Yo, Kansas City! It's time to rock the vote!

DJ Konsept
When Edwin Morales isn't bringing in national DJs and hip-hop acts for Downplay Productions, he's warming up their audiences as DJ Konsept. Responsible for keeping bodies moving at weekly events such as the '80s flashback Neon at the Granada and both the Dirty Boogie and Mass Appeal at the Gaslight Tavern, Konsept gets his hands on more wax than a Yankee Candle outlet. Whether he's spinning fresh dance beats or old-school hip-hop, this turntable artisan can accommodate any crowd.

Paul DeMatteo
As the resident Saturday-night DJ at Kabal for as long as anyone who goes there can remember (granted, that club does tend to contribute to memory loss), Paul DeMatteo is responsible for more calories burned in the River Market than all the exercise equipment at nearby Scott Fitness. But just because his name has shown up in digital-techno lettering on DJ fliers across KC for years doesn't mean DeMatteo isn't capable of getting a party bumpin' at the Winter Music Conference in Miami whenever duty calls. (www.pauldematteo.com)

Steve Thorell
If handling vinyl causes cancer, Steve Thorell is a dead man. One of the area's -- if not the country's -- relatively few undiminished rave-era survivors, Thorell knows how to work a Kansas City room like a natural-born con man, reading body language (especially the ladies') and mixing his music to subtly seduce. Though he DJs almost every night of the week, Thorell pulls out all the stops Friday nights at the Point, where the crowd, like an eager lover, is more open to experimentation.

Joc Max
Typically introduced around these parts as "the legendary Joc Max," this vinyl aficionado and producer extraordinaire has earned more than just local fame over the years. Joc is best-known for his work with De La Soul, Das EFX and DJ Spinna, and he's spent the past year putting his mark on national releases from Truth Enola and Mr. Complex. Pushing dance floors to capacity with his funked-up sets, this former Basement Khemist continues to operate needles with surgical precision. (www.jocmax.com)

Best Electronic
Superargo
Most electronic music has a penchant for the tiresome and inane. Not Superargo's. Computer-whiz Adam Jeffers recalls the strongest act of the genre, Aphex Twin, with his multilayered and methodical dance tracks. Live performances feature fellow mad body mover Skullface and self-made video footage that provides visual interpretations of the instrumental scratches and beeps. Past shows have paired Superargo with compelling national acts such as Tracy and the Plastics, El Guapo and the Unicorns. Jeffers, a prolific diarist, also shares his constantly updated entries on Superargo's Web site. (www.superargo.com)

Apollo 13
Though this is Apollo 13's first Pitch Music Awards nomination (following a few for its earlier incarnation. the Band That Saved the World), the Lawrence-based electro-groove quartet boasts one of the area's most impressive trophy cases. "Hero," a spy-movie-style composition from its debut disc, Brave New World, topped 11,000 comers in the International Songwriting Competition. "Hero" also won the grand prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Best of all, though, a paintball-themed video game will feature two Apollo 13 tracks on its soundtrack. (www.apollothirteen.com)

Namelessnumberheadman
Much has been made of the logistically complex shows that Namelessnumberheadman puts on, which involve instruments both digital and material and midsong switches, and which require a degree in electrical engineering simply to set up. However, that would be nothing more than wankery if the trio couldn't back it up, as it ably does by arranging atmosphere and melody to make uniquely warm, futuristic pop, documented on 2004's brilliant Your Voice Repeating. A follow-up is in the works. (www.nameslessnumberheadman.com)

Onemilliontinytinyjesuses
A million wee messiahs? That's one for nearly every beat the box-headed, robe-wearing duo crams into some of its tracks, all jackhammer drum machines and melodies alternately fragile and warped. Conceived in 1997 and with a handful of albums and film scores to its credit, Onemilliontinytinyjesuses narrowly escapes classification as IDM (intelligent dance music), thanks to the inclusion of titles like "Mr. Snot" and "Pooping on Your Briefcase" on its untitled release from earlier this year. The faithful can expect another full-length, Commit to Nothing, this fall. Amen. (www.onemilliontinytinyjesuses.com)

Pat Nice
Calling Pat Nice a veteran of the house scene is a woeful understatement. This DJ played his first gig in 1990, rose to the top of local rave culture (becoming a mentor to the boys who founded DeepFix Records), and then went on to become quite possibly the area's most sought-after spinner. His stamp here is so big, no one seems to have noticed that Nice moved to Chicago more than a year ago. In the meantime, while honing his hip-hop skills, Nice has claimed a spot on the relatively short list of DJs who actually produce and release records, building up an impressive list of his own singles, EPs and remixes that are finding their way into the collections of the country's top DJs. In short, Nice is way more than a DJ -- he's practically an industry.

Best Female Vocalist
Shay Estes
The Silver Shore, Shay Estes' moody dark-wave outfit, played its final show in June, closing one of local music's most lamentably abbreviated chapters. Fans of Estes' seductively husky vocals can still see her at jazz joints such as Jardine's, belting out torch songs with a piano-and-percussion backing band. Her standards-heavy set lists, which include Nina Simone and Tom Jones, showcase her playfully dramatic stage presence and expressive delivery. Estes' daring renditions might forever replace the originals as the default reference point in listeners' memory banks. (www.myspace.com/shayestes)