There's something undeniable about singer-songwriter James Tillman's falsetto; it's the soulful hinge that swings his incredible Silk Noise Reflex album. Plaintive vocals that are unhurried but deceptively so because there's always a knowing backbone present. The D.C. native's full-length debut was executive-produced by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs after James served as an opening act on one of the group's tours. This episode features both "Rat Race" and "Human Behavior" from Silk Noise Reflex . D...
Jan 30, 2017•1 hr 11 min
Some of us were born with a love for pop music that runs a mile deep and candy-sweet. Some of us run from it, deny it. Keeping in mind that the definition of pop has a wide enough chasm to fit both the Beatles and Beyoncé. But for the ones who can't hide our devotion, whether as a fan or in the case of singer Eric Nizgretsky, the sound of hooks on hooks on hooks is unabashedly embraced. Eric is the frontman for the four-piece band Loose Buttons. With its origins at Miami University, where Eric att...
Jan 21, 2017•41 min
To call Brooklyn-based MICK a DJ isn't wrong; it's simply an incomplete description. Accurate, but ultimately a term that's slight. Nonetheless, his accomplishments as a DJ loom large and his selection of sounds cover the waterfront with hip-hop often at the foundation while still leaving space for house, rock and jazz. With tasteful precision, MICK has shaped the tenor of rooms at private events and parties for the likes of Beyoncé, LeBron James, Hillary Clinton and companies including Yahoo, M...
Jan 11, 2017•50 min
The final Talk Music Talk episode of the year is a departure from the usual long form interview. The 111th show is a three-hour, hand-chosen compendium (by yours truly) of music from some of the podcast's 2016 guests, hitting on just about every genre. From saxophonist Donny McCaslin (bandleader of David Bowie's "last band" on Blackstar) to LCD Soundsystem's synth player Gavin Russom to emerging artists like indie-psych act Corbu and electronica favorite Sepalcure. I'm calling this episode "Radio...
Dec 31, 2016•3 hr 9 min
There's a metamorphosis procedure to being an outlier. The various traits, tics or dispositions that set you apart from them, are one day celebrated and cherished. Take Brandon Stosuy for example, he was raised in a southern New Jersey town prior to being led by music to leave a population of 800. After leaving his working class family there were eventual stints in Canada, Portland and Buffalo before honing in on Brooklyn. Along the way there was a collegiate education, nowhere jobs and drifting...
Dec 14, 2016•1 hr 38 min
An album can be identified as a collection of singles surrounded by filler or ideally, a united suite with a statement or purpose. About Town, the third full-length release from Nicholas Nicholas occupies the latter role. The repetitive moniker is the solo project of Brooklyn-based singer/ songwriter Chris Masullo. Bristling amongst the dark-night-of-the-soul vocals and forlorn music of the brilliant About Town belie words that celebrate love and its accompanying emotions. Shades of a red herring?...
Dec 09, 2016•1 hr 4 min
For Gavin Russom, the route to playing synths in LCD Soundsystem (and building instruments for the James Murphy-led group) was lined with dreams and false alarms. From the wrong friends to a wrong college decision to a fair share of the wrong dead end jobs. In addition to his LCD role, Gavin DJ's and also heads up several projects including Black Meteoric Star. The Xecond Xoming of Black Meteroric Star is the TBA double-album. An hour of raw, unencumbered Detroit-techno in the shape of a Rhode I...
Nov 30, 2016•1 hr 40 min
Music journalist Ryan Leas is the author of LCD Soundsystem's Sound of Silver , the 116th volume in 33 1/3's series devoted to one album. Suffice it to say he's a learned listener with his byline appearing on numerous sites including Pitchfork , Stereogum and GQ . Ryan's writing can distinctly evoke a moment, a feeling or the nuances between the notes all within the constraints of a single declarative sentence. As detailed in the book, Ryan was in high school when the second album from the James ...
Nov 30, 2016•1 hr 1 min
In the words of music editor/writer J. Edward Keyes, there is a remedy for nostalgia, specifically when you're discussing new music. The best recordings didn't cease when you left your teens. Amazing songs are in full abundance, but now you have to do a bit of online legwork to unearth them. Joe's background has been a statement of his receptivity with over two decades of writing about an array of styles from hip-hop to black metal to Christian rock. The latter? A signpost harkening back to Joe's...
Nov 15, 2016•43 min
What is that particular thrill of discovering a limited-edition cassette that came out late last year and slipped under your radar? It feels as if the artist created the music solely for you. The album in question is In Between and that artist is Big Eater. Big Eater is the solo project of singer/songwriter Matt Bachmann and the debut full-length release is one of the best albums you missed last year. Or this year. A hazy hodgepodge of folk, jazz, pop and the indescribable wrapped around the cor...
Nov 11, 2016•56 min
Ice Choir frontman and multi-instrumentalist Kurt Feldman knows his way around a J-pop song: specifically from '83 to '89. With the synth-pop group's second release, Designs in Rhythm , that seven-year stretch abounds but through the native-New Yorker's filter of enigmatic lyrics, endless hooks and crisp vocals. Regardless of where the influence originates, the album's melodies are sturdy enough to be transported to any genre of music. Although Ice Choir bears a decidedly electronic sound, Kurt's w...
Nov 05, 2016•58 min
Once upon a time vocalist Melanie Charles (a.k.a. D'Flower) had a sartorial period where she'd deftly mix contrasting patterns. Her mother likened her daughter's music to this phase; she couldn't be more apt. Melanie's musical style is a brew of her jazz training, soul influences and operatic dreams and perhaps, a splash of just about everything else, including her Haitian heritage. Last year's Rat Habitat EP ( Guns That Shoot Bubbles with Jordan Peters) is the proof, but only a sliver of her ele...
Oct 27, 2016•1 hr 9 min
For James Lanning, hip-hop and photography are more than just modes of pure entertainment, they're the means to inspire people via rap and a Canon 5D Mark III. James has been vocal about his personal struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts and hopes that his art can be a part of the conversation to remove the stigma often attached to these issues. As evidenced by James' death-defying, bridge-hopping music video, "One," that went viral earlier this year, urban exploring has been another v...
Oct 26, 2016•1 hr 35 min
On David Bowie's final studio album, Blackstar , his vision was manifested by jazz saxophonist Donny McCaslin. Although the collaboration instantly threw Donny (and his core group of musicians) into the consciousness of both Bowie fanatics and the general public, diehard jazzheads have long been privy to the three-time Grammy-nominee for decades. Over the course of eleven studio albums as a bandleader and countless guest spots and side gigs, Donny has continuously pushed himself to discover new l...
Oct 14, 2016•58 min
In another lifetime, Carlos D was the slick-haired, style-conscious, all-black wearing bassist of the band Interpol. Since leaving the "post-punk revivalists" group in 2010, he's returned to the public consciousness as theater actor Carlos Dengler. Carlos has never spoken publicly about his departure from Interpol, but in this exclusive TMT conversation he shares why he abruptly left after four studio albums and three tours. This is his personal story of the highs, the lows and even the band the...
Oct 05, 2016•1 hr 36 min
A quick and dirty Google search for Brooklyn singer/songwriter Kamilah yields only one official video. An entry to NPR's Tiny Desk Contest for her slow-burning ballad "1600 Miles". Although Kamilah's submission didn't win last year, she's spent the time in between conducting a plan of action. Two new videos will premiere on her forthcoming website (IAmKamilah.com), which currently highlights Kamilah's social media links. If waiting isn't an option, this podcast includes an exclusive "TMT Session ...
Sep 30, 2016•56 min
Jazz and classical share the spotlight when it comes to the music of Brooklyn singer/songwriter Matt Kanelos. With his latest project, Violence , the multi-instrumentalist plumbs both the commonality and tension between the two genres while adding his own spin of cabaret, improvisation and avant-garde tendencies. Violence is the namesake of a generous 55-minute EP and a short film that feel wonderfully chaotic when absorbed as a whole. In addition to his own work, Matt plays piano for cabaret per...
Sep 23, 2016•1 hr 8 min
Computer Magic is the electronic music project of Danielle "Danz" Johnson. She is the very definition of prolificacy. One look at her CV and clearly Danz can not not make music. Under the guise of Computer Magic, she's released a handful of LPs in Japan and eight EPs worldwide. Last year's Davos was her first full-length American album and her latest EP, Obscure But Visible , comes out everywhere in October. Launched in a bedroom just "for fun", Computer Magic has since bloomed into a legion of die...
Sep 14, 2016•45 min
Expanding Heart is the exquisite new gem of an album from jazz pianist and Bay Area-native Jarrett Cherner. His trio record is at once an artistic statement of meditative discovery and also a gift to the listener with its moods of tenderness and contemplation. Jarrett's second outing as a bandleader is a collection of original compositions plus a handful of covers including two by Ornette Coleman. Out on October 21, Expanding Heart is destined to find a place on every jazz aficionado's playlist. T...
Sep 01, 2016•1 hr 9 min
It's not often you bear witness to the eve of a musical movement. Floordoor Records first releases won't appear until late-September, but bloggers and social media are already hyped by the singles and videos that have been trickling out over the past few months. Not to mention a slew of incendiary live performances at the Bed-Stuy venue, C'mon Everybody. This September and October, Floordoor's inaugural two albums will arrive from A Bunch of Dead People and Public Speaking, the respective project...
Aug 18, 2016•1 hr 34 min
As founder of the Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit label, saxophonist/composer Éyal Hai has crafted a universe of invigorating music that hinges on jazz but also summons in influences like the Beatles and Brazilian sounds. The Brooklyn-based Rabbit operates as a collective featuring Éyal's fellow musicians Jonathan Greenstein, Daniel Meron and Arnan Raz. Since 2014, the label has produced five albums. Hailing from Israel, the collective's individual records are unique on their own but together form a complime...
Aug 11, 2016•1 hr 9 min
This podcast episode of Talk Music Talk featuring Samora Pinderhughes was recorded July 22, 2016 at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City on the Lower East Side. It features an intimate performance with Samora on piano and vocals followed by my conversation with him. Samora's set highlights music from both his Venus Project and the Transformations Suite. The Transformations Suite album comes out on October 12, 2016. Visit Samora online: http://www.transformationssuite.com/ Samora was previously i...
Aug 04, 2016•55 min
In her three decades plus career as an opera singer, Martina Arroyo has achieved one highlight after another. She's performed all over the world as a celebrated spinto soprano, including over 200 performances at the Met Opera with three opening nights to her credit. She's worked with top conductors like Leonard Bernstein and has performed the repertory of Mozart and Strauss, to name a few. Ms. Arroyo's hard work and immense talent has been recognized by her peers with a 2010 NEA Opera Honors Awa...
Jul 23, 2016•24 min
It is a fortunate few who not only love what they do, but also help others in the process. For over twenty decades, New York educator Adam Goldberg has done just that with music. As a teacher at PS 177Q in Fresh Meadows, Queens, he expands the world of children with learning challenges by utilizing iPads and a slew of music creation apps like GarageBand and iKaossilator. At the New York public school, Adam founded the "Technology Band", a successful example of education and innovation uniting. S...
Jul 23, 2016•58 min
Producer and photographer João Gonzalez has gone on record saying that the Soft Glas tag visually represents the way his music sounds. This feels apt considering the project is a glorious synthesis of not only haunting, electronic soundscapes but also well-considered aesthetics. From the curation of João's Instagram and promotional images to the release of last year's dos EP, there hasn't been one wrong step. Yet nothing ever feels clinical or over calculated, on the contrary only a warmth reson...
Jul 12, 2016•52 min
For the past 20 years, independent publisher Akashic Books has blazed a path of nonconformity and subversiveness through literature. Johnny Temple, the bassist of 90s alt-rock band Girls Against Boys, funded the fledgling press with the spoils of a major label advance the group received. In the pass two decades, the Brooklyn house has released over 400 books including titles from Marlon James, Arthur Nersesian and imprints from Dennis Cooper and Mobb Deep's Prodigy, plus the bestseller "adult chi...
Jul 07, 2016•57 min
Journalist and music/cultural critic Laina Dawes' book What Are You Doing Here? explores the race and gender issues of African-American female fans of metal, hardcore and punk music. Subtitled "A Black Woman's Life and Liberation in Heavy Metal", this is not only Laina's story but also of black musicians and their fans in a genre and culture that is primarily white and male. Visit the book site: https://whatareyoudoingherebook.com/about Visit the book Facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/whatar...
Jun 29, 2016•55 min
Frontman Jonathan Graves' Corbu are on the heels of releasing one of the best albums you'll hear in 2016. Crayon Soul is melodic when you want it, a bit psychedelic when you need it with expansive lyrics and soaring vocals from Jonathan. Fellow members Amanda (creative partner) and Todd Hoellerman (drums) complete the triumvirate. Preceded by last year's two EP's, Corbu's debut was mixed by Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, MGMT, Tame Impala). Although Crayon Soul isn't released until August, thi...
Jun 24, 2016•32 min
Singer/songwriter Arlene Gould christens her music Afro-Pop. It's a brew of all her musical influences and experiences that make her so dynamic. Currently based in Brooklyn, Arlene is originally from Israel and her heritage includes both Israeli and Caribbean roots. 2016 will see the release of Rollin' , her debut album and also the name of the first single and video which premiered on the AfroPunk site. If the single is any indication, Rollin' will be the feel-good album of the year. This episo...
Jun 22, 2016•42 min
In case you were wondering, it only takes ten hours to manifest innovation. From start to finish, Monthly Music Hackathon NYC reinvents the wheel on last Saturdays by uniting musicians, programmers, scientists or the merely curious for a musical think tank culminating in a performance (or presentation). Hackathon was founded four years ago by Jonathan Marmor and features a different theme each month such as "Glitch", "Music Games" or "Gender in Music". Jonathan is also a composer, tabla player an...
Jun 14, 2016•51 min
