Annella chats with Belinda Ray on the Morning Beat - March 26th 2026

Annella chats with Melissa Martin on the Morning Beat, WMPG Aril 8th 2026

Before playlists, before streaming, before “you might also like”… there was the record store, and Melissa Martin was right in the middle of it. In this episode, we chat with Melissa about her days working music retail in Portland through the ’80s and ’90s, when discovering new sounds meant flipping through crates, talking to real humans, and maybe taking a chance on something weird. From local legends to deep cuts, she’s got stories for days and a front-row seat to the scene that helped shape Portland’s musical identity. Expect nostalgia, a few laughs, and maybe a reminder of why digging for music used to feel like magic.

Annella chats with Belinda Ray on the Morning Beat - March 26th 2026

Belinda is lifelong Mainer who enjoys riding bikes (mountain/road), hiking in the mountains of Maine and New Hampshire, and running (when she's not injured from running). Indoors, she loves cooking, reading, and crosswords.She has worked as an educator, freelance writer, business manager; served 2 terms on the Portland City Council between 2015-2021, and now works for the Greater Portland Council of Governments as its Director of Strategic Initiativesa

Annella chats with Meg Shorette on the Morning Beat (2026-03-03)

Meg Shorette - founder, booker, music champion, and one of the key connectors in Portland’s live music scene, joins the show to talk about her work building community through music. From launching a multi-venue festival to supporting artists year-round, Meg has played a major role in shaping what Portland audiences hear and experience. She also brings along a stack of hand-picked songs to share, making for a lively conversation filled with great music and insight into the local scene. Tune in to hear what’s inspiring one of the people helping keep Portland’s music community thriving.

Annella chats with Ollie Wright from the Hearts of Pine Soccer Club on the Morning Beat 3/11/2025

Ollie Wright is Annella's guest on the Morning Beat. Ollie is a midfielder with the Hearts of Pine Soccer Club [https://www.heartsofpine.com/roster/ollie-wright/] in Portland, Maine. He contributed 11 goals and 8 assists, earned 2025 USL1 All-League Second Team, and was named 2025 Supporters’ Player of the Year. He joined the show to talk about the music he listens to while training, what helps him lock into the right mindset before a match, and his surprising go-to karaoke song. They also got into what he misses most about life in the UK and why the community here in Maine has quickly started to feel like home.

Record Store Day 2026 with WMPG

Three WMPG DJs, one shared obsession: records. Join Annella from The Morning Beat, Mr. Dana of Wax Poetic, and Helen from Crate Escape as they dig into some of the most exciting releases for Record Store Day. From long-awaited reissues to limited-edition pressings, the trio shares what caught their eye in this year’s lineup, including releases connected to artists like David Bowie, The Stranglers,Wire, Suede, Roy Ayers,The Sisters of Mercy, Peaches, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Dr. Demento, T. Rex, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Empire of the Sun, and Françoise Hardy. Along the way, they compare wish lists, swap stories from the record bins, and take on a fun challenge: each DJ picks a Record Store Day release they think the others should buy. Will their musical instincts match up? Tune in to hear their choices, their reasoning, and which records might actually make it home in someone’s crate. Whether you are a seasoned vinyl collector or just curious about the buzz around Record Store Day, this lively conversation is packed with recommendations, record store culture, and plenty of music-nerd enthusiasm from the WMPG airwaves. Live DJ set at Bull Moose on April 18th 2026. Produced by Annella Edited by Cam