Matt Pinfield
Encyclopedia
Matt Pinfield is a music personality and TV host, best known for being a video deejay on MTV
and VH1
. He currently lives in Harrison, New Jersey
having previously resided in East Brunswick Township
. He is currently the host of the MTV2
monthly alternative music
program 120 Minutes
, which he had previously hosted from 1995 to 1999.
at WRSU-FM, the official radio station of Rutgers University
. In 1984, Pinfield became a radio DJ on the Jersey shore
alternative rock
radio station WHTG-FM
106.3, and was the main DJ at a New Brunswick, New Jersey
club called The Melody Bar. During Matt's tenure, the Melody Bar became a respected alternative music club in the New York City
area. Matt developed a close personal relationship with a number of British alternative rock bands such as Ned's Atomic Dustbin
, Pop Will Eat Itself
, and The Wonder Stuff
.
During his 10 years at WHTG, Matt was the recipient of the Gavin Award (1992 and 1993) for National Commercial Alternative Music Director of the Year.
In 1992, Matt appeared in an episode of the first season of MTV's The Real World when he interviewed members of the rock group "Reigndance" on-air at WHTG. The group's lead singer, Andre, was one of the seven cast members of that revolutionary first season of The Real World.
In 1995, Pinfield kicked off his television career hosting MTV’s 120 Minutes
. Within a year, he hosted a variety of MTV shows including "MattRock," "Pinfield Suite," "Pinfield Presents," "Rocks Off," Say What
, MTV Live
, and over 100 MTV specials. His music knowledge was showcased on TRL
's Stump Matt. In 1999, Pinfield joined Universal Television to host and co-write a live television show about music, farmclub.com, which aired in 2000 on the USA Network
.
In 2001, Matt became Vice President of A & R and Artist Development for Columbia Records
, signing and overseeing the making of albums by many gold and platinum acts including Coheed & Cambria and Crossfade
. During the same time, he hosted WXRK-FM's The Buzz and made cameo appearance
s on several albums, including a secret spoken word track on Limp Bizkit
's Significant Other
. In 2005, Matt was asked by The Rolling Stones
to host their international radio interview for Premiere networks. The special featured all four band members together for the first time in an interview setting in over 35 years.
In 2006, Pinfield returned to Television to host VH1's VSpot Top 20 Countdown
and HDNet
's Soundoff with Matt Pinfield, an in-depth interview program in the vein of Larry King Live
. Pinfield also co-starred as himself on several episodes of the Nickelodeon
program The Naked Brothers Band
.
On August 22, 2007, Pinfield hosted Projekt Revolution
, a free concert hosted on Myspace.com. Pinfield hosted Sirius Satellite Radio
's Matt Pinfield Plays Whatever He Wants and Soundoff with Matt Pinfield. However, as of November 12, 2008, the merger of XM and Sirius left the future of these shows in doubt.
Beginning May 28, 2008 Pinfield took over as morning drive DJ on New York radio station WRXP 101.9FM. Matt was honored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in 2008 for his accomplishments in the music industry.
Every February, Matt spins 80's/90's alternative classics at the now annual Melody Bar Reunion in New Brunswick, NJ, which for one night a year brings the glory days of the famous Melody Bar back to life.
In July 2011, WRXP changed formats and Matt left the station to host 120 Minutes, which had been revived by MTV2
. Pinfield began hosting the revived weekly series on July 31, 2011.
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
. He currently lives in Harrison, New Jersey
Harrison, New Jersey
Harrison is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 13,620. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark, New Jersey.-Geography:Harrison is located at ....
having previously resided in East Brunswick Township
East Brunswick Township, New Jersey
The town is located southwest of New York City and 48 miles northeast of Philadelphia.Lawrence Brook, a tributary of the Raritan River, runs along the western border of the township...
. He is currently the host of the MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
monthly alternative music
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
program 120 Minutes
120 Minutes
120 Minutes is a television show in the United States dedicated to alternative music, originally airing on MTV from 1986 to 2000, and then on MTV's sister channel MTV2 from 2001 to 2003....
, which he had previously hosted from 1995 to 1999.
Career
Early in his career, Matt worked as an on-air host and Music DirectorMusic director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
at WRSU-FM, the official radio station of Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
. In 1984, Pinfield became a radio DJ on the Jersey shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
radio station WHTG-FM
WHTG-FM
WBBO is a radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Hit Radio format. Licensed to Ocean Acres, New Jersey, it serves Ocean & Burlington counties in New Jersey as well as the New Jersey suburbs of Philadelphia. It first began broadcasting in 1993 under the call sign WQNJ, but more recently operated...
106.3, and was the main DJ at a New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
club called The Melody Bar. During Matt's tenure, the Melody Bar became a respected alternative music club in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
area. Matt developed a close personal relationship with a number of British alternative rock bands such as Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Ned's Atomic Dustbin are an English rock band formed in Stourbridge in West Midlands in November 1987. The band took their name from an episode of The Goon Show. The band were unusual for using two bass players in their lineup: Alex Griffin played melody lines high up on one bass, and Mat Cheslin...
, Pop Will Eat Itself
Pop Will Eat Itself
Pop Will Eat Itself are an English alternative rock band, originally formed in Stourbridge in 1986, with members from Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. Initially known as a Grebo act, their style changed to incorporate sample driven indie and industrial rock...
, and The Wonder Stuff
The Wonder Stuff
The Wonder Stuff are a British alternative rock band, originally based in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in the Black Country, England.-Origins:...
.
During his 10 years at WHTG, Matt was the recipient of the Gavin Award (1992 and 1993) for National Commercial Alternative Music Director of the Year.
In 1992, Matt appeared in an episode of the first season of MTV's The Real World when he interviewed members of the rock group "Reigndance" on-air at WHTG. The group's lead singer, Andre, was one of the seven cast members of that revolutionary first season of The Real World.
In 1995, Pinfield kicked off his television career hosting MTV’s 120 Minutes
120 Minutes
120 Minutes is a television show in the United States dedicated to alternative music, originally airing on MTV from 1986 to 2000, and then on MTV's sister channel MTV2 from 2001 to 2003....
. Within a year, he hosted a variety of MTV shows including "MattRock," "Pinfield Suite," "Pinfield Presents," "Rocks Off," Say What
Say What
"Say What" is a single by LL Cool J from the hip-hop compilation, Violator: The Album. It was released on August 3, 1999 for Violator Records and Def Jam Recordings and featured production from Vinnie Biggs...
, MTV Live
MTV Live
MTV Live was a U.S. television series that aired from 1997 to 1998 on MTV, featuring interviews with celebrity guests, live musical performances, news coverage, and music video premieres.-Series run:...
, and over 100 MTV specials. His music knowledge was showcased on TRL
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
's Stump Matt. In 1999, Pinfield joined Universal Television to host and co-write a live television show about music, farmclub.com, which aired in 2000 on the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
.
In 2001, Matt became Vice President of A & R and Artist Development for Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, signing and overseeing the making of albums by many gold and platinum acts including Coheed & Cambria and Crossfade
Crossfade (band)
-Studio albums:-Singles:...
. During the same time, he hosted WXRK-FM's The Buzz and made cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s on several albums, including a secret spoken word track on Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
's Significant Other
Significant Other
Significant Other is the second album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, released on June 22, 1999. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 834,000 copies in its first week and received a Grammy Award nomination later in the year of its release. The RIAA certified it 7x platinum in...
. In 2005, Matt was asked by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
to host their international radio interview for Premiere networks. The special featured all four band members together for the first time in an interview setting in over 35 years.
In 2006, Pinfield returned to Television to host VH1's VSpot Top 20 Countdown
VSpot Top 20 Countdown
VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown is a weekly television show on the VH1 cable television network in the United States. The long-running series began in 1994 as the VH1 Top 10 Countdown, as part of VH1's "Music First" rebranding effort...
and HDNet
HDNet
HDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
's Soundoff with Matt Pinfield, an in-depth interview program in the vein of Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
. Pinfield also co-starred as himself on several episodes of the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
program The Naked Brothers Band
The Naked Brothers Band (TV series)
The Naked Brothers Band is an American television musical comedy created by Polly Draper. The show depicts the daily lives of Draper's sons, who lead a faux rock band from New York City. As a mockumentary, the storyline is a hyperbole of their real lives, and the fictional presence of a camera is...
.
On August 22, 2007, Pinfield hosted Projekt Revolution
Projekt Revolution
Projekt Revolution is a music festival hosted by Linkin Park, bringing artists of various genres of music together. Linkin Park started Projekt Revolution in the year 2002 with just one stage...
, a free concert hosted on Myspace.com. Pinfield hosted Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
's Matt Pinfield Plays Whatever He Wants and Soundoff with Matt Pinfield. However, as of November 12, 2008, the merger of XM and Sirius left the future of these shows in doubt.
Beginning May 28, 2008 Pinfield took over as morning drive DJ on New York radio station WRXP 101.9FM. Matt was honored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
in 2008 for his accomplishments in the music industry.
Every February, Matt spins 80's/90's alternative classics at the now annual Melody Bar Reunion in New Brunswick, NJ, which for one night a year brings the glory days of the famous Melody Bar back to life.
In July 2011, WRXP changed formats and Matt left the station to host 120 Minutes, which had been revived by MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
. Pinfield began hosting the revived weekly series on July 31, 2011.