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Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Brock Wilbur & Nick Spacek of The Pitch + Kai McGarry

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]

NICK SPACEK’S TOP TEN MUSICAL RELEASES OF 2025

2. (#10.) Militarie Gun – “B A D I D E A”
   from: God Save the Gun / Loma Vista Recordings – Concord / October 17, 2025
   [Militarie Gun is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 2020. The band currently consists of Ian Shelton (lead vocals), William Acuña (rhythm guitar), Waylon Trim (bass, backing vocals), David Stalsworth (drums) and Kevin Kiley (lead guitar, backing vocals). The band has released two full length albums, Life Under the Gun (2023) and God Save the Gun (2025), as well as four extended plays. They are currently signed to American record label Loma Vista Recordings. // Militarie Gun was initially founded in 2020 as a solo project of lead vocalist and primary songwriter, Ian Shelton, after his other musical project, Seattle hardcore band Regional Justice Center, went into a forced hiatus as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent global lockdowns. During this period, Shelton wrote and recorded an EP, My Life Is Over, which was released September 10, 2020 via Denver DIY label Convulse Records. Following the EP’s release, Shelton expanded the project by recruiting a full lineup including guitarists Nick Cogan and William Acuña, bassist Max Epstein, and drummer Vince Nguyen. // In 2021, Militarie Gun released their second and third EPs: All Roads Lead to the Gun on June 4, 2021, and All Roads Lead to the Gun II on September 10, 2021, via Alternatives Label. The following year, the group signed to Loma Vista Recordings and the pair of EPs were reissued through the label as a combined album, All Roads Lead to the Gun (Deluxe) on October 21, 2022, with additional b-sides, including lead single, Let Me Be Normal, released October 6, 2022 and featured appearances by Hattiesburg and Vancouver post-punk bands MSPAINT and Woolworm respectively. // Preceding the announcement of their record deal, the group would also release a pair of singles earlier in the year, including collaborative, standalone track, “Pressure Cooker” with Virginia musical artist and producer, Dazy on March 14, 2022 and a cover of John Lennon’s 1971 protest song, “Gimme Some Truth”, on July 26, 2022, serving as one-half of a split-release alongside, Santa Cruz hardcore band, Gulch and their cover of The Pixies, 1988 classic, “Monkey Gone To Heaven” for the soundtrack of Image Comics series, “What’s The Furthest Place From Here?”. On January 23, 2023, a remixed version of the former, featuring, Missy Dabice of Philadelphia’s, Mannequin Pussy was shared as a follow-up to the original, and would later go on to be featured in a commercial ad campaign for American fast-food chain, Taco Bell. // In support of these releases, Militarie Gun would tour extensively across North America, The United Kingdom and Europe, with the likes of Citizen, Prince Daddy & The Hyena, Public Opinion, Fiddlehead, Touché Amoré and White Reaper to name a few, throughout 2022 into the next year. // In 2023, Militarie Gun would release their debut album, Life Under the Gun, on June 23, 2023 via Loma Vista, preceded by three singles ; “Do It Faster” (also featured in Taco Bell’s campaign), premiered February 21, 2023 followed by “Very High” and “Will Logic” on April 18, and May 23, 2023, respectively. Following their debut’s arrival, Militarie Gun would spend the remainder of the year on the road, accompanying Santa Cruz hardcore band, Scowl as direct support on their 2023 North American fall tour in promotion of that group’s third EP, Psychic Dance Routine, along with MSPAINT and Milwaukee’s Big Laugh, and immediately transition into their own international headlining tour behind the album, beginning in the UK and Europe, before eventually circling back through North America into early 2024, with support from San Francisco’s, Spiritual Cramp and Pool Kids from Tallahassee. // Due to the demanding tour schedule ahead, band members, Cogan and Nguyen would quietly leave Militarie Gun without public statement, to re-focus on their original primary and respective post-hardcore bands, Drug Church and Modern Color, prior to the North American tour, with their last performance in the group in Tampa, Florida at the annual hardcore music festival, FYA Fest on January 7, 2024. After their departures, temporary fill-in guitarist, Dylan Mikres of Gumm and drummer, David Stalsworth of Oxnard powerviolence band, Torena would be brought on-board within a few weeks after to continue touring, while Kevin Kiley of Chicago band, Celebrity, would join the group a few months later, in-between tours as their new lead guitarist. // In the midst of the North American leg of the tour, Militarie Gun unveiled their fourth EP, Life Under The Sun, a re-imagined sampling and deconstruction of Life Under The Gun, released January 26, 2024 via Loma Vista. Initially, teased through the limited release of double single, “Very High (Under The Sun)” and “Never Fucked Up Twice” featuring Nashville musical artist, Bully on November 30, 2023, the project, consists of stripped-back acoustic and ambient reinterpretations of a few selections from the original, save for the project’s last track, a NOFX cover, “Whoops I OD’d”, plus additional contributions from Mannequin Pussy and Manchester Orchestra, featured on the EP’s lead and third single, “My Friends Are Having A Hard Time” on January 23, 2024. // Throughout 2024, Militarie Gun would continue ceaseless touring domestically and internationally, back and forth across the globe to significant prominence, supporting the likes of Manchester Orchestra, A Day To Remember, The Story So Far, Gel, Hockey Dad, Lip Critic, while also performing their own sold-out shows, and a slew of high-profile music festival appearances including, Lollapalooza, Coachella, Primavera Sound, Welcome to Rockville, Bonnaroo and Reading/Leeds during the year. // On June 24, 2024, Militarie Gun would drop “Gun Under The Gun (MFG)”, a primarily instrumental hardcore track, specifically requested and penned, as an entry theme for American musical artist, Post Malone and the use of his likeness in the pro wrestling video game series, WWE 2K24 as a playable DLC character. Soon after, the group would release another standalone single, “Thought You Were Waving” on July 14, 2024. // Militarie Gun would close out their 2024, as the opening act on Knocked Loose’s North American fall tour, supporting the Oldham County band’s third album, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To, alongside with The Garden and Drain, plus additional special guests, Danny Brown, Hatebreed, The Black Dahlia Murder and Counterparts on select dates, before concluding the year, with California punk band, Ceremony on December 6, 2024, for a special benefit show performance in the San Fernando Valley. The concert, hosted by local music shop, The Midnight Hour Records, was organized in solidarity of the Palestinian people,[64] afflicted by the ongoing humanitarian crisis and ethnic cleansing occurring within the age-long Israeli–Palestinian conflict. All proceeds from the event would go to non-profit organizations, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and Care for Gaza, to provide financial aid and resources directly to the Palestinian civilians affected. // In 2025, the group would continue to support charitable relief efforts by contributing a demo version of “My Friends Are Having A Hard Time” to the compilation Good Music To Lift Los Angeles for fundraising album series “Good Music” (not to be confused with Kanye West-owned label GOOD Music), devised and curated by politically active, literary and music industry figures Dave Eggers and Jordan Kurland. // The limited-time collection, featuring previously unreleased material from the likes of Modest Mouse, R.E.M., TV On The Radio, Faye Webster, Mac DeMarco, Tenacious D, among many others, was only available to purchase within a 24-hour period on February 7, 2025, exclusively via Bandcamp, with net proceeds distributed to the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund and Los Angeles Food Bank, following the aftermath of the 2025 Southern California wildfires a month prior that year. Preceding the compilation, the band would embark on a short run of winter shows across the American East coast, with Mannequin Pussy. // Militarie Gun were scheduled to support English rock band High Vis on their 2025 North American spring tour. However, just a few weeks before the tour was set to begin, High Vis frontman Graham Sayle would sustain an undisclosed injury, requiring emergency medical treatment and extended recovery time, ultimately leading to the cancellation of the entire tour. Soon after, the band would once again work with Dazy on their second collaborate single, “Tall People Don’t Live Long”, released April 18, 2025. On an Australian tour with Touché Amoré in July 2025, the band premiered several new songs – one of which was titled “B A D I D E A”. ]

10:02 – Interview with Brock Wilbur & Nick Spacek

WE welcome Brock Wilbur & Nick Spacek of The Pitch. The Annual Pitch “Best Of” Issue recently hit the streets last week on Monday, Nov. 3, 2024. Brock & Nick will share some of the “Headlines” of 2025. And Nick shares his 10 Favorite Musical Releases of 2025

Brock Wilbur is the editor-in-chief of The Pitch in Kansas City and the author of several books on video games and apocalyptic cinema. He lives with his wife, political journalist and Wayside Waifs coordinator Vivian Kane, their three cats, and one gigantic dog.

Nick Spacek is the music editor of the Pitch since 2020, and has done work for the publication since 2008. Additionally, he regularly covers arts and entertainment – along with whatever else gets thrown his way – for Lawrence Magazine, Kansas Magazine, and Lawrence Business Magazine, as well as a decade with the UK’s Starburst Magazine, the world’s longest-running genre publication. Along with Julie Holland, Nick co-hosts the biweekly horror podcast, The Carnage Report. Nick lives in Lawrence with his wife of 20 years, Tanya, and their three cats, Luci, Susan, and Esmerelda, along with a movie and music collection which is rapidly becoming what you might call a problem.

The Pitch is celebrating 45 years as Kansas City publication.

The Pitch started in 1980 as The Penny Pitch as part of Penny Lane Records, The original editor was Don Mayberger along with co-editor Chuck Haddix. The original owner was Hal Brody.

The Pitch has survived the difficult print media landscape, multiple owners, multiple generations of some of Kansas City’s very best writers and journalists, and remains an essential publication, continuing to break important stories about working conditions in area restaurants and theaters. The Pitch continues to be the very first to break news that has international reverberations.

The “Best Of” issue has been part of The Pitch for as long as we can remember, celebrating all things Kansas City.

Brock Wilbur picked up a Pitch “Best of” issue during a visit to KC and it was a big part of his wife and his decision to move to Kansas City from Los Angeles.

The Pitch “Best of” Issue is divided between The “Our Picks” section, selected by The Pitch writers, and the “Your Picks” section that is fully hands-off from The Pitch internal team, where the people of KC cast 407,793 votes, across 450 categories, where there were 2,421 nominations, selecting their favorite… Best Musician, Best Live Music Venue, Best Car Wash, Best Local Politician, Best Burrito, Best Pulled Pork, Best Hair Removal, Best Gutter Cleaning. The winners and runners-up in these categories were 1000% picked by the city after rounds of nomination and voting. http://www.thepitchkc.com

In Brock Wilburs’s Letter From The Editor from the November Best of Edition, Brock writes, “2025 was not an easy year. It was not a good year. It was a year for which history is going to have to reckon with a lot of darkness, disappointment, confusion, and damnation. Don’t worry. We’ll keep wrestling with every moment of these antagonisms on a daily basis. We’ll keep reporting on the ways that we can all fight back. But this issue gets to live as a reminder, purely and simply, of all the good that is worth fighting for.”

10:13 – NICK SPACEK’S TOP TEN MUSICAL RELEASES OF 2025

3. (#9.) Bad Bunny – “Baile Inolvidable”
   from: DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS / Trimas Entertainment / January 5, 2025
   [Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio was born March 10, 1994. He is known professionally as Bad Bunny. He is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and record producer. Dubbed the “King of Latin Trap”, Bad Bunny is credited with helping Spanish-language rap music achieve mainstream popularity in the worldwide market. He is considered one of the best Latin rappers of all time. // Born in Bayamón and raised in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny rose to prominence in 2016 with his song “Soy Peor”, which led to a recording contract with Hear This Music. He continued gaining traction with songs such as his feature on Cardi B’s Billboard Hot 100 number-one single “I Like It” alongside J Balvin and his top-ten single “Mía” (featuring Drake). Bad Bunny’s debut studio album, X 100pre (2018), peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard 200, while his collaborative album with J Balvin, Oasis (2019), reached number nine. His second solo album, YHLQMDLG (2020), became the highest-charting all-Spanish album to appear on the Billboard 200 at the time at number two, and was followed by the compilation album Las que no iban a salir (2020). // El Último Tour Del Mundo (2020), Bad Bunny’s third solo album, became the first all-Spanish language album to top the Billboard 200, while its lead single, “Dakiti”, reached the top ten of the Hot 100. His fourth solo album, Un Verano Sin Ti (2022), spent 13 weeks atop the Billboard 200, was named the best-performing album of the year, and became the first Spanish-language album to be nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. He followed it with the Billboard 200 number-one albums (his 5th album) Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana (2023) and (his 6th album) Debí Tirar Más Fotos (2025). In September 2025, he was announced as a criticized performer of the Super Bowl LX halftime show in 2026. // His accolades include three Grammy Awards, eleven Latin Grammy Awards, eight Billboard Music Awards, and thirteen Lo Nuestro Awards. He was crowned Artist of the Year by Billboard in 2022. He was the most-streamed artist on Spotify from 2020 to 2022, the second in 2023, and third in 2024. Outside of music, he occasionally performs in professional wrestling. Bad Bunny began making appearances on WWE programming in 2021 and made his in-ring debut at WrestleMania 37. He is a one-time WWE 24/7 Champion and has wrestled at the 2022 Royal Rumble and the 2023 Backlash pay-per-view events. Bad Bunny has also starred in multiple films, including Bullet Train (2022), Cassandro (2023), Caught Stealing (2025), and Happy Gilmore 2 (2025), for which he is credited under his real name. // Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio’s father, Tito Martínez, was a truck driver, and his mother, Lysaurie Ocasio, is a retired schoolteacher. His parents often listened to genres such as salsa, merengue, and pop ballads. His earliest musical memory was when he received the record Aquel Que Había Muerto by Puerto Rican rapper and reggaetón pioneer Vico C as a Christmas gift at the age of five. Some of the first CDs he bought growing up were from Marc Anthony and Víctor Manuelle. He has two younger brothers, Bernie and Bysael. He said, “I wasn’t the kid who got involved in the streets. I liked to be at home with my family.” // As a child, he attended church weekly with his devoutly Roman Catholic mother and sang in the church choir until age 13. After leaving the choir, he developed an interest in the artists he heard on the radio, particularly Daddy Yankee and Héctor Lavoe. His stage name originated from a time when he was forced to wear a bunny costume and was angry about it. // After graduating high school in 2012, Martínez enrolled in the audiovisual communications program at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, aiming to become a radio host. He worked part-time as a bagger and cashier at an Econo supermarket while creating music. He left university without completing his degree to pursue his musical aspirations. // Speaking about the Puerto Rican music industry, he stated, “I’m from Vega Baja, a small area that’s not a metropolis like San Juan where the majority of the genre’s artists have come from.” // He started to write and create his own interpretations at the age of 14, until, in 2013, he began to publish his songs through SoundCloud, including “Get” in 2013, “Tentación” in 2014, “Just let me know” in 2015, among others. In 2016, his song “Diles” caught the attention of DJ Luian from SoundCloud who signed him to his record label, Hear this Music. His single “Soy Peor” reached number 19 on the Hot Latin Songs chart. Bad Bunny’s May 2017 collaboration with Colombian singer Karol G, “Ahora Me Llama”, reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. It was listed on “Alt.Latino’s Favorites: The Songs of 2017” as one of the best Latin songs of 2017. // In the summer of 2017, Bad Bunny signed a booking deal with Cardenas Marketing Network (CMN) for several Latin American countries. Starting in November 2017, Bad Bunny hosted Beats 1’s first Spanish-language show, Trap Kingz. The remix of “Te Boté” with Ozuna and Nicky Jam reached number one on the Hot Latin Songs chart. // In May 2018, American rapper Cardi B released a collaboration with Bad Bunny and J Balvin, “I Like It”, which topped the Billboard Hot 100. On October 11, 2018, Bad Bunny released “Mia” with Drake, which reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100. // Bad Bunny released his debut album X 100pre on December 24, 2018, on Christmas Eve 2018 on Rimas Entertainment. The album peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard 200. On Metacritic, X 100pre received an average score of 84 based on five reviews. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian praised Bad Bunny’s “off-kilter creativity”. In 2020, X 100pre was voted 447th in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. // On June 28, 2019, Bad Bunny released Oasis, an eight-song collaborative album with J Balvin. It peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200 and topped the Billboard US Latin Albums chart. In July 2019, he joined protests against governor Ricardo Rosselló. Bad Bunny and Residente released “Afilando Los Cuchillos” (“Sharpening the knives”) during the demonstrations. // In February 2020, Bad Bunny was a guest performer at the Super Bowl LIV halftime show, headlined by Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.[49] Bad Bunny announced the album YHLQMDLG on February 27, 2020, during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and stated that it would be released on Leap Day 2020, namely February 29. The album’s title stands for “Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana” (Spanish for “I Do What I Want”) and features collaborations with Daddy Yankee, Yaviah, Jowell & Randy, Ñengo Flow, among other artists. // YHLQMDLG debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, becoming the highest-charting all-Spanish album ever on the chart at the time. The album was met with critical acclaim, with the album’s musical diversity being praised. “Vete” was released as the lead single of the album on November 22, 2019. The second single, “Ignorantes”, with Panamanian singer Sech came out on February 14, 2020. In March 2020, Bad Bunny released the music video for “Yo Perreo Sola”, in which the artist performs in drag. “Yo Perreo Sola” landed number one on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart, earning Bad Bunny his ninth No.1 on the chart in just over two years.]

4. (#8.) Willi Carlisle – “We Have Fed You All for 1000 Years”
   from: Winged Victory / Willi Carlisle – Signature Sounds / June 27, 2025
   [“It feels relatively easy to crown Winged Victory as the high-water mark of Carlisle’s recorded output…” – No Depression // “His thoughtful musings and memorable melodies collide in weird and wondrous ways over and over again” – Bandcamo // “Like a true poet Willi Carlisle invents a sound like none other…” – western AF // “Winged Victory reveals there is great beauty in darkness, that singing itself is an act of optimism, and that exile creates its own narratives. Therein, Carlisle has found a way of singing through dark times.” – The Bluegrass Situation // “The return of one of folk music’s most life-affirming and brilliantly eccentric voices.” – Holler // “The singer-songwriter’s songbook is a hymnal of folk gospels so full of heart they nearly pop at the seams; weeping with wisdom and brimming with radical empathy, they’re like arms you could fall into at your weakest, your worst. They are fiercely, fervently life-affirming in a world increasingly undone by hate—songs that we need now more than ever.” – Paste // Within his heart and his music, folksinger Willi Carlisle holds tight the conviction that love is bigger than hate, and no-one is expendable. Deemed “One of country music’s most important and unmistakable voices.” (PASTE), Carlisle’s music has always been a dance between spectacle and philosophy. On his fourth studio (and first self-produced) album, Winged Victory, Carlisle returns with his signature blend of traditionally-rooted folk music and kaleidoscope of oddball characters to confer with his core tenets in more overt and provocative ways. // Intent on creating art and a well-rounded life in a broken world, Carlisle directly addresses the hope that by understanding our collective suffering we might be free of it. Rather than a manifesto, the eleven songs on Winged Victory should be understood as a reflection. They revel in the beauty of tiny, monetarily-worthless moments and things, offering with them a consideration of our innate humanity. // WILLI CARLISLE is a poet and a folk singer for the people, but his extraordinary gift for turning a phrase isn’t about high falutin’ pontificatin’; it’s about looking out for one another and connecting through our shared human condition. // For Carlisle, singing is healing. And by singing together, he believes we can begin to reckon with the inevitability of human suffering and grow in love. .. More info at: http://www.willicarlisle.com ]

10:22 – More Interview with Brock Wilbur and Nick Spacek

Today, we welcome Brock Wilbur & Nick Spacek of The Pitch. The Annual Pitch “Best Of” Issue hits the streets last Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. We’re talking with Brock & Nick about some of the “Headlines” of 2025. And, Nick is sharing his 10 Favorite Musical Releases of 2025.

Calvin Arsenio was voted Best Musician in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.

From The Pitch “Best Of” Issue November 2025:

MELINDA RYDER’S HALF-CENTURY CENTER-STAGE
When it comes to drag, some could argue that Melinda Ryder has been the best for 50 years. Since the late ‘70s, she has absolutely dominated the scene, winning Miss Gay Missouri 1979, Miss Gay Kansas City America 1982, Miss Gay Missouri America 1984, and 2nd Alternate to Miss Gay America 1985. // Bruce Winter—the person behind the Melinda Ryder personality—made his way to Kansas City from St. Louis in 1975, set up shop, and never left. To this day, Winter can still be seen as Ryder around town, most recently featured at The Museum of Kansas City, showcasing the exhibit, Arrive As A Star. Leave As A Star, which is on display through February of next year. How lucky are we? // What is truly mesmerising about Ryder’s legacy is that it never diminished, coming on 50 whole years still completely intact. The same cannot be said about most drag pioneers, as there has been a drive to mass erase queer existence from the country’s historical documentation. Fortunately, Ryder never fell victim to this blatant eradication. That resistance can be partially attributed to the City of Kansas City. // Individuals within our cherished Midwest metropolis noticed the disparity when it comes to historical queer representation and have worked to ensure that records remain. While The Museum of Kansas City is the organization that spearheaded this for Ryder, the city as a whole continuously works to transparently portray drag in the community. // Currently, Ryder is working on a documentary with director John McCrite, titled Melinda Ryder; Still Here, further highlighting her decades’ worth of work and significance within Kansas City’s queer scene. Melinda Ryder is truly one of one.

From The Pitch “Best Of” Issue November 2025:

WE WANT FLORA FROM KANSAS TO COME HOME (Daughter of Dan Billen/The Billions)
Flora from Kansas isn’t your average Lawrence teenager donning Jayhawks gear. She is a worldwide music sensation. After the release of her EP Keep Calling in 2021 and her full-length cassette Emerald City in 2022, she went ghost. // For two years, the artist refrained from releasing any new music. However, that hiatus broke in November of last year when the UK’s Melodic Records announced the signing of the artist. Shortly after, her project Homesick, a six-track EP, was released in March 2025, which was mixed by highly acclaimed producer Ali Chant. // Since its release, Flora from Kansas has gained international attention, as NPR selected one of her songs to be played on its “The songs we can’t stop playing this week” series, also receiving regular airplay on the BBC. // Offering our ears to the artist, it is easy to see why this Midwestern teen has gained such appreciation, specifically overseas. We eagerly await Flora from Kansas to return to Lawrence or KC for well-deserved spotlight, although it appears that global stages far, far away are destined for the young artist.

10:29- Underwriting

10:35 – NICK SPACEK’S TOP TEN MUSICAL RELEASES OF 2025

5. (#7.) Scowl – “B.A.B.E.”
   from: Are We All Angels / Dead Oceans Records / April 4, 2025
   [Scowl is an American rock band from Santa Cruz, California, formed in 2019.[2] The band consists of singer Kat Moss, guitarist Mike Bifolco, bassist Bailey Lupo, and drummer Cole Gilbert. // The band released their first collection of songs, a self-titled EP, in 2019. Scowl released a second EP in 2019, titled Reality After Reality…. In 2021, the group released their debut full-length album, How Flowers Grow, through Flatspot Records. The group released their third EP in 2023 titled Psychic Dance Routine. // Scowl has toured and shared the stage with bands like Circle Jerks and Negative Approach, System Of A Down, Korn, Turnstile and Deftones, Limp Bizkit, and toured Australia in May and June 2023 with Sunami and Speed. The band also played the 2023 edition of the famed Coachella festival. In a 2022 interview with hardcore magazine In Effect singer Kat Moss said about touring: “We are focused heavily on touring as much as possible! We are trying to hit all the places in the US that we haven’t played yet as well as across the pond!” // On October 8, 2024, Scowl announced their signing to Dead Oceans with a new single titled Special. Their sophomore album, Are We All Angels, was released on April 4, 2025.]

6. (#6.) Sabrina Carpenter – “Tears”
   from: Man’s Best Friend / Island Records – UMG / August 29, 2025
   [Man’s Best Friend is the seventh studio album by the American singer Sabrina Carpenter. It was released on August 29, 2025, by Island Records. Carpenter produced the album with Jack Antonoff and John Ryan, who also produced tracks on her previous studio album, Short n’ Sweet (2024). Primarily a pop album with elements of disco-pop, funk, R&B, and synth-rock, its lead single, “Manchild”, charted at number one in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States and in the top ten in several worldwide territories. Carpenter selected “Tears” as the second single, released concurrently with the album. // The cover artwork, evoking dominance and submission, generated controversy and significant media attention; some criticized it as appealing to the male gaze in a manner detrimental to women, while others saw it as satire and a way to challenge misogynistic expectations of women’s sexual behavior. Later, Carpenter released an alternate direct-to-consumer cover, which she described as “approved by God”. // Man’s Best Friend received generally positive reviews upon release, with praise for its production and Carpenter’s vocals, but criticism for its lyrics. The album charted at number one in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. // Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter (born May 11, 1999) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She first gained prominence starring on the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World (2014–2017). She signed with the Disney-owned Hollywood Records and achieved limited success with studio albums Eyes Wide Open (2015), Evolution (2016), Singular: Act I (2018), and Singular: Act II (2019). // Carpenter joined Island Records in 2021, releasing her fifth album, Emails I Can’t Send (2022), featuring the multi-platinum singles “Nonsense” and “Feather”. Her sixth studio album, Short n’ Sweet (2024), topped the US Billboard 200 and won two Grammy Awards from six nominations. It produced the global number-one singles “Espresso” and “Please Please Please”, the latter becoming her first to top the US Billboard Hot 100. Her seventh studio album, Man’s Best Friend (2025), also topped the Billboard 200 and spawned the US number-one single “Manchild”. // Carpenter has appeared in films, including Adventures in Babysitting (2016), The Hate U Give (2018), The Short History of the Long Road (2019), Clouds (2020), and Emergency (2022). She has also starred in the Netflix films Tall Girl (2019), Tall Girl 2 (2022), and Work It (2020), the last of which she executive-produced. On Broadway, she played Cady Heron in the musical Mean Girls (2020).]

10:40 – More Interview with Brock Wilbur and Nick Spacek

Thanks for tuning into WMM on 90.1 FM KKFI. 
I’m Mark Manning. Today, we welcome Brock Wilbur & Nick Spacek of The Pitch. The Annual Pitch “Best Of” Issue hit the streets last Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. We’re talking with Brock & Nick about some of the “Headlines” of 2025. And, Nick is sharing his 10 Favorite Musical Releases of 2025.

The Pitch “Best Of” issue is out. http://www.thepitchkc.com

The Pitch “Best of” Issue is divided between The “Our Picks” section, selected by The Pitch writers, and the “Your Picks” section that is fully hands-off from The Pitch internal team, where the people of KC cast 407,793 votes, across 450 categories, where there were 2,421 nominations, selecting their favorite… Best Musician, Best Live Music Venue, Best Car Wash, Best Local Politician, Best Burrito, Best Pulled Pork, Best Hair Removal, Best Gutter Cleaning. The winners and runners-up in these categories were 1000% picked by the city after rounds of nomination and voting. http://www.thepitchkc.com

From The Pitch “Best Of” Issue November 2025:

DOCUMENTARY “SOUNDS OF THE CITY” IS A MUSICAL LOVE LETTER TO KC
Before director Dustin Phillips completed his project Sounds of the City this year, finding information on the city’s historical involvement in the evolution of music was tough to come across. Now, Kansas Citians can turn to the 2025 documentary that historically lists Kansas City’s influence within music culture since the 1920s. // The doc hits on all of KC’s guidance in the subculture from the early jazz pioneers such as Bennie Moten, Count Basie, and Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker, to some of the acts that you may see today perusing through town. // Throughout Phillips’ production, he makes it clear where the different genres of music intersect, which, in turn, shaped the melodic scene throughout the metro, then shaping sound throughout the nation. // Many thanks must be given to Phillips, considering that, without Sounds of the City, much of this historical context can be lost and washed down over time. Phillips paints a clear picture of what music was then, what it is now, and what it may be.

From The Pitch “Best Of” Issue November 2025:

RACHEL MCCARTHY JAMES’ BOOK WHACK JOB CUTS DEEP
Lawrence-based writer Rachel McCarthy James spent the last few years digging into
the history of a singular object, and what her Indiana Jones-style research turned up is an
object of extreme and terrible power—i.e., a must-have for your bookshelf and easily the
best stocking stuffer our book writers will recommend for this holiday season. // Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder is the story of the axe: tool, weapon, and status symbol of culture and technology through the ages. First as a convenient danger and then an anachronism, this examination is told through the murders it has been employed in throughout history and covers a dizzying swathe of history. Like a bloody version of Bill Bryson’s At Home: A Short History of Private Life or Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson filtered through the vibrant readability of Mary Roach, James’ Whack Job is a book that you’ll find utterly unputdownable. // While your staples of the true crime genre, a la Lizzie Borden, have their appearances here, they all arrive in forms and from perspectives that are truly peerless in that entire sphere of storytelling. Inherent in this separation is the mix of anthropological know-how mixed with Midwestern sass that allows James to spit in the face of long-standing narratives. What she offers is less a listing of people felled by the bladed instrument and more of a holistic look at how and why this object took such a profound place in cultures across continents and centuries. // At points, the axe is a weapon of ultimate revenge, while other cultures considered it such a utilitarian instrument that its mere creation could be proof that a man had the personality type required to befriend and inspire people from across a spectrum of allegiances. Yes, making your own axe could be proof that you would be a good husband because it meant you probably had the temperament to get along with folks from all walks of life. Like we said, this book is wild. // James’ work is a page turner, her voice in this space is singular, and the wit cuts like a blade. Whack Job is truly the high water- mark for lit in the region this year, and you owe it to yourself to track this one down.

10:51 – NICK SPACEK’S TOP TEN MUSICAL RELEASES OF 2025

7. (#5.) Leon Majcen – “Shot Myself in the Leg”
   from: Making A Livin’ (Not A Killin’) / Cloverdale Records / October 17, 2025
   [FromSavingCountryMusic.com (Oct. 20, 2025): It’s that bleary-eyed and road-worn recklessness found on so many of the records of the 1970s, and in many of the songs from folks like John Prine, Townes Van Zandt, and Guy Clark that give them that cool allure that escapes most music of today. Present tense performers and songwriters can attempt to capture that spirit. But GPS, the Internet, and iPhones make getting lost in the world and losing one’s self difficult to impossible. // Nonetheless, in the 12 songs of Leon Majcen’s new album Making A Livin’ (Not A Killin’), he gets about as close as one can get to conveying that feeling of life on the open road. Clearly taken from his own travelogues as an up-and-coming touring musician, these songs are dispatches and ruminations from far flung destinations scribbled on the back of fast food napkins shoved in a glove compartment. It’s an album about musicians overcome with wanderlust, and the women they leave behind. // Leon Majcen tried to do the right thing. Raised by Bosnian War refugees in Florida where he started performing as a songwriter in high school, he went off to college in New York City. But it soon became apparent that the big city, and a straight and narrow path was not exactly the right trajectory for young Leon. He ended up back in Florida working on the docks before ending up in Nashville as an aspiring songwriter. // The thing about all those songwriting heroes is they have a way of tempting you in the wrong direction when it comes to living a stable life. As Majcen sings at one point, “Sleeping in a Car is Fun Until You Gotta Pee.” So many of the next generation is choosing experiences over things. And whether vagabond homelessness comes from choice or a requisite to the path you choose, there is a poetic beauty to the lifestyle, if you choose to see it. // You do miss some of the prophetic insights on life, and the social commentary on this album that sometimes came with the best of the material of your favorite songwriter’s favorite songwriters. On what officially is Majcen’s second full-length record in 2025, he continues to focus more on songs that come from his own lived experiences as opposed to that deep character study of others, or speaking about societal ills, including some that tempt young souls to wander, or end up unhoused. // But what Making A Livin’ (Not A Killin’) does accomplish is tracing the arc that comes with a young person’s realization of what really matters in life. The opening song “Don’t Leave The Light On” is about leaving love behind, both due to the call of the open road, and a sense of selflessness or inadequacy of not being able to give someone else the stability they need. // The 5th song, “I’ve Found My Love Today” is not a conventional love song. It’s about Majcen realizing that the true love in his life, and what gives him the greatest sense of fulfillment is music. “You’re the only truth hidden in my lies,” he sings. But the ultimate lesson of life on the road often is that what you’ve been searching for the whole time is love, and not of a guitar or a song. This comes through in the verses of the album’s final songs, “Thinking ‘Bout Love” and “Woman & Dog.” // You do wonder if Leon allowed a bit more time in the oven for some of these songs, we’d get some more of that road-worn wisdom out of them than we do. But it’s the easy, laid back disposition of Making a Livin’ produced by Patrick Lyons that has a lot of people finding favor with it. Leon reinvigorates the spirit of the hobo poet, singing what he lives, living what he sings, and experiencing a level of freedom we all wish we had the ability or courage to pursue.]

8. (#4.) Blackbraid – “Wardrums at Dawn on the Day of My Death”
   from: Blackbraid III / Blackbraid / August 8, 2025
   [Blackbraid is an American black metal project from the Adirondack Mountains, New York, formed in 2022. The project is the solo endeavor of its creator, Jon Krieger. A native Mexican, Krieger is also known by his pseudonym Sgah’gahsowáh, a Mohawk name meaning “the witch hawk”. // Blackbraid’s formation was first announced on February 7, 2022. Krieger was by that point a lifelong musician and had previously been involved informally with friends’ projects, but Blackbraid is both his first serious project and his first solo one. // Blackbraid is part of the growing indigenous black metal scene in the United States. The project’s first single, “Barefoot Ghost Dance on Blood Soaked Soil”, was released shortly after on February 13, 2022. The song’s lyrics allude to historical events such as the Wounded Knee massacre, which took place in 1890, and the more recent Dakota Access Pipeline protests of 2016. A second single, “The River of Time Flows Through Me”, was released on March 16, 2022, and deals with the passing and fluidity of time. Blackbraid’s debut album, Blackbraid I, was released on August 26, 2022. Krieger, a multi-instrumentalist, wrote and tracked the entire album apart from the drums, which were tracked by his friend Neil Schneider. Schneider also recorded, mixed, and mastered Blackbraid I. The cover art was done by Adrian Baxter. // The album melds conventional black metal with elements of traditional indigenous music, such as the Native American flute, and acoustic interludes. It was released to general critical acclaim, featuring on Rolling Stone’s Best Metal Albums of 2022 list, Metal Injection’s list of best underground metal albums of 2022, and Decibel’s Top 40 Albums of 2022 list. Following its independent release on Bandcamp, it reached #1 on the website’s metal chart and charted at #2 across all genres, in addition to being named one of the site’s best metal releases for August 2022. // Blackbraid II – Blackbraid announced its first full tour in spring 2023, as part of the Decibel Magazine Tour (presented by Metal Blade Records) and in support of Dark Funeral, Cattle Decapitation, and 200 Stab Wounds. It also announced festival appearances at Hellfest 2023 and Copenhell 2023. // Krieger has stated that a second album would be forthcoming in 2023, which would be “an expansion of the sound [he] developed in the first album” and into which he plans to incorporate more native instrumentation. In April 2023, it was announced the band’s second album, Blackbraid II, would be released on July 7. // Blackbraid II was released on July 7, and received further acclaim, with many critics considering it to be an improvement over its predecessor. // Musically, Krieger has cited Dissection, Gorgoroth, Satyricon, Opeth, Enslaved, Wolves in the Throne Room, Panopticon, Immortal, Bathory, and Mayhem as influences. // Lyrically, Krieger deals primarily with the themes of Native American history and connection to nature. Blackbraid I contains lyrics referring to genocide of indigenous peoples; of the track “Barefoot Ghost Dance on Blood Soaked Soil”, Krieger said, “This song is about the suffering and genocide of my people all across these continents, and our resistance to it. I think in my head I was loosely writing about the Wounded Knee Massacre when I started but it quickly evolved into something much broader. It is definitely a war song.” The single’s cover art features American photographer Edward Curtis’s 1908 photo “Sun dance pledgers–Cheyenne”. Krieger has also used other Curtis photographs on Blackbraid merchandise, including “Kutenai Duck Hunter” and “Atsina Warrior”. // However, Krieger has also been clear that Blackbraid is primarily an emotional outlet for him, saying, “I think music can be a powerful weapon no matter how it is used. Obviously, I would like to see strides towards decolonization made, but when it comes to Blackbraid, the project is largely just an outlet for my own emotions and is not politically oriented whatsoever.” When asked whether he saw Blackbraid as resistance against far-right politics in black metal, he stated, “Obviously I hate nazis and consider them to be the biggest cowards on Earth, I’d happily beat a nazi’s ass any day but I’m not going to let the fact that they play music ruin black metal for me either.” Blackbraid’s music is “anti-Christian in nature”, but “also not really about Satan”. // Krieger views Blackbraid as a project that can help listeners reconnect with nature and help him explore his own relationship with nature: “For some Indigenous people, they think nature is ours, but I think it belongs to everyone, though Indigenous Americans really do seem to be more connected with it…And it doesn’t take much to enjoy nature. You just need to open your eyes. You’re already connected; you’re just actively ignoring that connection. I think with Blackbraid, that’s really what I want the music to do. I don’t really need to educate people because they already know it’s there; they’ve just forgotten, and I want Blackbraid to kind of reawaken things they may not think about every day.” // After having performed a headlining show at Midgardsblot in August 2023, Blackbraid were reportedly asked to leave the festival by security due to excessive alcohol intoxication, sleeping outside of the sleeping area, spitting at a security guard and generally causing a disturbance. In a later deleted post, Blackbraid alleged racism as the reason behind the band’s removal, but later admitted that the “situation was handled poorly on all sides”, apologizing for his behaviour, “especially the spitting situation”.]

10:59 – Station ID

10:59 – More Interview with Brock Wilbur and Nick Spacek

We welcome Brock Wilbur & Nick Spacek of The Pitch. The Annual Pitch “Best Of” Issue recently hit the streets on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. We’re talking with Brock & Nick about some of the “Headlines” of 2025. And, Nick is sharing his 10 Favorite Musical Releases of 2025.

The Pitch “Best of” Issue is divided between The “Our Picks” section, selected by The Pitch writers, and the “Your Picks” section that is fully hands-off from The Pitch internal team, where the people of KC cast 407,793 votes, across 450 categories, where there were 2,421 nominations, selecting their favorite… Best Musician, Best Live Music Venue, Best Car Wash, Best Local Politician, Best Burrito, Best Pulled Pork, Best Hair Removal, Best Gutter Cleaning. The winners and runners-up in these categories were 1000% picked by the city after rounds of nomination and voting. http://www.thepitchkc.com

From The Pitch “Best Of” Issue November 2025:
LAUREN LOVELLE & THE MIDNIGHT SPLIFFS SPARK THE FLAME
Making music was always in the cards for Lauren Lovelle, as she has been accompanying her dad’s band, Two Way Traffic, since she was just four years old. With musical backgrounds on both sides of her family, it’s no surprise that she now heads her own act, Lauren Lovelle & The Midnight Spliffs. // Her father grew up in the church, where he found a passion for music and received traditional training singing hymns. His love for music-making carried on outside of the religious walls, blending into an affection for folk, country, and blues. This expansion from traditional liturgical melodies transitioned on with Lovelle, as her paternal grandfather taught her to pick up a guitar. // Lovelle says that she got involved with a top 40 cover band shortly after graduating high school, but that came to a screeching halt. And after listening to the band’s EP, Other Dreams, it makes sense why she may go crazy covering Lady Gaga and Journey when she has so much to offer herself. // Lovelle and The Spliffs have built some chemistry throughout the years, and it shows on Other Dreams, as the songs are incredibly strong and vibrant, despite the project being only four tracks. In spite of its short composition, the diversity is there, as “Anxiously Attached” offers soulful swing with Devon Teran’s pedal steel, while “Won’t Tell You Goodbye” puts the Lovelle vocals at the forefront of the tune. The instrumentation and lyrics throughout offer a strange experience to listeners. While some tracks may be upbeat, like closing tune “In My Jeans”, there is still emotional baggage behind every word, making Lauren Lovelle & The Midnight Spliffs’ intricate project an easy favorite of ours.

11:10 – NICK SPACEK’S TOP TEN MUSICAL RELEASES OF 2025

9. (#3.) Lauren Lovelle – “Very Last Time”
   from: Other Dreams – EP / Lauren Lovelle / September 9, 2025
   [From OnetoWatch.com: Lauren Lovelle has country music coursing through her veins. Hailing from Harvey County, Kansas it may not come as a surprise that Lovelle is a country music aficionado. But not every Harvey County four-year-old is getting on stage with their dad’s honky tonk band to sing Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” By the time Lovelle was 10, she spent full sets up on stage with the band. While Lovelle’s journey to music seems like an obvious one, it wasn’t as straightforward as it could’ve been. Moving to a new high school in Wichita left her ashamed of her rural upbringing, leading her to abandon country music, and a college sexual assault brought years of grief and trauma. In the end, however, it was music, specifically a Linda Ronstadt song, that brought Lovelle back to herself. Having fronted a country band for the past two years, Lovelle is now introducing herself with her debut EP Other Dreams. // The EP is a masterful weaving of classic country and bluegrass sounds with straightforward, honest lyrics. On the opening track, “Anxiously Attached,” Lovelle dives into her struggles with love and attachment. Set to a classic country instrumentation full of guitar, fiddle, and drums, Lovelle sings “Don’t you know I’m attached anxiously / I’m the match / Hastily wasting this flame / On a lover who walked away.” Despite her anxious attachment, Lovelle sings with an air of nonchalance and acceptance. // “Won’t Tell You Goodbye” immediately contrasts the energy of “Anxiously Attached.” Lovelle’s vocals on the lovelorn ballad lay out every emotion she is feeling. Her pain and frustration are palpable as she sings “Couldn’t be more in love / Than the day we said we’re through.” A mournful pedal steel adds an air of melancholy as it wails above the guitars and drums. Lovelle’s heartbreak only pushes her towards her music, as she realizes that heartbreak from music is worth so much more than heartbreak from a man. Speaking on “Won’t Tell You Goodbye,” Lovelle shared, “It’s about how I’m going to give music a chance to break my heart first. If music destroys me and disappoints me, that’s still more of a victory than not taking the chance and totally letting my heart be broken by some dude back home. The failure of music, after I tried and gave it my all, would still be a victory on its own.” The song’s final lyrics drive home Lovelle’s point as she croons “If rock and roll don’t break my heart / I can surely depend on you.” // While Lovelle’s heart has been broken, she doesn’t dwell on it, as “Very Last Time” brings back the classic upbeat country twang heard in the EP’s opening track. Lovelle reflects on all the shortcomings of her ex-lover as she sings “You’ve been busy / Busy tryna waste my time again / Even though you know you leave me cryin’.” While there may be moments where Lovelle misses her ex, she knows that she’s better off without them as she sings “Well the day will come / When you’re ready to apologize again / Standing at my door with bloodshot eyes / But then don’t expect to get invited inside.” Lovelle shows off her vocal chops, easily floating up into her higher register before effortlessly sliding back down into her chest voice. A chorus of background vocals join Lovelle, and it’s easy to picture her in front of a crowd, conducting them to sing along with her. // In the EP’s final song, “In My Jeans,” Lovelle reflects on her history, the country music coursing through her veins, and everything else that happened along the way, that ultimately brought her here to her own work of country music. The chorus ties together her heritage and her trauma as she sings “I know you want to talk about it / But I can’t stand to look down at this / Hollow aching wound I’ll never clean / You can dive into my blood / And climb my family tree / I was cursed before the cradle / It’s in my jeans.” Lovelle continues to honor her country music roots, as the instrumentation is once again full of strings and guitars. // Other Dreams perfectly introduces Lauren Lovelle to the world. Classic country instrumentations combined with Lovelle’s modern outlook on life, result in four tracks that lay out Lovelle’s story so far. We can’t wait to see what the next chapter brings.]

10. (#2) Die Spitz / “Throw Yourself to the Sword”
    from: Something To Consume / Third Man Records / September 12, 2025
    [When the Venn diagram of passion, friendship, identity, and artistry collide, it can feel as if fighting words are spitting from your veins. And as postmodern society crumbles, Die Spitz giddily bounce between a dozen different ways to push back. If the world of rock music were an ice cream shop, the Austin quartet have sampled each flavor, flipped the freezer over, and started dancing with the employees they helped unionize. On their debut album, Something to Consume (due Sept 12 via Third Man Records), Ava Schrobilgen, Chloe De St. Aubin, Eleanor Livingston, and Kate Halter fight against the inescapable consumption that surrounds life. “There’s a political side to it, but addiction and love can also be all-consuming,” Livingston says. And as the foursome trade offinstruments, swapping songwriting and vocal duties, and generating powerful songwriting in concussive bursts, Die Spitz have created their own little pocket of the world where we can all stand on the edge together. // That unity comes in part from the deep bonds between the 22-year-olds. All four are Austin natives, with Schrobilgen and Livingston having met in preschool, befriending Halter in middle school, and immediately bringing De St. Aubin into their inner circle when they formed the band in 2022. The group was initially just looking to find reasons to hang out more often, and decided to start a band after a late-night viewing of the Mötley Crüe movie The Dirt. Though they’ve only been playing together a few years (not to mention Halter only learning to play bass to start the band), Something to Consume shows a maturity and technical prowess always wielded in service of their profound friendship. // The group settled on the name Die Spitz over a “brown bag of Fireball”, opting for the feminine German definite article in place of the English. “It reminds me of the Grim Reaper spitting,” Livingston jokes. At their first live shows, they paired originals with covers from some of their inspirations: Black Sabbath, Pixies, Mudhoney, PJ Harvey, and Nirvana. The beguiling “Pop Punk Anthem” somehow encapsulates elements throughout that large musical swath, building from roiling verses to a growled chorus. “It may sound like a love song at first, but when the beat kicks in it’s the obsession that takes over,” Schrobilgen says. “The words ‘you’re a part of me’ sound loving but it can be an insane emotion and privilege over someone else’s life.” // As if their closeness as a band weren’t enough, the members of Die Spitz have also intermittently been roommates and still live near each other. “We call it sitcom life,” Livingston laughs. That said, the Die Spitz TV show would have a significantly different soundtrack to your usual sitcom fare. The Austinites express their ideas through a blend of classic punk, hardcore, metal, alt rock and more. The group have become known for their riotous live shows, where dueling cartwheels, Halter playing bass mid-crowdsurf, Schrobilgen unleashing a growling bark, and Livingston posing with the microphone on top of the venue’s bar or climbing into the rafters could happen at any moment. Pairing their mind-melting gigs with even more impressive songs has led to stints opening for (and rivaling the energy of) bands like OFF!, Amyl and the Sniffers, Viagra Boys, and Sleater-Kinney. // That shapeshifting strength comes into full view on the explosive “Throw Yourself to the Sword”, a song that raises a righteous fist of empowerment over thrash guitar. “Throw yourself/ To the sword,” the start-stop chorus begins, before taking a more modern turn. “What’s it like knowing/ None of you bitches can compete?” Livingston sees the song as an important reminder to let go of insecurities and embrace the power you have over yourself—something that unifies the Die Spitz catalog. “Be the bad bitch you are amongst the mundane and use your voice as a young person,” she says. “Don’t let these old fools tell you you can’t do anything.” // Whether on the punk chug of “RIDING WITH MY GIRLS” or the syrupy grunge of “Go Get Dressed”, Something to Consume moves with rapturous conviction thanks in part to the deft production hand of Studio 4’s Will Yip. Though only recently in their 20s, Die Spitz’s impressive musicianship ties them clearly to a long lineage of frustrated people hoping to inspire change. “Some people aren’t interested in being political activists via music, but it weighs on me heavily and I feel misaligned with my calling if I don’t,” De St. Aubin says. “The four of us are free spirits with multiple interests, and there’s no limit or power dynamic that can derail us.” // The thrumming “Voir Dire” embodies that expressive strength, an acoustic-driven jam that airs frustrations with American globalism. “Unless we’re part of the few in power, we’ll someday be victimized and regret that we didn’t act now,” De St. Aubin adds. “America brings war on marginalized people in our own country and other lands, and being complacent will not be comfortable forever.” Elsewhere, the grimy and pained “Punishers” explores the frustration and ache of a relationship that just won’t work despite best intentions—two people punishing each other instead of just letting go. But even when they’re tackling these sort of impactful themes, Die Spitz infuse the proceedings with a golden warmth. These aren’t songs of vicious mockery, but charged rallying calls—which in turn ties back to the band’s origin story. “It was a joke that went too far,” Halter smirks. “We never thought it was going to be a real thing.” // Across 11 tracks, Something to Consume contains multitudes and yet feels of a singular piece, an expansive and expressive set unified in its camaraderie and freedom. “We depend on our freedom—freedom to do what we want, present the ideas we want, make the music we want,” Livingston says. “Whether it’s based in metal or something soft, no matter which of us wrote the song, we all contribute and work together. As a person, I don’t have a strong ego or voice, but within this band each one of us is capable of so much more.” ]

11:17 – More Interview with Brock Wilbur and Nick Spacek

We welcome Brock Wilbur & Nick Spacek of The Pitch. The Annual Pitch “Best Of” Issue recently hit the streets last Monday, Nov. 3, 2024. We’re talking with Brock & Nick about some of the “Headlines” of 2025. And, Nick is sharing his 10 Favorite Musical Releases of 2025.

The Pitch Staff:
Andrew Miller – President and COO – 816-218-6792 | andrew@thepitchkc.com
Brock Wilbur – Editor-in-Chief – brock@thepitchkc.com
Jason Dockery – Sales Manager – 816-218-6756 | jason@thepitchkc.com
Sarah Sipple – Community Manager / Food & Drink Editor – sarah@thepitchkc.com
Nick Spacek – Music Editor – nicholas.spacek@gmail.com
Abby Olcese – Film Editor – abbyolcese@hotmail.com

Brock Wilbur & Nick Spacek Thank you for being with us today on WMM.
The Pitch annual “Best Of” Issue recently hit the streets on Monday, Nov. 3, 2024.
More info at: http://www.thepitchkc.com

11:28 – NICK SPACEK’S TOP TEN MUSICAL RELEASES OF 2025

11. (#1.) HUNTR/X, Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami & KPop Demon Hunters Cast –”Golden”
    from: KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film) / Visva Records / June 20, 2025
    [KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film) is the soundtrack album to the 2025 animated musical fantasy film KPop Demon Hunters, released on June 20, 2025, through Republic Records. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA on October 8, 2025, with sales exceeding 1 million units. // The album consists of nine original songs written by Danny Chung, Ido, Vince, Kush, Ejae, Jenna Andrews, Stephen Kirk, Lindgren, Mark Sonnenblick, and Daniel Rojas, and produced by Teddy Park, 24, Ido, Dominsuk, Andrews, Kirk, Lindgren, and Ian Eisendrath, with Marcelo Zarvos composing the score. The performers were credited under the names of Huntr/x and the Saja Boys, as the characters’ respective groups. // The soundtrack includes three previous releases, featuring “Strategy” by Twice, “Love, Maybe” by MeloMance, and “Path” by Jokers. The lead single of the album, “Takedown”, was performed by Twice members Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung, and released alongside the album. The second single, “Golden”, was performed by Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami as Huntr/x, and released on July 4. // For the film’s music, co-directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans considered K-pop as an integral genre for selecting the musical tone. Kang explained that during the film’s development they decided it was not “a traditional musical, where characters break into song to express their feelings”, and instead the film would have “pockets of music threaded throughout the film, and that felt like an organic way to push the story forward. But as we kept developing the film, we realized, Oh, no—this is a real musical. Even though the characters aren’t exactly singing their feelings, every lyric had to serve the story and reveal something about them or advance the plot”. When comparing the songs of Huntr/x and the Saja Boys, Appelhans explained they “wanted the Saja Boys’ songs to be super catchy, but slightly hollow, like there’s no real soul underneath” which contrasts with the “emotionally vulnerable and honest” Huntr/x songs – “the idea was that the surface-level part of your heart might be obsessed with the boys, but the deeper part is moved by the girls”. // They enlisted an array of music producers to work on “chart-worthy K-pop tracks” including Teddy Park, co-founder of The Black Label, along with Grammy-nominated and winning producers Lindgren, Stephen Kirk, and Jenna Andrews, who had worked on music for K-pop artists such as BTS, Twice, and Blackpink amongst others. Ian Eisendrath served as the executive music producer, who noted “I’ve always thought of K-pop as the most theatrical genre of pop, and so I was just instantly excited by the possibilities of what could happen in a narrative context with the K-pop songs [and] incorporating actual, hit-making K-pop artists. I just felt like everything was really set up to be a special musical and narrative experience.” All the songs were written and recorded before being integrated into the narrative, while Eisendrath also wanted them to be standalone records as well. // The song “Golden” is written in the key of Em and introduces the idea of the Golden Honmoon, where the principal characters work to protect the world from demons by sealing their universe off from the supernatural beings; Eisendrath described it as the “I Want” song in traditional music structure, as it explores the characters’ purpose, while also dwells on Rumi’s inner thoughts, resulting in the change of an “inspirational pop” to a bit darker genre. Appelhans explained that with “Golden” the characters’ “gold costumes represent their kind of MacGuffin of a dream that they’re chasing of being perfect and beyond reproach”. However, at the second act’s end, the ideal is visually represented as broken with the dream “literally and physically in tatters” – “the idea that we could service the way that K-pop works, and all the ingredients, but also make it part of this fantasy plot, was really fun”. After the release of the film, Appelhans commented that with “Golden” as an “I Want” song they were following “the conventions of a traditional musical” while also “making it a legitimately great pop song” which “is probably why it’s [in the Top 10] on the worldwide Spotify charts”, noting that “a good pop song also tells a story” which is what “Golden” is doing.]

11:30 – Underwriting

12. Kai McGarry – “Loose Change”
    from: Scarlett / Kai McGarry / August 1, 2024
    [This album came from a lot of research, a lot of people, and a lot of life that I’ve lived in a short period of time. I remember every situation that i wrote about, and they’re all there in the music. Everyone who shaped this album, good and bad, I am forever in your debt. This bleeding desire that I’ve had since a kid is slowly fading from dream to reality, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Scarlet is about whatever you’ve lost, gained, and most importantly, what you’ve done to achieve something in your life. // For SCARLET, Kai McGarry wrote, produced, recorded, and arranged the vintage pop, jazz-inflected record in his basement, and Duane Trower mixed it at Weights and Measures Soundlab. On this record, McGarry performed all of the instruments, except for bass guitar (recorded by Nick May), trombone (recorded by Zander Wolf), and saxophone (recorded by Brayden Evans). The album is a reflection of a very short snapshot of time, one that included a shift in the people in his life as well as his priorities.]

11:35 – Interview with Kai McGarry & Gabe Rivera

Kai McGarry, is a 18 year old artist, shaped by his upbringing in the Kansas City jazz community, with mentorship from regional jazz greats and experience playing drums in various ensembles. Kai McGarry self-produced his very own debut album at the age 12. His newest album, SCARLET, Kai McGarry wrote, produced, recorded, and arranged the vintage pop, jazz-inflected record in his basement, and Duane Trower mixed it at Weights and Measures Soundlab. Kai was accepted and is currently in his first year attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston to continue his professional pursuit. With fellow Berklee Student, Gabe Rivera and Kai McGarry is set to release their debut collaborative twelve-track studio album, TRAIN, in February 2026. Conceived, written, produced, and recorded in just two months while the duo attended Berklee College of Music

Kai McGarry & Gabe Rivera will be in concert on Saturday, December 20, 2025, at Kansas City Oasis, 1717 West 41st Street, KCMO as past of Undergrounds Production and Christopher Ruiz.

Kai McGarry & Gabe Rivera, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

This has been a big year for Kai McGarry.

He recently graduated from Mill Valley High School in Shawnee, Kansas. He released his album, SCARLET, that he wrote, produced, recorded, and arranged the vintage pop, jazz-inflected record in his basement, and Duane Trower mixed it at Weights and Measures Soundlab.

Kai was accepted and is currently in his first year attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston to continue his professional pursuit.

Kai turned 18 in August. (Born August 17, 2007)

Gabe Rivera & Kai McGarry Announce Debut Collab. Album, TRAIN, Arriving Feb 2026

Kansas City, MO — November 12, 2025 — Rising artists Gabe Rivera and Kai McGarry are set to release their debut collaborative twelve-track studio album, TRAIN, arriving independently in February 2026. Conceived, written, produced, and recorded in just two months while the duo attended Berklee College of Music, the project captures the raw chemistry and creative urgency that sparked the moment they first met.

Rivera, a New Jersey rock artist best known for his residency at the legendary Stone Pony, and McGarry, a Kansas City singer-songwriter and jazz drummer mentored by regional jazz luminaries, crossed paths by chance during college orientation. Within hours, they were in the studio recording—documenting every moment on a camcorder, instinctively aware they were creating something rare.

Following Rivera’s acclaimed solo release Alone Together (June 2025) and McGarry’s introspective project Scarlet (August 2025), both artists entered new sonic territory. The result is TRAIN — a record defined by its momentum, duality, and fearless experimentation.

The album’s title serves as a metaphor for progress and greatness: always moving forward, never stopping. Sonically, TRAIN reflects that same motion, blending sharp production and genre-blurring influences drawn from Kanye West, Tyler, the Creator, Malcolm Todd, and Dominic Fike.

With TRAIN, Rivera and McGarry solidify themselves as two of the most exciting voices of their generation — united by vision, drive, and the unstoppable force of creative motion.

For his 2025 album SCARLET Kai plays drums, clarinet, bass, piano, and guitar as well as music production. On this record, McGarry performed all of the instruments, except for bass guitar (recorded by Nick May), trombone (recorded by Zander Wolf), and saxophone (recorded by Brayden Evans).

Kai played an Album Pre-Release show on June 29, at 7:15am at KC Oasis with Dandelion Lakewood, King Dari, and Michelle Robin for Undergounds Production and Christoper Ruiz.

Kai played the Future Stages at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Kai played the Coleman Hawkins Festival!
Kai played the Mutual Musicians Foundation

Kai thanks these KC musicians for being a mentor and helping to shape who he is today:
Arnold Young
Brandon Draper
Charles Williams
Sam Platt
Christopher Burnett
Brian Steever
Herschel McWilliams

Charles Williams is one of Kai’s teachers. KCMO native. Local Musician/ Producer, Piano Instructor, Member of The American Jazz Museum Board. Pianist at The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra. Jazz Academy Teacher for Advanced Combo at American Jazz Museum. Former RETIRED CLERK at US Postal Service. Studied Elementary Education/Music at University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music. Studied Music education at Penn Valley Community College. Went to Sumner High School Class of 1973. From Kansas City, Kansas

In the Fall of 2024 Kai released the 8 – track album AN OLD PIANO. It was completely self-produced by Kai, from writing the lyrics and composing the music to mixing and mastering every track.

Kai McGarry & Gabe Rivera thanks for being with us on WMM

Gabe Rivera and Kai McGarry are set to release their debut collaborative twelve-track studio album, TRAIN, arriving independently in February 2026.

Kai McGarry & Gabe Rivera will be in concert on Saturday, December 20, 2025, at Kansas City Oasis, 1717 West 41st Street, KCMO as past of Undergrounds Production and Christopher Ruiz.

For WMM, and Kai McGarry & Gabe Rivera I’m Mark Manning. Thanks for listening.

11:53

13. Kai McGarry – “Spin Out (faet. Akinya)”
    from: Scarlett / Kai McGarry / August 1, 2024
    [This album came from a lot of research, a lot of people, and a lot of life that I’ve lived in a short period of time. I remember every situation that i wrote about, and they’re all there in the music. Everyone who shaped this album, good and bad, I am forever in your debt. This bleeding desire that I’ve had since a kid is slowly fading from dream to reality, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Scarlet is about whatever you’ve lost, gained, and most importantly, what you’ve done to achieve something in your life. // For SCARLET, Kai McGarry wrote, produced, recorded, and arranged the vintage pop, jazz-inflected record in his basement, and Duane Trower mixed it at Weights and Measures Soundlab. On this record, McGarry performed all of the instruments, except for bass guitar (recorded by Nick May), trombone (recorded by Zander Wolf), and saxophone (recorded by Brayden Evans). The album is a reflection of a very short snapshot of time, one that included a shift in the people in his life as well as his priorities.]

[Kai McGarry & Gabe Rivera will be in concert on Saturday, December 20, 2025, at Kansas City Oasis, 1717 West 41st Street, KCMO as past of Undergrounds Production and Christopher Ruiz.]

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

NEXT WEEK, on Wednesday, November 19 at 10:30 am we welcome Sara Swenson who shares her new singles Oct. 16, 2025 – Phantoms (Oct, 16, 2025), “Go On Free” (Nov. 6, 2025), and “Your Town” (Nov. 25, 2025) Sara Swenson plays recordBar, 1520 Grand BLVD. KCMO, on Sunday, November 30 at 6:30pm with Tyler Chiarelli and John Flynn.

At 11:30 Members of the band The Talking Trees share new music.

At 11:00am we welcome Chuck Haddix and Barry Lee. Chuck Haddix recently celebrated 40 years on the air with hie popular radio show Fish Fry on 89.3 KCUR. Barry and Chuck will share details about ab event called CHUCK HADDIX – A FEW MORE FISH TO FRY, Saturday, December 6 at 7:00pm ay Center For Recorded Music, UMKC Student Union Theatre,, 5100 Cherry Street, KCMO – Celebrating the remarkable career of Kansas City’s own Chuck Haddix—longtime radio host of KCUR’s beloved “Fish Fry” and the recently retired Director of the Marr Sound Archives at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC).

Stay tuned at 12:00 Noon for Learning To Wiggle with Steve Stemmerman, at 2:00pm it’s Jazz Afternoon with Jeff Harshbarger. At 4:00pm we bring you, Dub’s Groove with Warren, at 6:00pm it’s: ON AIR with Nikki Brooks. At 7:00pm it’s VOICES OF KANSAS CITY brought to you by The Kansas City Star and 90.1 FM KKFI.

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

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 Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

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.

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

Show #1121