The Sharp Notes

01/09/2026

Independence in music is usually described as freedom. In reality, it is a long sequence of decisions you cannot outsource.

Our latest podcast conversation is with Tamar Berk, whose new album "ocd" explores looping thoughts and the patterns we carry with us.

We talk about the real work of doing it yourself, the pressure, the isolation, the financial strain, and the rare satisfaction of owning every part of the outcome. It's our first interview of the new year!

Independence in music is often framed as freedom, but the reality is a series of decisions you cannot escape. In this conversation, Tamar Berk reflects on building a career outside the industry’s machinery, the pressures and rewards of doing it yourself, and how those experiences shaped her new al...

01/08/2026

Legacy and RCA announce the soundtrack release for Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, arriving February 20 with vinyl following April 24. Built from newly restored archival performances, the project reflects a long-overdue respect for Elvis’ 1970s work and the artist behind it. Full story now live at The Sharp Notes.

Legacy Recordings and RCA will release the soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert on February 20, with vinyl following April 24. Drawing from newly restored archival performances and fresh remixes, the album reflects a renewed respect for Elvis’ 1970s output, an era long mis...

01/07/2026

Craft Recordings opens 2026 with three major additions to its Original Jazz Classics series: Vince Guaraldi & Bola Sete’s From All Sides, Thelonious Monk’s Alone in San Francisco, and Wes Montgomery’s Full House. All arrive February 27 on 180-gram audiophile vinyl and high-resolution digital. Details, production notes, and why these releases matter to collectors and listeners alike at The Sharp Notes.

Craft Recordings opens 2026 with three major additions to its Original Jazz Classics series: Vince Guaraldi & Bola Sete’s From All Sides, Thelonious Monk’s Alone in San Francisco, and Wes Montgomery’s Full House. Arriving February 27 on 180-gram vinyl and high-resolution digital, the releases ...

12/24/2025

Look, your record store might have plenty of Smithereens records. But, our record store has an actual Smithereen!

A few months back, Evan Toth had the pleasure of interviewing Dennis Diken, drummer extraordinaire of The Smithereens. Today, he walked in the door in the flesh. You’d think we staged the whole thing, with their debut album sitting right there, but no. The universe handled the set design.

And if Dennis ever gives up the drums (heaven forfend) he’d look dangerously good behind a record store register.

12/18/2025

You know that feeling when you’re talking to a statue, and then the statue comes to life and starts attacking you with its sword? Look, we’ve all been there. Out on the floor soon is this terrific, tough to find, prog/art rock release from 1971 (UK pressing).

12/17/2025

Lionmilk's "When the Flowers Bloom: is a record shaped by change, but it never feels heavy-handed. Evan Toth spoke with Moki Kawaguchi about process, influence, and the role honesty plays in his work, tracing subtle lines from jazz tradition to the melodic clarity of Vince Guaraldi and the softer, inward moments of the Beach Boys. It’s a thoughtful conversation about craft, community, and making music as a positive act. The pressing is excellent, too!

Lionmilk’s When the Flowers Bloom reflects a period of transition for Moki Kawaguchi, shaped by loss, isolation, and renewal without leaning into excess drama. Drawing subtle lines to the melodic clarity of Vince Guaraldi and the softer, inward moments of the Beach Boys, the album balances jazz tr...

12/16/2025

It's always nice to see thoughtful work travel.

A quote written by Evan Toth for Tracking Angle has appeared as a pull quote in Billboard, tied to a recent Grammy consideration feature for "Nothing But Time", the debut album by the STEVE BARDWIL BAND. The quote originated in Evan’s in-depth interview with producer Joe Chiccarelli, conducted for Michael Fremer’s Tracking Angle.

It’s a small moment, but a meaningful one: a reminder that careful listening and long-form conversation still have a place in the wider music dialogue.

Grateful, as always, to Michael Fremer for his continued support over the years, and proud of Evan’s work finding a broader audience. Thanks, also to Leo Lavoro for making the connection(s).

We’re happy to share a small but meaningful piece of news from the wider music world.A quote written by Evan Toth for Tracking Angle has appeared as a pull quote in Billboard, included in a recent Grammy consideration feature connected to Nothing But Time, the debut album by the Steve Bardwil Band...

12/06/2025

Interscope Records’s Definitive Sound Series is doing real work, giving long-neglected albums the kind of audiophile attention they’ve deserved for years. I sat down with Tom Grover Biery, the steady hand guiding the series, to unpack why this imprint approaches the catalog world with a different philosophy than the usual reissue shop. We spent time on Nat King Cole's The Christmas Song and the careful audio archaeology behind crafting what may be the most faithful, best-sounding version of the album you’ve ever heard. Tom’s history runs deep, including his years as GM and EVP at Warner Brothers Records, and the conversation opens into all kinds of terrain worth exploring.

Read and watch it TrackingAngle.com!

The Definitive Sound Series Brings Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song" Into the 21st Century

12/01/2025

Thanks to the one and only Todd-O-Phonic Todd from WFMU for visiting to check out TSN headquarters. We love this Sunny and the Sunliners album and are sorry to see it go, but we’re sure Todd will find a place for it on the airwaves for everyone in NJ and NYC (and globally) to hear in the comfort of their homes (or cars…or whatever).

11/30/2025

Get to your local newsstand before the night is through.

11/30/2025

It feels right that the best way to take in this article about Evan Toth and The Sharp Notes is by holding an actual newspaper and letting the ink rub off on your fingertips. A real thank-you to Stephanie Noda and the Bergen Record/Herald News for spending the time to see the story behind this experiment in vinyl culture and for sharing it with the world. And to our family and friends, your support has carried us further than you know.

Our hope is simple. We want to be a home for the lifers who have been crate-digging since forever and also for anyone catching that first spark of the vinyl bug. Settling into the mall has added something unexpectedly human to the mix. People cross paths here who might never meet anywhere else, and that steady flow of neighbors, browsers, wanderers, and curious listeners turns out to be its own kind of community. The music helps, but the people make it work.

This article reminds us why we’re doing it in the first place.

11/27/2025

Black Friday first: 10% off EVERYTHING and every record priced $5.99 and under is ONE DOLLAR. That’s the headline. That’s the hook. Consider it our little spell to pull you through the doors.

Now the scene: Thanksgiving night at The Sharp Notes. The mall is settling in, lights warming the corridors, and every bin in the shop is stocked like we’re expecting a vinyl emergency (we are). We’re not in the Record Store Day club yet — you need a full year on the books — but the place still feels charged, like someone flipped the switch to holiday mode.

They’re saying 150,000 shoppers might roll through the Garden State Plaza tomorrow. Parking will be a minor sport. But the energy? The strange, kinetic, only-in-November buzz? It’s worth being part of.

We’ll be here from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Records, audio gear, surprises tucked around the corners.

Cheap heat, served fresh.