Pitch Music Showcase Guide

DJ Ataxic We'll miss Kabal, especially its Saturday night turntable sessions with DJ Ataxic. For the past six years, the member of the Soul Providers DJ crew has built a sturdy reputation for keeping crowds in good spirits without resorting to a Top 40 roll call. His selection and precise needle work have earned him opening slots for hip-hop icons such as Prince Paul and LL Cool J. Whether he's pumping up the Sunday night crowd at the Peanut or providing live backup for Reach, Ataxic is sure to be in top form. www.djataxic.com

Bill Pile What you may not know about the man behind booking and promotions company Umove.net — Bill Pile, aka Billpile (hey, if you've got the name, why not run with it?) — is that, well, he's kind of an oddball. When we asked him to send a photo, we got pictures of: (a) him as a kid, (b) him in a mullet wig (which you've probably seen), (c) a cat named Woob, (d) a sorta regular snapshot, and (e) a shot of him passed out over a toilet in a clown wig and a McDonald's shirt. Talk about windows into the dude's life. It takes all kinds, no? Pile has been an influential spinner on KC's dance scene for years, throwing down live at Kabal and Blonde and producing his own epic house tracks at home. This year, he's the only real representative from the house/EDM crowd, so if you like beats that draw a line from today's trendy clubs back to '70s Detroit, give him your vote. www.djbillpile.com

FEMALE VOCALIST Kirsten Paludan (Olympic Size) Nominated last year on the strength of her performance in the ethereal shoegaze outfit Olympic Size, Kirsten Paludan established herself as a solo standout with 2006's eclectic, folk-informed solo debut, Princess in the Tower. That disc departs from the coffeehouse crowd with world-beat rhythms, an irresistible seductive streak and untamed guitars. Paludan writes for Olympic Size as well, contributing the spellbinding "Say Goodnight," which has become the group's signature set-closer. She gigs regularly with her cover band, the Metropolitans, demonstrating a multioctave versatility that she doesn't feel the need to exercise in her own material. www.myspace.com/olympicsize

Anna Cole (Anvil Chorus) Forget her voice; onstage, Anna Cole is a force. Sitting at a keyboard, she manages to writhe, shake and pound out the music — all while looking totally hot. But about that voice ... the crescendos and emotive quality of her band's music require that she whisper, moan, yowl and belt without abandon. Her devotion has also become impossible to question — she's given up real estate (and its paychecks) to devote time to touring and writing songs. Top that off with a mop of red curls, and you've got one seriously slick frontwoman. www.myspace.com/anvilchorus

Kim Anderson (Flee the Seen) Kim Anderson gets as emotionally vulnerable as any local singer, gesticulating passionately as her rich, raspy voice betrays her repressed tears. Anderson isn't always so unguarded in her delivery, though her lyrics are unwaveringly inspirational. When she starts shrieking about following dreams, every syllable landing like a judo chop, it's the equivalent of a burly coach bellowing, "You can do it!" The words communicate confidence, but the volume telegraphs the dire consequences of insubordination, making fear the main motivator. www.fleetheseen.com

Kristen May (Vedera) If you've heard Vedera but have never seen the band live, you might be surprised to learn that such an enormous voice could come from someone as small as Kristen May. Then again, you'd also be a fool — Vedera's live show is one of the best in the city, largely because of May's enthusiastic stage presence and fiery delivery. You'd also be too late — May's so impressive that the band has already surpassed the local level and is in the middle of a nationwide tour. www.vederamusic.com

Abigail Henderson (the Gaslights) The Gaslights' Abigail Henderson is a belter, plain and simple, and every phrase she sings conveys multitudes of moods. Whether she's delivering stories of anger, sadness or lust, she bites off words like hunks of Hubba Bubba and blows them up into something much bigger. Henderson seems possessed by the spirit of traditional country's road-weary gals, someone like Wanda Jackson or Tammy Wynette, and her ability to growl, gulp and twang make every modulation she throws herself into a delight. www.the gaslights.com

FOLK/ROOTS Drakkar Sauna Wallace Cochran is a strange fellow. When asked recently what was in store for his avant-country-folk duo, Drakkar Sauna, he spat out: "Are we breaking up? Are we relocating to Shanghai in 2007? Do we have a new album coming out? Are we back together yet? The answer to all these questions is: Yes. Probably. I think." Riiight. Vague, perhaps, but it's this offbeat sensibility that informs his and partner Jeff Stolz's approach to their music. Old-timey on the surface, the songs, sung in harmony and often topped with a foot-pounded beat, tell mysterious, complex and often hilarious stories. http://drakkarsauna.com

In the Pines On paper, the concept behind In the Pines — mixing acoustic guitar and bass, drums and a 1940s pump organ over viola and violin — is a bit perplexing, to say the least. In practice, however, it's a breath of fresh air for Kansas City music. Its earthy, backwoods melancholy breaks new ground and gives voice to the downtrodden Appalachian living inside each of us. www.inthepinesmusic.com