’s do the solo run,’ so we were already prepared to do the solo albums.”

“Everybody thought I was the weirdest girl ever ‘cause I love Tyler, the Creator. And it’s so crazy now because like the kids absolutely love him, but [initially] they were like, ‘Girl, he’s kind of different. What’s the appeal here?’”

It has been written that Gabe in a transitional stage with HONEYPOP.

“I definitely feel like growing up, I wasn’t as welcome in certain communities just because I liked things that might not have been [accepted in] my culture. I really want those girls who feel like, ‘I like this and I like that’ to feel welcomed into what I’m doing because I know what it feels like to feel outcasted, in a way.’”

TheBabeGabe and TyFaison thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

TheBabeGabe plays The Bottleneck 737, New Hampshire Street, Lawrence, KS. on Friday, August 29 at 8:00pm opening for Niontay with Tah, Naasha,, Lov3, L4va, and Melak.

We close w/ TheBabeGabe X The Human – “FUTURISTIC LOVERS” For WMM, I’m Mark Manning. Thanks for listening.

11:55

16. TheBabeGabe X The Human – “FUTURISTIC LOVERS”
    from: HONEYPOP / Seven Rings Media / March 5, 2025
    [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.” Deiondre added, “The music scene here is getting cool now, there’s a lot of jazz musicians that go to school for music here too but you can find people from different scenes all over if around the city.” Ty wrote, “The KC scene is great, the community here is so supportive and genuine. This is a really prideful city here and I think they’re finally getting the musicians they deserve.”]

[TheBabeGabe plays The Bottleneck 737, New Hampshire Street, Lawrence, KS.on Friday, August 29 at 8:00pm opening for Niontay with Tah, Naasha,, Lov3, L4va, and Melak.]

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

NEXT WEEK, on September 3 – we welcome special guests: Bill Sundahl joins us to share all of the details of the 21st Annual Crossroads Music Fest. We will feature music from the Festival. AND…we also welcome very special Guest and the Crossroads Music Headliner – Krystle Warren.

A really big THANK YOU to every one of you who donated during Wednesday MidDay Medley and our Summer Fund Drive for KKFI 90.1 FM. We had 47 individuals donate a total of $3529.00 in support of Community Radio. Special thanks go to my co-hosts and guests: Betse Ellis, Mikal Shapiro, Sandra Draper and Steve Tulipana and Lincoln Dreher!!!

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

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. Instead it is about a collective spirit of hundreds of hardworking people, unselfishly setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the gigantic goal of keeping our airwaves free, non-commercial, and open to all! Congratulations and thank you to all programmers & volunteers who went the 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:
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http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
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STREAMING LIVE at: kkfi.org

Show #1110