Soulful singer-songwriter Aaron Pfeiffer is on the precipice of something big. The fellow Pittsburgh native currently lives in New York City. Since his relocation four years ago, he's been on a proactive path to his dreams. Last year he made it to the blind audition of The Voice; this year he has a July residency at NYC's Rockwood Music Hall to celebrate the June release of his debut EP Nightcall . Success leaves clues and there's no doubt that by the end of 2015, Aaron Pfeiffer will be a househ...
Apr 14, 2015•1 hr 36 min
Jack Rabid has not only lived through New York's early 80s punk movement, he's also a documentarian of the Lower East Side history. As editor/publisher (and co-founded with the late Dave Stein) of The Big Takeover magazine, he's spent the past 35 years detailing music in all its colorful forms. From a fanzine dedicated to The Stimulators to a full-fledged bi-annual magazine, Jack's publication shows no signs of flagging despite the print industry's woes. In addition to running a magazine for three...
Apr 07, 2015•1 hr 12 min
Hip-Hop producer Malik Abdul Rahmaan is an infinite source of music history spanning generations and cultures. It makes sense for the burgeoning musicologist who feels just at home in his Brooklyn residence or his home-away-from-home Tokyo. Malik is big in Japan where his beloved soulful beats keep him never lacking for production work. Everyone wants some of the Malik-style including Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah. His 2014 album 36 Seasons featured no less than three tracks with production by ...
Mar 31, 2015•56 min
French-American jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant covers the waterfront when it comes to her singular song selection. Songbook standards rub shoulders up against work songs, songs sung in her native French and smart originals. Her first US-release, WomanChild (2013), is the eclectic scene of the crime which has been rewarded by a worldwide fervent fanbase, a Downbeat Jazz Album of the Year and a Grammy Album of the Year nomination. It's been a long two years since WomanChild arrived, but fortu...
Mar 30, 2015•27 min
Vocalist Sarah Elizabeth Charles is on the precipice of an exciting new career chapter. Her just released full-length album, Inner Dialogue , expands on the promise of her 2012 EP debut, Red . While the EP represented a moment in time of where she was as a bandleader with her S.E. Charles Quartet, Inner Dialogue captures her present vision. The sophomore album includes a lusher sound and lyrics that are vulnerable in their bare honesty with palette that includes jazz plus two Haitian folk arrang...
Mar 24, 2015•1 hr 14 min
As unfathomable as it seems, Cuban pianist (and composer, producer & educator) Aruán Ortiz has the same 24 hours in a day as everyone else. The proof is evident in everything he's accomplished since his 2008 New York arrival. During this period he's released five albums--- three in 2012! From Alameda in 2010 to his most recent album, Banned in London with the Michael Janisch Quintet in 2012. Ortiz can as easily be found leading his own quartet or in a duo with fellow pianist Bob Glück or as a...
Mar 15, 2015•1 hr 35 min
String Noise are an experimental violin duo comprised of husband and wife Conrad Harris and Pauline Kim Harris. Based in NYC, they've had over 30 new works composed specifically for them since their 2011 inception. Outside of their String Noise collaboration, Conrad and Pauline can be found performing as soloists and also in the case of Conrad, with his group The FLUX Quartet. The "trailblazing duo", as dubbed by Time Out NY, will release their debut feature album Spring 2015 plus a brand new web...
Mar 10, 2015•1 hr 8 min
Treehaus is the solo music project helmed by pianist/singer/producer Josh Jacobson. Although his 2014 debut, Afterglow , was a Prince-like one man band affair, he regularly performs live as a trio with drummer Andrew Marshall and Richard Emery doubled up on bass and guitar. Lyrically inspired by nature, Afterglow is an impeccable blend of jazz, electronic and even a little respect to his Chicago roots with tinges of house music. The seamless mix finds it continuity in Josh's lush production and s...
Mar 01, 2015•52 min
Jesse Cohen is 1/2 of the Brooklyn-based synth duo Tanlines. Their first release, Mixed Emotions , came out in 2012 with the follow-up expected Spring 2015. During the interim, the percussionist has not only spent the time crafting the band's upcoming album, he's been busy hosting his most excellent podcast No Effects with Jesse Cohen. The year-old show not only features Jesse's discussions with fellow musicians like Mapei and How to Dress Well's Tom Krell but also insightful interviews with jour...
Feb 24, 2015•1 hr
goste is Owen Ross. Owen Ross is goste. Whether he's flying solo or in a band setting, goste effortlessly combines organic and electronic sounds with his beautifully corrosive voice crashing through the mix. The Bushwick resident's latest EP, Eugene , is a deeper exploration of a sound he's been refining since his days at the Berklee College of Music. Since his move from Boston, he's been busy spreading the word with a regular spate of shows and planning his next release: a full-length album. Also...
Feb 17, 2015•55 min
Brooklyn singer-songwriter Reni Lane is busy busy busy! What with crafting her next batch of new music, being a spokesperson for the Keezy music creation app and planning her musical reintroduction. It's been five years since the Oregon native's sophomore album and after a brief career hiccup she's returned wiser and never more certain of her direction as an artist. 2015 is certain to be the Year of Reni! Visit her online: http://renilane.com/#keezy Keezy App: https://keezy.co/ Watch Reni make a...
Feb 12, 2015•1 hr 10 min
Paste Magazine once declared Jerry's Records "The Best Place To Spot World-Renowned Crate Diggers—And Nab a Bargain At The Same Time" in their list of the 17 Coolest Record Stores in America. All true! Ben Folds swings by when he's in town and I can personally attest to the affordability. Its namesake, Jerry Weber has been providing a sanctuary for vinyl junkies and newbies for over 30 years. The Pittsburgh institution currently boasts over 2.5 million records, making it the largest store that o...
Feb 06, 2015•39 min
Jazz singer Nicole Henry possesses all the best qualities of a star: talent, beauty and presence. Of these three gifts, her talent takes centerstage. Over the course of four studio albums (and two live sets), the Miami-based vocalist's supple, versatile instrument has not only honored jazz, but also the blues, soul and originals. A consummate performer, Nicole has graced stage after stage in over 15 countries and consistently been celebrated by her peers and the media with a 2013 Soul Train Awar...
Feb 06, 2015•54 min
Hailing from Columbus, OH, genre-defying violinist Christian Howes was classically trained on the string instrument from the age of five; an early signpost of the success that would follow him throughout his life. A soloist with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra at 16. Working with the legendary guitar pioneer Les Paul. Praise and accolades from prestigious jazz publications JazzTimes and Downbeat. Christian continuously defies the boxed-in expectations of the violin as he gracefully explores genre ...
Feb 06, 2015•52 min
Poet/Hip-Hop Artist Jack Wilson (aka D.J. Brewer) has successfully made the transition from Pittsburgh to New York in the few years since his relocation in 2012. Before he moved, he got his start through slam poetry, representing his hometown at national poetry slams from 2000-2003. During his short time in New York, he's already released three EP's and most recently a mixtape entitled HERE , which is available as a free download at www.jackwilsonmc.bandcamp.com You'll also find plenty of other J...
Jan 20, 2015•1 hr 8 min
What a wonderful way to celebrate the 10th episode of Talk Music Talk with a conversation with the multi-talented Nick Demos! Across his social media platforms, Nick Demos is known for his Word of the Day. Faith. Success. Envision. A few examples that illustrate his intention to inspire, but their definition is also embodied by Nick. Director, Creativity Coach, Web Host and a TONY Award-winning producer of the musical Memphis . He also holds artistic retreats and workshops through his non- profit ...
Jan 13, 2015•1 hr
Thirteen albums into a storied career as a singer-songwriter, Darden Smith is also a humanitarian. I'd already been familiar with his music for some time and was intrigued to hear about his non-profit SongwritingWith:Soldiers at the 14th Street Apple Store in Manhattan. The purpose of SW:S is to connect professional songwriters with active duty and veteran military members to write songs from their combat stories and the experience of returning home. Darden's emotions for the soldiers was palpabl...
Jan 06, 2015•43 min
I was turned onto Jason Gross and his online magazine Perfect Sound Forever by previous TMT guest Josh Medsker (Episode 007). Created in 1993, PSF is one of the earliest online music publications. He's also the social media manager and a writer/editor at TheBlot , a digital culture publication. Jason's also written for The Wire and Village Voice. The informal motto of TMT is "Conversation Through Music" and my talk with Jason is an excellent example. The intention was to discuss the trends of 20...
Dec 30, 2014•46 min
As a proud self-confessed music junkie, it's always exciting to meet a fellow addict to fill in the blanks of discovery. My first clue should have been Daniel's informative reviews on the website of Other Music, an esteemed record store located in lower Manhattan, where he is an employee. Sound unheard, I could read one of his reviews and purchase a new release based solely on his recommendation. This year's Shabazz Palaces and Neneh Cherry albums being standout examples. Obviously, I had to bring...
Dec 23, 2014•1 hr 25 min
Josh Medsker hails from Anchorage, Alaska and is the creator/founder of the music & literary 'zine, Twenty-Four Hours . His 'zine is the perfect example of how his writing straddles both music journalism and prose/poetry. Issue #10 is out now and features a personal essay by Josh about youth, musical discovery and the salvation that only come from a song. His writing has appeared in various publications including Maximumrocknroll , Perfect Sound Forever , Jersey Beat , The Anchorage Press , ...
Dec 16, 2014•51 min
JackLucy describes her music as Urban Folk. It's the amalgamation of a sound that combines two different genres that simultaneously describes what she does and provides a starting point to a larger conversation of eclecticism. She hails from Pittsburgh and currently resides in NYC where she regularly performs in various venues including Rockwood Music Hall and the Bitter End. She's currently working on new music to be released as live recordings in 2015. Although we knew each other casually in P...
Dec 09, 2014•52 min
Eric Himan is an indie singer-songwriter with 7 studio albums released including his latest Gracefully . He's sold over 40,000 CD's and this year he opened for and performed with one of his musical heroes Ani DiFranco. In 2005, I first met Eric in Pittsburgh shortly after the release of his third album Dark Horse . He was on tour to promote the release and briefly lived in the city. Touring has been a constant for Eric for over a decade and he's winding down in 2014 to take a break from the road. ...
Dec 02, 2014•33 min
In a clear example of serendipity, I was in a TMT state of mind when I first heard Eyre's amazing voice. I was at the Barclays subway stop in Brooklyn and had just left my producer's studio. I was on a high because we'd completed "Liz"--the TMT theme song I'd written. My train was coming so I hastily typed in Eyre's website in my Notes app and checked out his website. I discovered through his blog he moved from California to New York nine months ago. He eloquently writes about his struggles in pu...
Nov 08, 2014•53 min
Susan Fast is a musicologist and Professor in the Department of English and Cultural Studies and Director of the Graduate Program in Gender Studies and Feminist Research at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. She is the author of Michael Jackson's Dangerous for Bloomsbury's 33 1/3 series. She has the honor of being the 100th book in the series and coincidentally the first album of Jackson's to be featured. Our discussion includes why so little exploration of Jackson's music exists. Follow Sus...
Nov 07, 2014•56 min
Von Decarlo is a singer, actress, TV personality, author, mother. Von and I are both from Clairton, PA, a small town outside of Pittsburgh. We were also in the high school band together. I was the drum major and she played clarinet. Von is one of the Relationship Experts and Comedians on Centric TV’s new relationship series According To Him + Her as well as in her very own Centric spin-off digital Instagram series, Coach Von’s Playbook. You can also find her performing live at various New York Ci...
Nov 06, 2014•56 min
