The Sharp Notes with Evan Toth

It’s amusing how certain traits and talents seem to run in families—like an unbreakable thread woven through generations. Perhaps you hail from a long line of carpenters or artists, each passing down their skills. Music, in particular, has a remarkable way of flowing through bloodlines. While styles may evolve, the gift of rhythm and melody remains timeless, transcending the boundaries of space an...

It’s easy to overlook, but for some, music isn’t just a passion—it’s a livelihood. While many might juggle music as a side gig or serious hobby, others dive headfirst into a full-fledged career as a musician. As with any pursuit intertwined with money, the path ahead is rarely smooth. Yet, artists like Brian Ray not only navigate this complex terrain but they truly thrive there. We could delve int...

It’s not exactly a comeback. Instead, the dB’s are reconnecting with their loyal audience, who have always valued their brief but impactful body of work. The New York City band (by way of North Carolina), crafted a distinctive sound by blending edgy late-'70s NYC new wave and punk with the Southern indie-rock essence of Big Star. This fusion produced a unique mix of jagged rock and roll, comp...

The Beatles confidently proclaimed that “Love is all you need” during the summer of - well, you know - love (1967). And while no one can argue with the fabs’ proclamation, the 21st century finds human beings on a search to define exactly what love is and how it can mean so many different things to just as many people. We each have our own love language, but just like everything else on planet Eart...

There has been tremendous growth in the topic of vinyl records and record collecting over the last decade or so. There are podcasts (like this one), articles, and video channels dedicated to folks who blab about their treasured collections, and then there are those who shout from the rooftops about new releases the minute the news gets out. But what about holding a face-to-face conversation with a...

It’s not everyday that one gets to speak with “The Most Beautiful Woman in Norway” - according to Elle Norway - but that’s just a bi-product of the fact that this episode’s guest is a multifaceted personality who has made successful inroads in the music, fashion, and modeling industries. Maya Vik is a Norwegian bassist, songwriter and singer who - in addition to her previously mentioned skillset -...

There’s nothing like the sound of an old Motown record. Whether you hear it in your hometown of Detroit, or turn it up in Kathmandu; it doesn’t matter, the music is great regardless of location and - truth be told - those recordings are inimitable. One could say they encapsulate a certain time and place, but that wouldn’t be fair to the level of sorcery that was achieved in Motown’s studios during...

It’s not easy to be consistent in show business, to continually release albums and to perform at a high caliber at all times. However, some musicians have the ability to hand in strong works through most of their careers. There are performers who have built lifelong bonds with their dedicated fans because of these reasons. Raul Midón is one of those artists and he has recently released a strong ne...

Andy Summers, renowned as the influential guitarist of the Police, reveals a multifaceted creative persona that extends far beyond music. He openly embraces his diverse interests, seamlessly integrating them much like he does with his guitar, weaving them into a cohesive tapestry that defines his prolific body of work. While the guitar remains his primary artistic tool, Andy's pursuits extend...

Becoming who we are takes years. Our personality develops long before we're aware of it. Some of us are more comfortable with ourselves than others, but generally, we understand our own identity and hope that we grasp how others perceive us - that part can be a challenge. Given the chance to be someone else, who would you choose? How would you be different? What rules would you break if you w...

Multitasking is a popular trend in musicianship today, but, like in other aspects of life, it has its critics. Those against multitasking argue that the human brain performs best when focused on one task at a time. Just because we can multitask doesn’t mean it’s the most effective approach. What if we devoted all our time and energy to a single pursuit instead? Molly Miller embodies this principle...

When you reach a certain age, you get used to the experience of processing bad news or difficult times in your life. It may be hard to explain the consistency of that behavior as processing trauma is an amorphous experience, sometimes different things heal the wounds that life tosses at us at different times. Cancer is a particularly dark development in anyone’s life or family and while medical tr...

It’s miraculous, really, that great new music is revealed to us each passing week; we need only to be open to exploring it to enjoy it. There’s nothing wrong with reveling in your favorite songs, artists and albums that are deemed classics by some listening community, but it’s continuing to explore new releases that really gets us thinking about music: both where it’s been and where it’s going and...

If you’re like most people, at 20 years old, you’re still figuring out who you are and what you want to do with your life. And there’s nothing wrong with that, especially in today’s day and age, young people now have the luxury of waiting just a little bit longer before they make up their mind to point their lives in a specific direction. However, like compounding interest in an investment, the lo...

Going somewhere else is sometimes the only thing you can do to really find your true voice. And I don’t mean taking a vacation or a daytrip. Moving from one state - or, coast - to another is a very adventurous move, but emigrating to another country to live is truly beyond what most of us might even consider doing. Can you imagine leaving your family and friends, everything you know in search of a...

There’s a unique quality that actors and actresses bring to songwriting and musicianship. Oftentimes, they create works that lean heavily on the idea that the singer - or narrator - is a character. Of course, all musicians and songwriters do this to some extent, but there’s another level of commitment when it’s done by a musician who also happens to be an actor. Rebecca Pigeon is well-known in bot...

It’s no secret that marriage is hard work. It requires heavy lifting by both partners to keep the boat afloat. It’s labor, but of course, it’s a labor of love; that’s what it’s all about. However, if you take the marriage and relationship deal and split it with a job in the entertainment business for both parties involved , well, now you’ve really got a challenging situation with which to build a...

Maybe I’m a little guilty of nostalgia on this one, but aren’t we all from time-to-time? When I look into the past with my rose-colored glasses on, they take me to that time of life when most people find themselves experiencing glowy memories of the past: high school. In my case, it was high school in the early to mid 1990s. As is true of every generation, there were certain songs that were inesca...

Often on this program, I interact with artists and creators, who do their best work when they are by themselves. It’s in solitude that a musician often finds the freedom and flexibility to create just what it is they want to develop. However, there is surely something to be said about the chemistry between two people, two artists. When two musicians sit before one another and unite for the good of...

What does it take to be epic? Many filmmakers and creators struggle to construct breathtaking spectacles for audiences that will allow them to escape into a transformative world that depicts events that would not normally be seen with human eyes. But what about the music? Once they’ve created the visual component, how do they find the right music to both compliment and even elevate the towering im...

It’s always a pleasure to speak with musicians who seem to appreciate and absorb music on another level. Folks like this often see music in a way that regular music consumers might take for granted. After all, there is a real power in music, a force and strength that can alter our emotions in any which direction. Sometimes we forget this, and we just let the sounds that we’re listening to wash ove...

How do you feel about karma? Do you think what goes around comes around? Is that really the way of the world, or does it just seem that way? Perhaps we’re getting a start that’s a bit too deep, but the natural order of things has a way of following a mysterious pattern. You might see some of these things in your day-to-day activities, but sometimes a story invites you to consider how the design of...

It’s one thing to love vinyl records and to enjoy listening to them, most people stop there. But, you might even go a step further and truly embrace vinyl culture and become a serious collector, there are plenty of those folks, too. But it’s a whole other ball of wax to learn the ins and outs of actually creating discs and becoming involved in the manufacturing process. That’s just what Dustin Blo...

What happened to that 1960s optimism, the peace, the love and the understanding? Unfortunately, the sentiment hasn’t endured socially in the mainstream dialogue over the last few decades. But - as Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello are aware - there’s nothing funny about those ideas. It may not be fashionable, but a focus on spreading peace and love and trying to understand those who are different from...

A quick internet search will yield several results about accomplishments and successes that have taken place in the great Garden State of New Jersey, but its musical roots are particularly strong. You’ve heard about that crooner, Sinatra, who came from Hoboken and - of course - there were those Jersey Boys, Whitney Houston, Bon Jovi and no conversation about New Jersey music would be complete with...