These new releases from St. Louis artists offer honesty and openness

Support comes from Mosby Building Arts. Sometimes the smaller home projects make the biggest difference. Mosby creates custom spaces that help you love your home even more. For projects big and small, visit callmosby.com. This is St. Louis on the air from St. Louis Public Radio. I'm Elaine Cha. There's a heat wave out there, y'all, and I hope you're ready because we're about to bring you some more heat with recent releases by artists who represent a range of genres and call the St. Louis Area Home. That's right. It's time for St. Louis on the air's August edition of the New Music Roundup. This month, our guest selector is Darian Wigfall, also known as DJ Wiz. He's also the owner of Search and Media Studios. Welcome to our new music roundup. Thank you. Thanks for having me. And as always is Maya Norfleet, St. Louis on the Air producer and our monthly new music show originator. What up, Maya? Hello. Now, before we dive in, a quick reminder, everything we play today is on our monthly STL music playlist on Spotify. Just search for St. Louis on the Air New Music Roundup. So the first song I'm going to introduce, and it has a grand title, and that is Martyrs by Nick at Night and Kong. Winning, I'm taking a cup in the belt and the crown and a ribbon and trophy. Reach for the stars like I'm Sophie. You ain't got a bar that can hold me. Crash landing, I'm Swiss. But three and four ain't got a home team. Swinging like Benjamin Netanyahu Peter Morales and Stacey O'Haron and Hobie. Had to stick it to the man. I had a lobby. nosy. I won't get out, I get cozy. Hades out here getting coffee. Trying not to overthink and let it flow a conscience get it off the dome piece. But what if that's my light's too bright? What if they jump on that soapbox? What if they're making a movie? What if I said it all wrong? They cut me off and I end up on Newsweek. What if I vote that? I hear him talking I duck that. I study hard and y'all weak as hell if you bring a tune in your book bag. I'm talking to shit that there's nothing left. My foot up in there at Eric Forrin ass. Got my questions with spoiler alert, my life a bitch and I know she bat. thinking just to do rock eyes that you're so in, but you down back, because my circle's goddamn circles, though. You make power plays, but that's chain command. And you're on the bottom, like on a bottom, bottom. We got a summer, we got a spring, we got the autumn. We used up late till the next morning. Oh, so you're talking, talking. What would they say? Do my own thing. Try me to bosses, bosses. It's only here until it's not. Do what you want to. Do what you want to. Do what you want to. Do what you want to. Do what you want to.

you wanna wanna And that is Nick at Night and Kong with Martyrs. So the guest always goes first. Tell us why you chose this. I chose this one because I really like what Nick at Night and Kong have been doing lately. I've seen them release a couple albums like All Smiles in the past couple years and just their chemistry together on the mic is dope. And then the speedy lyrics and like mentioning mental health and like insecurities and like media saturation all in the same version. Like you don't really get that a lot of places. Yeah. I really appreciate. the themes about just working really hard to achieve your dreams and doing what needs to be done to make sure that happens even battling your own insecurities because we all have those as well so yeah it was also just like the flow of everything it sounds really cohesive I've heard their music before but I think this might be one of my favorites that I've heard yeah you Our next song is a very different pace. Yeah. And this is something that we frequently do. Maya, tell us about your first pick of this month. Yes. So this song is from a beloved St. Louison that we've probably heard of. I know she also used to be an intern here on this show. So this is Tonina, Delilah Moreno, and Kay Ivey Alexander, and their song, Time to Fly.

St. Louis' own Tonina and her collaborators Delilah Marano and Kay Ivey Alexander in their song, Time to Fly. And I just noticed our engineer, Aaron Dord, give a little stank face when that guitar riffed. Yes. So did I. How can you not? That's like, already was like so vibey, one of those songs that like, I don't know if anyone else does this, I'm sure at least us in the room. Like when you like lay on the floor with your stereo headset on and just like, Hold yourself while you listen to a song. Like, oh, this is just so good. But when that guitar riff hit, you're like, wait a minute. Just elevates immediately. Then you let your arms out. Yes. Extend them. Exactly. Become one with the universe and music. Like now you're just soaring. You're flying. Literally. It's like, I'll be taken off. The next song is a pick that comes from you, Whiz, and again, a very different feel. Tell us a little bit about Don't You Dare Speak by Katera Parson before we hear a little bit of it. Yeah, so Katera and Tonina, I've worked with... previously in the past, and I just love both of their voices. And Katera's writing, and Toninas, for that matter, is just really impactful. And the way she can encapsulate a personal experience and then also make it sort of universal is sort of what I saw in the Don't You Dare Speak. And I wanted folks to hear that for sure. Yeah, and definitely. Let's hear some of that. This is Katera Parson with Don't You Dare Speak. Don't you dare speak.

That is Don't You Dare Speak by Katera Parson. Yeah, I'm really glad with, introduced this song to me. I'm a huge fan of Katera. I hadn't heard this song yet. But just the message of like, don't you dare speak on my reality. Our realities are not the same. As like any, I think most people can relate to that, but especially anyone that's in like a marginalized group. Oftentimes, like our stories get like told through other lenses that's like, You can't actually relate to this. I appreciate you recognizing it, but this is not for you to talk on. And so just hearing that message relayed. frequently, like as a black woman, I'm like, yeah, that happens way too much, and you probably should, like, you know, take a back seat, chill out and stop talking and let the person who you're talking about speak. The way that the instruments also are speaking in this is very powerful. And I know she released this on Juneteenth, so, you know, has that person of color message behind it as well. All right, so you heard it. Yeah. I heard loud and curious. Yes, I did. Yes. I didn't speak. I just listened. Yes. Well, listening to the next song that you chose, Maya, took me back to a couple different places. Okay. So. Tell us about this song before we hear it. Yes, I got hip to Pink Tax from the All Punks Meet in St. Louis on the Arch event that happened in June. All-Fem punk band. There's even like black femmes in it. So I was like, oh, about that. So yes, anyhow, this is Pink Tax and their song, Icky Vicky. Her name is Vicky. She's kind of icky. She's kind of picky. She's kind of picky. She's kind of picky.

And that was the pink tax in their song, Icky Vicky. I was really excited to see this morning on Instagram. They announced they have their debut EP coming out. It's called Big Mouth. So I'm very much looking forward to that. I just need more. I don't need actually more of the real pink tax, but I need the band. Yeah, right? Right. Jared, what did you think of this? I love the punk vibes on this so much. Like, I don't. I didn't know this band before, but I'm so glad I introduced me to it because it's such a bop. I'm so glad to be introduced to this song, and I'm definitely looking for more from now, for sure. What this made me think of was Save Ferris from the mid-90s and just like that feeling of energy. It also made me think of garbage pockets. cars, which goes back like another decade or whatever. But yes, very much appreciate that song. So again, we move in another direction. And again, we go back to speaking. And our next song is one that you chose, Wiz. And this is Ancester Speak by Conscious Keys. Batman, I'm my own dark night. More powerful than Superman. I'm new to kryptonite. Fast is the flash. Yeah, I rack up the stats. Triple-dubling albums like mic top of my weight class. It's no wonder no woman's last ODN. I'm my own school of truth. The whole team of X men. Blastin' dark ops like Cyclops. No match just jazz. Laser-lock rhythm in a co-train blast. Then I'm by by Blackbird round midnight flight. Ex-jet dipped and bop on that mingishite. I'm like ball. Professor X meets long hair. More Martin than my... Welcome with the little Johnny Dare. Making Jubilee music raised in Casey Northeast. Born Royals, blue, smashing heads like the beast. Hall of Knox meets Sesame Street. Don't fool my card. I'm a gambit of fire batting it out of the yard. A whole world's of fun like a mama with mystique. Storming off road like I'm a home's wind streak. I'm clawed like Logan. I hear when I bleed. A plaza of founties born into the chief's dynasty.

meets the cramp I was raised on the beat I was stuffed from the echoes where the ancestors grew from the city of miles to eight teeth and pine where the spirits blow horns through the cracks and time where the arch meets the ground I was raised on the beat I was lifted from the echoes where the archery of magic like an Ozzy bag flip a wizard of the mounds like Gretzky pulling hat tricks raising for an easy street like the lonious underground where you need and search more evidence than scaling up monks mound house of miles homer Clark Terry born from rock and roll And that is conscious Chuck Bari Weiss, Keys like Ike, I've been rolling down that river, Thas and Missouri knowledge only Jonas was the giver, believing in the heart of the cards. And that is conscious keys with ancestors speak. That song is one of my favorites from Ryan Marquez's new hip-hop project called Conscious Keys. The album he just released is called The Legend of Ram. And so he believes that hip-hop is a more powerful art form to use to reach people with a message than the jazz that he's been previously in. He's still playing jazz around town and things like that. But I sent him the beat, the drums, and the bass, and then he wanted to use that, and he created this whole song from it. It is very St. Louis. Yes. I mean, was there anything that stood out to you about it? Oh, the Percy Green Line literally like made me chuckle out loud. I'm like, yes. Yes. This is beautiful. This is great. I'm shouting out Delamar. That's a very important street to St. Louis and also personally in my life. I also really like the sports references and the D.C. comics references. I'm like, I feel like I know this man and what he's into now because, yeah, it was just all those, like, references. Like, ooh, I know that. Ooh, I know that too. And it's like brings you deeper into the song. And it is a departure from the music that he's done before in a really interesting way. Yeah, I love it. And we made a video for it, so definitely that's coming out. Oh, something for the eyes as well as the ears. With all the references. Nice. Our next song is one that you selected for us. This is by Faith Miller, right? Tell us about this. Yes. So Faith Miller, someone got me hip to her, but for the life of me, I could not remember who, but whoever it was, thank you. Yes. Because I have been looking for more of the pop girlies in our city, and she is one, and she's phenomenal. So this is Faith Miller and her song, Kiss Me. If I said it, boy, I mean it, stuck it over thinking. I've been spacing out daydreaming, plot and I've been scheming.

And that was Faith Miller and her song Kiss Me. I originally had a different song of hers for the Roundup. And then I saw this one get released like within a week of me starting the playlist. I'm like, well, here we go. A newer song. Her vocals are really sweet. And then I like the beat because it kind of reminds me of like Chicago footwork. And of course, like the lyrics of itself, like it's called Kiss Me. It's all about like, hey, boo, I want you. I want you. come over her and kiss me. So yeah, I just appreciate that. And again, I love pop music. I love a lot of music, but pop girlies in St. Louis stand-up. I love it. Yeah, for real. And our producer, Darius Varner, says it gives him tenache vibes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I totally get that. I definitely love that footwork beat, that Chicago style, you know, that St. Louis and Chicago definitely have a relation. And then that new wave of R&B where it's like super open and like... vibes lyrics like she's just like really vulnerable and i appreciate that and the beat i think it says ashley Cory Booker who was another st louis there's a song on this month's list that i chose and speaking of vulnerability this is a very vulnerable set of lyrics this is all the money in the world from fight back mountain

All the Money in the World by Fight Back Norton. I have to fight the urge to say it the way. It makes me, you know, I went to college in San Diego, and so this makes me feel like I'm back in college again. Yeah. Also, I was shocked that you picked a punk song because you're usually the hip-hop girly. Oh, well, you know, I have many facets. Yes. Yeah, it's like classic rock and punk mix together. It reminds me like some 41, like Stacey's mom vibes, but a little harder. Right, right. Well, to wrap things up for today, Wiz, we have a song that you have selected. It is called February Eve by Backbeat. Let's listen.

And that is February E by Backbeat. And that is B-A-Q, B-E-E-T. That's correct. So, Wiz, what is, what's the genre here? I'd say it's very genre-defying, but if I had to put some words to it, it's like atmospheric pop indie hip-hop. You know, because you could rap over it, but I could also see like a female singer singing over that as well. Or just vibe to it. Yeah, just vibe to it as instrumental. I had it in like a, it reminded me of that kind of like low-fi beats to study to. Oh, absolutely. I was just thinking of that. Well, and another thing to line the floor with your arms of. Yes. Yeah. How did you come upon this? So this is a song that we released through my company Certain Media earlier this year. Backbeats and artists that I've been working with for a long time. And he has been evolving in his beat making and things like that. And this is one of the better ones that I'd heard. And I was like, yo, we should put this out to the world. Today's show, I think, really illustrates. the beauty of sharing and how much there is to discover when we talk about the things that, you know, are coming up on our radar. So very much enjoyed this. Daryan Wigfall, also known as DJ Wiz, an owner of certain studios, certain media studios, and Maya Northlet, St. Louis on the air producer of our monthly new music show. Thank you so much for sharing your picks today. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for sharing. Now remember that you can find the songs we play today on our monthly STL music playlist on Spotify. Search for St. Louis on the Air, New Music Roundup.

This episode was produced by Maya Norfolk. And I, Darius Farter. Our audio engineer is Aaron Doer. This podcast was Mixen edited by Aaron. Our executive producer is Alex Hoyer. St. Louis on the air is a production of St. Louis Public Radio. Understanding starts here. Do you find yourself regularly listening to episodes of St. Louis on the air? Suggest us to a friend you think might enjoy our conversations. And leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts on the App Store. It's the simplest way to help people discover our show. Thank you. St. Louis Public Radio is a member-supported service of the University of Missouri, St. Louis.