The Sharp Notes with Evan Toth

Tito Puente was more than a legend of Latin music, he was a cultural force who reached far beyond the Latino world. For those of us who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, his presence was everywhere. By the time of his passing in 2000, his loss resonated deeply, especially here in the New York City metro area, where his music had long been part of our region’s heartbeat. His son, Tito Puente Jr., has e...

Meet Luke Marzec, a British singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist whose music lives at the crossroads of soul, jazz, and modern storytelling. His new single, “Growing Up With You,” is a heartfelt reflection on the friendships that shape us — a theme that runs deeply through his latest album, Something Good Out of Nothing. Luke studied classical and jazz at the Royal College of Music and Tr...

In the 1990s, Us3 reshaped the global music landscape by fusing hip-hop and jazz in ways that felt both groundbreaking and a little bit inevitable. Their 1993 debut, Hand on the Torch, became Blue Note Records’ first platinum-selling album and introduced an entire generation to the possibilities of genre fusion. Yet, after a run of chart success and international touring, the project receded from...

Chris Stamey has long been a quietly pivotal figure in American music. From co-founding the influential avant-pop band The dB’s and releasing early indie classics, to his work with Alex Chilton, Big Star’s Jody Stephens, and a wide array of sonic adventurers, his career has bridged the experimental and the melodic, the cerebral and the emotional.  With his latest album, Anything Is Possible , Stam...

In a moment where algorithms increasingly shape what we hear, see, and feel, Mocky’s Music Will Explain offers something radically simple: the sound of human beings in a room, making music together. Known for his shape-shifting musical identity and wide-ranging collaborations, Mocky’s work has always blurred the lines between genre and geography. But on his new album, released via Stones Throw, he...

The introduction most often associated with producer—and champion of unfairly unheard music—Zev Feldman, compares him to an archaeologist: the “Indiana Jones of jazz,” as The New Yorker wrote in 2023. Fittingly, Feldman’s occasional SiriusXM radio show is cleverly titled Jazz Detective . In a reissue landscape often focused on bringing listeners albums they may already own in triplicate, Zev shine...

Charles “Wigg” Walker’s voice isn’t just soulful, it’s resilient. His decades-long journey through the unpredictable terrain of the music industry is one of grit, adaptability, and unwavering devotion to the craft. From singing on Nashville street corners as a teen to warming up crowds for––and being fined by––James Brown, to reinventing himself across continents and genres, Wigg never quit. Music...

For over four decades, Dennis Diken has embodied the enduring spirit of American rock and roll as the drummer and co-founder of The Smithereens. In this wide-ranging conversation, Diken reflects on the band’s legacy while underscoring the urgency and relevance of their music in 2025. As the industry shifts toward streaming and fragmented attention, Diken and his bandmates continue to value the ful...

Being a rockstar might look effortless from the outside, but as Cody Hanson of Hinder makes clear, staying relevant in the music world takes far more than talent. In this revealing conversation, the drummer and co-founder of the multi-platinum band pulls back the curtain on the real work behind the music—from scrapping a full album that didn’t feel honest, to reigniting the band’s passion with the...

Singer-songwriter Jenny Owen Youngs has never been one to shy away from transformation. In revisiting Avalanche for its deluxe edition, she offers listeners not just a deeper look at the record but a fuller portrait of herself: one that is shaped by collaboration, reinvention, and a willingness to let imperfections breathe. For Youngs, songs aren’t just crafted; they’re lived in, layered, and cont...

In an era when the term "rock band" can feel like a nostalgic nod to a fading archetype, Band of Skulls has always stood as the real deal: gritty, authentic, and unrelentingly driven. With their forthcoming retrospective box set Cold Fame , frontman Russell Marsden digs deep into the band’s archives to illuminate the long, winding, and often unpredictable road that led to their breakout...

When Chuck Prophet found himself lingering around after a gig in San Francisco, his band still buzzing from a sold-out set, he wasn’t expecting to stumble into a musical revelation. But as the club's DJ cued up a needle-drop on a weathered vinyl slab of cumbia, and the bass notes spilled through the subs, Prophet experienced something rare and electric. It was an atmosphere alive with rhythm,...

After decades navigating the high-stakes world of Hollywood as Chief Counsel for Walt Disney Studios, Steve Bardwil has traded legal briefs for guitar riffs. His recent leap into full-time musicianship culminates in the release of Nothing But Time , a deeply personal and collaboratively rich album produced by the legendary Joe Chiccarelli. What began as a lifelong side-passion has now become the c...

Few writers can translate the sound of an album into a story with the grace and acuity of Jude Warne . Known for her deep dives into the lives of musical icons, Warne returns with her second music biography—this time turning her focus to the ever-evolving Boz Scaggs, titled Lowdown: The Music of Boz Scaggs . Her previous book on the band America set a high bar for weaving together scholarly resear...

Sons of Silver’s latest release, Runaway Emotions , reflects a band committed to creative collaboration and thematic depth. Fronted by lead vocalist and songwriter Pete Argyropoulos, the group includes seasoned musicians each bringing years of experience across different corners of the rock world. The album builds on their past work with a focus on strong ensemble playing and lyrical content that...

Some of our most profound conversations often happen without words, music becomes the ultimate language — capable of revealing and transforming our perceptions, maybe even challenging them. Today, we're diving into just such a conversation with two artists whose latest musical collaboration speaks volumes: British jazz producer Robert Waite (known professionally as Daylight Robbery) and New Y...

William Hooker has spent decades making music on his own terms—loud, unflinching, and fully independent. A drummer, composer, poet and more with over 70 recordings as a bandleader, Hooker is a fixture of New York’s experimental underground, shaped by the Loft Jazz scene of the 1970s and carried forward through venues like CBGB, the Knitting Factory, and Roulette. His latest record, Jubilation , re...

Let’s face it—if the music industry were a spaceship, right now it might be sputtering through the void, looking for a little more rocket fuel. Algorithms are everywhere, attention spans are short, and too often, passion plays second fiddle to data. But every once in a while, someone shows up to remind us of what the industry used to be —wild, inspired, and driven by larger-than-life personalities...

Taking a shot, a risk, a gamble—whether in life, in love, or in art—requires a particular blend of courage, timing, and craft. Few folks understand that better than Eddie Schwartz, the Canadian musician and songwriter whose work has left a lasting imprint on popular music. Best known for penning Pat Benatar’s iconic “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” Schwartz has built a career on moments when he stepp...

Teamwork - as they say - makes the dream work. Over the last several years, Org Music has been quietly amassing a catalog of well-produced reissues and original recordings in all genres. On the reissue front, however, the label has reached its goals by employing a select group of audio specialists all working toward the same goal: to find forgotten music deserving of a second chance to reach an au...

Time has always been at the heart of electronic music—its steady pulses, mechanical rhythms, and futuristic vision shaped the way we listen and move. Few artists understand this better than Wolfgang Flür. As a member of Kraftwerk during their most defining years, from Autobahn (1974) to Electric Café (1986), he played a role in setting the tempo for an entire musical movement. Decades later, he co...

Jeannie Piersol, a striking yet enigmatic figure in the 1960s San Francisco music scene, is having her remarkable story told once more through The Nest , a highly anticipated anthology released by High Moon Records . With its unique blend of psychedelic rock, soul, and Indian influences, Piersol's music never fully received the recognition it deserved during her brief career. Yet, her work ha...

For nearly a decade, Sleepersound has been more than just a band—it’s been a brotherhood bound by a shared passion for creating immersive, emotionally rich music. Their journey together has been defined by deep friendship and an unspoken understanding that transcends words, allowing their sound to evolve organically. From late-night jam sessions to the meticulous crafting of their third full-lengt...

For over three decades, Michael Andrews (aka Elgin Park) has been an integral part of the Greyboy Allstars, a band that has carved out a unique space in the world of funk, jazz, and soul. With their infectious grooves and deep musical chemistry, the group has remained a fixture on the scene, constantly evolving while staying true to their roots. As they prepare to release Grab Bag , a new compilat...

Through addiction, industry upheavals, and personal reinvention, a rock survivor’s unwavering path forward. Perseverance is more than just endurance—it is the art of weathering storms without losing sight of the horizon. For Josh Todd - the last remaining original member of Buckcherry - survival in rock and roll has never been about mere resistance; it has been about forward motion, an unrelenting...