Author Archives: Evan Toth

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 new life? Looking for new employment opportunities? And don’t forget that eternal search for love.

Chiara D’Anzieri left her hometown of Turin, Italy and ended up in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia. Of course the relocation had to do with music, but we all know what would instigate such a bold move: love certainly played a part. When she was younger, Chiara spent time in her Italian homeland studying cello in conservatories. However, she was ready to create some rock and roll and her Italian heritage coupled with her classical background gave her a unique lens with which to make this a reality. All she needed now was a new stage name, a professional moniker—make that Santa Chiara—named after her favorite monastery in Naples, Italy.

And so she joins me on this episode to discuss her life and her latest record called, of course, Imported. The new album explores the immigration process from her point of view, but there’s more here, too. There’s hope and light connected with the anxiety and excitement of finding one’s way in a new country—not only is Santa Chiara finding her way around, learning how to fit in and stand out, but she’s making great art out of it, too. As the saying goes, “When in Rome.” Or, in Chiara’s case, it’s “when in Philly.” For now, at least.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

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 Pidgeon is well-known in both worlds, as an actress and as a musician and songwriter. This year she’s released her 11th full-length album titled, Songs of LA which explores the City of Angles’ by simultaneously studying its daytime sunshine alongside the town’s hauntingly dark nights. Pidgeon’s long-time writing partner, David Batteau, worked on many of these songs with Rebecca before the pandemic sidelined the project. Here, Rebecca fuses her acting chops with her songwriting and performing prowess.

Join Rebecca and me on this episode as she takes me on a journey through some of Tinseltown’s creepiest back-alleys as we discuss her new album, her multifaceted career, and how everything that glitters in La La Land isn’t always gold.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

PHOTO: GREGG ROTH | 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 successful marriage.

Larry Campbell and his wife Teresa Williams are no strangers to the road with plenty of frequent flier miles between them. Teresa has a long-time career as an actress, vocalist, and musician which led her to meeting Larry, a long-time session musician who’s resume includes a seven-year stint in Bob Dylan’s Neverending Tour and being the musical director at Levon Helm’s popular Midnight Rambles in Woodstock, NY. Larry and Teresa were also both key parts of Levon Helm’s fantastic final albums, Dirt Farmer and Electric Dirt. Married in 1988, they’ve become a musical powerhouse over the years, so much so that their relationship and musical work was evidenced in a 10 part docuseries which can be found at some of your favorite streaming outlets.

Separately and together, they’ve both worked with many high-profile artists, but there’s always something special in store when they work with each other. Larry and Teresa have just released their fourth album as a duo, it’s titled All This Time and features music and concepts that were born out of the pandemic era and Larry’s personal battle with Covid. On this episode, I’m lucky to have both Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams join me to discuss the new record, highlights from their storied careers, and, of course, how two musicians make the music of marriage.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

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 inescapable during that time, some music that was simply a part of the cultural wallpaper. Music that is ingrained to that extent into society’s psyche can face both pros and cons. On one hand, the song is at risk of being overplayed and over consumed and of course, we all know what familiarity breeds. On the other hand, it’s extraordinarily rare for a certain music to be considered definitive and infinitely attached to a particular place in time in human history.

In 1997, Paula Cole released two iconic songs that had a significant generational impact. “I Don’t Want to Wait” became a radio staple and gained immense popularity as the theme song for the popular TV show Dawson’s Creek. “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone” became Cole’s only top-ten hit in the US, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also earned Cole three Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Paula joins me on this episode to discuss her brand new album Lo, it’s her first batch of originals in a decade and it is a strong work that makes an occasional nod to her sound in the ’90s, but showcases Cole as the forward-facing performer that she is. We discuss the new record, and learn about a few recording secrets from the 1990s and how some of those tricks of the trade worked their way into her recent production.

We also explore the latest reissue of This Fire which was released last year in celebration of the album’s 25th anniversary and talk about how, in many ways, those songs are as relevant as ever having been discovered by a new generation of listeners because, as you’ll find out, good art may represent a certain generation, but it isn’t anchored to it. That’s the feeling you’ll get digging through the past, present, and future of Paula Cole’s catalog.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

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 performing or recording one song, the tension can be palpable. Such a situation can reach Olympic level heights when the musical duel is between two experts in their field.

Lau Noah knew that for her next musical project she wanted to engage in this kind of intimate match-up. And so on her new album A Dos she’s chosen to pursue musical conversation with some of her favorite artists, and what artists they are. Chris Thile, Jacob Collier and many more met with Lau to assist her to communicate with her audience the compositions that she’s worked so hard to create.

Interestingly, as you’ll learn by listening to our conversation, is how Noah was adamant about recording these tracks face-to-face rather than utilizing the remote technology that is so prevalent in today’s music production. So, what you hear when you listen to her new record is that moment, that spark where two people meet and combine their forces into one.

One may be the loneliest number, as they say, but it sure can be helpful when a composer must concentrate on what they’re overall artistic vision is. But, that solitude sometimes eschews the excitement and competition that can be found in a suitable partner. After all, it does take two to tango, doesn’t it?

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

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 images that appear on your local IMAX theater’s screens?

For many years, the industry has called upon Sam Nelson Harris and his band—X Ambassadors—to provide music for the soundtracks that are as compelling as your favorite comic book character’s powers. Most recently, the band featured a song in the new Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom film, but they have also placed music in Transformers: The Last Knight, The Call of the Wild, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Suicide Squad. It’s the band’s prodigious sound and production that make them the perfect choice for an enthralling cinematic display.

The voice you hear on these tracks belongs to the band’s frontman Sam Nelson Harris who is also an actor, producer, and songwriter. On this episode Sam and I discuss how he and the band traverse the intersection between the music and film industries. We also discuss the band’s forthcoming newest record, Townie which is slated to be released on April 5. It’s easy to hear how Sam and I are both excited for this release to hit the shelves.

So, think big! Get into a larger-than-life mood and prepare to explore the process by which the huge sounds you hear on your favorite viewing screen usually just come from one person with an idea. The magic is in how that acorn is transformed into a towering Oak. Sam Nelson Harris shares his secrets about taking good ideas and molding them into something epic.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

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 over us without thinking of the other dimensions that we might be missing.

The last time I spoke with someone who had a great deal of intensity over this subject was Carlos Santana. On this episode, I speak with a close friend and collaborator of his—a multi-instrumentalist who is a particularly amazing drummer and a multi-Grammy-winning producer whose No. 1 chart successes include Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin and many others. We’re talking about Narada Michael Walden.

Walden has a new album available, it’s called Euphoria and on it you’ll hear his usual compositional and production craftsmanship, but you’ll also get the opportunity to scroll through the contacts on his phone, because many of his musical pals make an appearance: Stevie Wonder, Sting, and—of course—Carlos Santana. Euphoria finds the ever positive Narada Michael Walden creating music to move your body, but that also aims to ignite your spirit.

So, stop taking your music for granted. Especially that pop stuff you love to listen to with the windows down and your hair blowing in the breeze. There’s a reason that you feel that freedom in your soul while you’re driving to your grueling 9-5; it’s because the music that elevates you was crafted by folks who really care about how those tunes are to exist within the dimension you inhabit. You can thank guys like Michael Narada Walden for fusing his musical chops with his spiritual enlightenment to create a mini-vacation for you to take anytime you choose.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

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 our lives can be investigated, every so often, it arrives musically.

Avram Brown is the key composer and performer in a project titled The Wheel which focuses on his musical and personal journey and how he’s come—yes, you guessed it—“full circle” with many aspects of his life. You can call it a psychedelic project, but it’s more than that: it’s introspective, but it also makes some attempts at looking outward, somewhere into the great beyond. If that’s too much for you, then just know that the music is darned good! We’ll also explore the friends who helped Avi complete this project which include Blitzen Trapper’s Eric Earley, violist/arranger Kyleen King (Brandi Carlile, The Decemberists), and recording engineer Larry Crane (Elliott Smith).

So, sit down with Avram and me and take the interdimensional journey, if you choose, or just go along for the ride. You’ll find that there’s a lot of preparation—productionwise, and personally—that goes into growing a body of work that explores our existential complexities. How does the wheel spin in your life, does it move forward, or backward? If you had to set it to music, how would it sound? Avram Brown’s wheel sounds like this.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

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 Blocker has done.

Originally, Dustin was a musician who soon turned his attention to the record label industry by founding North Texas-based artist-centric record label Hand Drawn Records in 2011. A few years later, in 2014, he started Hand Drawn Pressing as the vinyl record manufacturing arm for the company. Dustin is Chief Creative Officer of Hand Drawn Records and Hand Drawn Pressing. Just before the pandemic hit, Dustin became interested in what other vinyl manufacturers were doing to make their businesses run at their peak levels.

Instead of being suspicious of his competition, Dustin—with a few other manufacturers—created a vinyl manufacturing collective known as The Vinyl Record Manufacturers Association (VRMA) which is a professional trade association of independent businesses committed to the craft of vinyl record manufacturing through collaboration, advocacy, standardization, and education. Blocker currently serves as the group’s president.

So, if you’d like a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes workings of the vinyl industry, keep listening as Dustin and I talk about the viability of vinyl as a long-term audio product, how manufacturing of vinyl has—and hasn’t—changed over the last century and how the industry works together to ensure that the polyvinyl chloride discs that we love of are of a sustainably high-quality for years to come.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

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 Blocker has done.

Originally, Dustin was a musician who soon turned his attention to the record label industry by founding North Texas-based artist-centric record label Hand Drawn Records in 2011. A few years later, in 2014, he started Hand Drawn Pressing as the vinyl record manufacturing arm for the company. Dustin is Chief Creative Officer of Hand Drawn Records and Hand Drawn Pressing. Just before the pandemic hit, Dustin became interested in what other vinyl manufacturers were doing to make their businesses run at their peak levels.

Instead of being suspicious of his competition, Dustin—with a few other manufacturers—created a vinyl manufacturing collective known as The Vinyl Record Manufacturers Association (VRMA) which is a professional trade association of independent businesses committed to the craft of vinyl record manufacturing through collaboration, advocacy, standardization, and education. Blocker currently serves as the group’s president.

So, if you’d like a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes workings of the vinyl industry, keep listening as Dustin and I talk about the viability of vinyl as a long-term audio product, how manufacturing of vinyl has—and hasn’t—changed over the last century and how the industry works together to ensure that the polyvinyl chloride discs that we love of are of a sustainably high-quality for years to come.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

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 you are incredibly important tasks; ones that must be seriously explored if we hope to keep this world spinning for a few thousand more years.

It was Jesse Colin Young’s voice in the summer of 1967 that implored everyone to “Get Together” in a song that wasn’t just a big hit of the psychedelic ’60s, it was a clarion call that epitomized the best ideals of that summer of love. While Young didn’t write the song, it was his version with the Youngbloods that became the touchstone of the concept, transferring a feeling that so many strongly felt into a song. The message has endured as well—albeit through different generational lenses—Nirvana even lifted the introductory lyrics to use in a song from their Nevermind album in 1992.

After the breakup of the Youngbloods in 1972, Jesse continued a solo career and 2023 saw the 50th anniversary and remastered reissue of Young’s most important solo work, Song For Juli. The album was recorded at a home studio that Young built upon a ridge in Inverness, California, about 30 miles north of San Francisco. It’s a dynamic group of songs that explore a wide range of genres and styles. Jesse joins me on this episode to discuss the reissue, but also walks us through many of the high points and pivotal moments of his long career.

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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 without the Boss.

However, there’s a hidden history, too. A deep dive into the milk crates and cardboard boxes of NJ’s garage and estate sales reveals some fabulous music that didn’t reach the lofty heights of the superstars mentioned above. There were several R&B and soul singles and albums released by names that might not be immediately familiar to you. The music is excellent, but it can be tough to locate the tracks and find a convenient way to enjoy them.

So, thank goodness for folks like Graham Wallace who have taken an interest in some of those tracks and had a vision to create a record label and compilation shining a light on these rarely heard tracks. Graham’s new label is called Continued Sound and—being that Graham was born in NJ—his first release is titled, The Soul of New Jersey, Vol. 1. This first volume of tracks focuses on the work of two composers and producers who were creating tracks in the ’60s and ’70s: George Kerr and Paul Kyser.

Graham discusses his reasons for beginning this new label, the technical hoops he jumped through to get these songs sounding their best, and the ideas he’s got for future releases. New Jersey has a lot to be proud of, but one of its strongest exports has been its music. Let Graham Wallace steer you away from the familiar stars and play some records for you that you may not have heard before.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

It’s Grammy season which is a perfect time for a reminder that the entertainment industry is—after all—a business that operates behind velvet curtains and closed dressing room doors. All of the biopics, books, and exposes still won’t quite be able to communicate the industry’s mysteries to media consumers. The business’ financial side is one such curious corner ripe for exploration. Often we are wowed by numbers in the millions and billions when it comes to superstars of the decade, but what about the day to day ups and downs of the music market? And what if we wanted to invest in a piece of it? Where would one even start?

David Schulhof is a music industry veteran who has seen all sides of the biz. In fact, David’s father was even a chief executive at Sony. He’s been in the publishing world, worked in musical segments of the film industry, and now he turns his attention to the stock market, the musical side of it, of course. Specifically, David is the founder and CEO of an ETF fund (an exchange traded fund) with a focus on stocks related to music: featuring mainstays and new names that cover all parts of the industry including music streaming, content and distribution, live music events and ticketing, satellite and broadcast radio, and equipment and technology. The ETF is called the MUSQ Global Music Industry ETF (NYSE: MUSQ).

You may love music, but it might require a bit of patience to truly learn about the industry’s financial side. Money and music have always been connected and now during a time when listeners want a more intimate connection with their idols, Schulhof’s ETF might offer them the opportunity to change their relationship from fan to investor.

So, pop a large bowl of popcorn before this year’s Grammy awards and enjoy the show, but consider taking a moment during the production to focus on the sound, the video, the technology, all of the things that help to support the magic of the music we love. Someone’s got to pay for all of the stuff and, hopefully, be rewarded with the profits. Maybe that someone is you.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

It’s Grammy season which is a perfect time for a reminder that the entertainment industry is—after all—a business that operates behind velvet curtains and closed dressing room doors. All of the biopics, books, and exposes still won’t quite be able to communicate the industry’s mysteries to media consumers. The business’ financial side is one such curious corner ripe for exploration. Often we are wowed by numbers in the millions and billions when it comes to superstars of the decade, but what about the day to day ups and downs of the music market? And what if we wanted to invest in a piece of it? Where would one even start?

David Schulhof is a music industry veteran who has seen all sides of the biz. In fact, David’s father was even a chief executive at Sony. He’s been in the publishing world, worked in musical segments of the film industry, and now he turns his attention to the stock market, the musical side of it, of course. Specifically, David is the founder and CEO of an ETF fund (an exchange traded fund) with a focus on stocks related to music: featuring mainstays and new names that cover all parts of the industry including music streaming, content and distribution, live music events and ticketing, satellite and broadcast radio, and equipment and technology. The ETF is called the MUSQ Global Music Industry ETF (NYSE: MUSQ).

You may love music, but it might require a bit of patience to truly learn about the industry’s financial side. Money and music have always been connected and now during a time when listeners want a more intimate connection with their idols, Schulhof’s ETF might offer them the opportunity to change their relationship from fan to investor.

So, pop a large bowl of popcorn before this year’s Grammy awards and enjoy the show, but consider taking a moment during the production to focus on the sound, the video, the technology, all of the things that help to support the magic of the music we love. Someone’s got to pay for all of the stuff and, hopefully, be rewarded with the profits. Maybe that someone is you.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

Some musicians just can’t help but be inspired by everything!

Everywhere they look, they see a little something that triggers musical thoughts, every song they hear pushes them to pick up a guitar or sit down at that piano and craft something of their own. Steve Lewis is one of those guys and—a few times during this interview—you’ll hear me compare his latest release, Exit to Mystery, with the experience of going through an old forgotten box of records, or maybe flipping around the car radio in search of something to tap the steering wheel to.

The new record features a little bit of everything: there’s chunky rock and roll, a few country-tinged tracks, some threads of gospel, and even a tip of the cap to modern pop. Through it all, however, it’s all Steve Lewis; whoever Steve Lewis chooses to be on that song, at least.

Our conversation explores how the pandemic gave him the time he finally needed to get the album he’d been hoping to produce done. We also discuss a few key tracks and look at the future. If you’re a musical maverick, someone who doesn’t mind going through that proverbial box of records and throwing what looks good on the turntable, then stay tuned and consider exploring Steve Lewis’ Exit to Mystery.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.