The Pitch’s Infinite Playlist Round 44: Kat Alfieri

The Pitch’s Infinite Playlist // Illustration by Shelby Phelps

Welcome to The Pitch’s Infinite Playlist, a forever-growing playlist of songs picked by people in KC. View/follow the full playlist on Spotify, and you can always go back and check out the full run of articles. Throw the playlist on shuffle and enjoy away!

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Kat Alfieri. I am a culture writer, work-in-progress author, and Lindenwood University MFA student. I am an uncertified taco aficionado, and, if I’m honest, the titles on my bookshelf should be replaced with self-help novels.

Where can we support/ follow your work?

You can follow me on Instagram (@bykatalfieri) and check out my newsletter on Substack (Slightly Sour).

“Timebomb” by Old 97’s

In 1993, two worlds collided—Alt-rock and country music went for a beer and soon gave birth to the Old 97’s. After growing in popularity with ten meager seconds of screentime in Jennifer Aniston’s and Vince Vaughn’s 2006 unconventional rom-com The Breakup, the Old 97’s are a staple for an Americana road trip playlist. The chord-stripping intro to “Timebomb” gives me an adrenaline rush that could only previously be matched by “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straights. It even sits at the top of my embarrassingly overplayed “Songs I Don’t Have to Finish to Get a Serotonin Boost” playlist. I don’t have the time to follow a twelve-step wellness routine for a hit of something good.

“Lunchtime” by Spacey Jane

Spacey Jane has salted air tempos and laid-back Aussie vibes. Ever since I unintentionally discovered them on a summer afternoon in 2022, which was a discovery I made while intimate with a spicy margarita, Spacey Jane has since dominated my Spotify listening hours. It was love at first lyric with “Lunchtime,” which captures the guttural scream I choke down as I topple into bottled frustration. I felt seen that I was not the only one who felt an overwhelmin’ sense of “fuck this.” No context needed. Add to playlist.

“Sofa King” by Royel Otis

Let me melt peacefully into lead singer Otis Pavlovic’s vocals. This guitar-pop duo has been praised for its cover of “Linger” by The Cranberries and “Murder on the Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Baxter. Not many bands can be credited with improving upon pop classics, but Royel Otis has a sharp ear for simplified harmony that gives me goosebumps and a serenity that Enya only wishes she could give me.

“Shower Beer” by The Beaches

The Beaches gained massive traction in 2023 with their album Blame My Ex. Although “Shower Beer” is one of their lesser-known songs, it has me in a chokehold. The lyrics take a swing at the unrestrained FOMO I battle with as I scroll on Instagram in my chocolate-stained sweatpants. How dare people have fun without me!

But the only FOMO anyone should have is the fear of missing out on one of their concerts. The Beaches are a PSA that Doc Martens and miniskirts always pair well with questionable life choices and a shower beer.

“Dancing With the Moonlight” by Hotel Mira

If frustration bleeds into my earbuds, I will listen to the entire album, no questions asked. Hotel Mira is no exception to this rule. In “Dancing With the Moonlight,” the Canadian rock band sings about the dark side of fame (“Am I on the brink of a break through / I’m thinking of changing my name / A private life that I would trade / For blinding lights and an early grave”). Lead singer Charlie Kerr sparks theatric vigor that somehow mind controls me into pressing replay until my ears are ringing. It’s physically exhausting being this invested in a song.