X105.5 Las Vegas’ Pauly Kover Is A Champion For Music Discovery

One thing the Alternative format has traditionally been known for is supporting the local music scene in its respective markets. I’m pretty lucky to have programmed in a market like Las Vegas, where a little band named Imagine Dragons was the winner of our local “Battle of The Bands” for our annual concert, “Bite of Las Vegas,” back in the day.

The first-place winner got to headline the local’s stage. Ironically, the headliner of our “Big Show” that year cancelled the day of the show due to the Swine Flu, and the line-up “moved up.” Blue October moved into headlining position, and Imagine Dragons moved up to the main stage. I could go on with stories about how The Killers, Panic! At The Disco, and many other Las Vegas bands got their first exposure and radio airplay on X107.5 and Mix 94.1.

One of my favorite “New Music” shows has always been KXTE’s “It Hurts When I Pee.” (IHWIP). I’m not necessarily a fan of the show name per se…. but the show itself for sure! It’s been around most likely since the station launched in 1996 and supports not only up-and-coming bands but also local bands.

For as long as I can remember, the show has been hosted by Pauly Kover who’s been on and off with the station for 21 years. It pre-dates him, but that’s as far back as I can remember. This guy has been on and off of KXTE due to budget cuts, Covid etc., but he always manages to end up right where he belongs, back at X107.5 in Vegas. I get it, having moved back here at least four times thanks to the radio thing.

Kover has hosted the show since 2014. “My guess is that the name was created while in a drunken state, but definitely fit the ‘Xtreme Radio’ attitude,” says Kover. Most likely created by Dave Wellington and Ripley who pre-date us both. “Plus, how can you forget a name like that?” he asks. The station’s history includes years of being an Active Rocker, which they referred to as “Xtreme Radio” (and recently brought it back despite still being Alternative). It allows them to be a little heavier than most Alternative stations, which is good since Vegas has always been a “Rock” market.

Kover’s criteria for the show’s playlist is strategic: “First, I like to make sure I’m playing the songs that are about to hit the regular playlist,” he says. “That way I can claim they were heard first on ‘Pee.’ But it’s also where I can showcase some of the ‘Rockier’ tunes & also the songs that are on the fringe of Alternative. The stuff that will not make regular rotation but deserves to have ears on it.”

“Second, each week, I feature 2-4 local bands. We are lucky in Vegas because some hometown bands are very popular, while others are virtually unknown and looking for their first bit of exposure.”

“Bands that hear their music on the radio for the first time tend to be very grateful and turn their family & friends on to the show, which hopefully creates new weekly listeners. I LOVE watching their reaction videos on social media… I should make reaction videos, reacting to their reactions. Hmmm……”

“The Killers got their first radio play on IHWIP. Same with Imagine Dragons and several other successful Las Vegas bands. The most recent example of a local artist going from ‘Pee-List’ to Playlist would be EKOH. I first saw him back in 2013, when I was hosting the Hard Rock Rising: Battle Of The Bands competition. He impressed me so much that I started playing him right away on Sunday nights. For many years, I was his only local support in the media. This past year, EKOH started picking up steam and producing some bangers. I urged management to really consider supporting his journey and playing his track ‘Good Things’ on X107.5… and we did. As a result, several other stations in the country followed suit. As a station, we should be proud of our track record for breaking bands and artists on this frequency!”

When it comes to curating the list, Kover looks at charts to see what’s working elsewhere. “That’s safe,” he insists. “But I also spend HOURS listening to absolutely everything that is sent my way. I really want to play the virgin stuff that is begging for a chance. Just a sip of water in the desert…… I may not have any water, I like beer, but I do have ‘Pee.’ (See what I did there?)”

According to Kover, the show’s draw is discovery. “I want people to discover something fresh, the next ‘thing’ that will grab your ears for weeks, months, and possibly years to come. It’s something different. A pallet cleanser, after hearing the same songs that are in regular rotation all week long.”

As for the music flow, Kover says, “I am not afraid to play two female vocalists back-to-back. We have to hear dudes one song after another all the time. The world will not crumble into the ocean if we hear women doing their thing, especially if the songs are good! Take, for example, Poppy’s ‘New Way Out’ into Momma’s ‘I Want You (Fever).’ The first is loud and fast. The other has a mid-90s vibe. So even though they both have female vocals, they do not sound at all the same and I think that works for the show.”

Kover has the perfect strategy for promoting IHWIP before it airs. “I like to blast out the playlist before the show starts on socials and tag the bands. Many of them respond and repost. Because of that, we get several streams from all sorts of places outside of Las Vegas. In fact, IHWIP and my regular weeknight shift are the ‘Morning Shows’ for an office full of Alt/Rock lovers in Perth, Australia. They listen and communicate regularly. I love it!”

Kover says his personal playlist is bipolar. “Everything from Classic Rock to classical. From Country to Hip Hop. Even Showtunes. But the core of the playlist will always be the Alt/Rock I grew up on in the 90s. It is still the root of the genre and draws the most ears to the speaker, including my own.”

Follow Pauly Kover on all platforms @ThePaulyKover and at @X1075.

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