Dating back to the 1950s, rockabilly is a combination of classic rock and roll, country, and rhythm and blues. The music boasts strong vocals, fast tempos, a certain amount of twang, and the band is usually comprised of a vocalist, someone on rhythm guitar, lead guitar, and an upright bass. A tape echo was also often used to create an echo affect.
Originating from the southern region of the United States, rockabilly was named for its association with hillbillies playing rock and roll. Key players in the music trend include Johnny Cash, Wanda Jackson, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Recent releases from the likes of Reverend Horton Heat, Los Straitjackets, and the Hillbilly Moon Explosion still carry on the tradition of rockabilly today. While rockabilly came to life through the blending of various music genres, its popularity began to rise with Elvis Presley’s release of “That’s All Right.” According to guitarist Scotty Moore, Elvis, Bill Black, Sam Phillips and himself were recording at the legendary Sun Records studio in Memphis, Tennessee. The group was taking a break when Elvis began to play “That’s All Right, Mama,” originally released by Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup in 1946. The group excitedly worked together adding their own twists to the music. The song was later released with “Blue Moon of Kentucky” setting the standard for the rockabilly genre. While rockabilly is generally associated with the south, some northern artists did join the party. Bill Haley and the Comets released “Rock Around the Clock” with Decca Records in NYC, selling 75,000 copies and later featured on Blackboard Jungle. By 1956 the genre was a national affair with an explosion of music from the likes of Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and Carl Perkins. Cash released “Folsom Prison Blues” and Perkins released “Blue Suede Shows” through Sun Records, and Presley released “Heartbreak Hotel” through RCA. Rockabilly died down for a little while, but experienced a revival in the 1970s with the introduction of the film American Graffiti and the popular TV show Happy Days. The revival took a particularly strong hold in the UK where it influenced the likes of the Beatles and Dave Edmunds of the Rockpiles. Today rockabilly elements can be heard in indie, pop. Blues rock, and country music. The White Stripes were heavily influenced by the 1950s style sound. Never miss a thing and join our mailing list today.
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There’s a Spotify playlist, Artists To Watch 2021 by Sounds like Nashville, that boasts a wealth of up and coming artists that are building momentum going into the new year. The list of forty-nine artists plays through in just under three hours and features artists with songs that share a familiar Nashville sound. The following three songs are our favorite picks and what we think about them.
Kylie Morgan – “Break Things” 2:52 Written By Aaron Eshuis, James McNair, Kylie Morgan, Nicolette Hayford Produced By Ben Johnson, Shane McAnally Source: EMI Nashville, SMACKSongs
From Newcastle, OK, Kylie has been writing songs since she was twelve years old. Her single “Break Things” was released April 2020 and is one-part cautionary tale, one-part love song, and one-part personal anthem. It’s an upbeat song that exemplifies how we’ve all felt about our personal relationships at some point in our lives.
Kameron Marlowe – “Sober as a Drunk” 3:30 Written By J.T. Harding, Justin Wilson, Marv Green Produced by Brad Hill Source: Columbia Nashville
North Carolina native Kameron Marlowe used his life experiences to boost his music. “I had things I wanted to say,” said Marlowe, and through weeks of writing and soul searching, he used his pain to create something amazing. Once featured on the hit tv-show “The Voice” Marlowe used the experience to boost his musical career and began committing himself to his craft. The oxymoron featured in his song “Sober as a Drunk” shows the dichotomy of emotions experienced during a breakup. It’s a feeling that we can all relate to.
Ian Munsick – “Me Against the Mountain” 3:20 Written By Randy Montana, Ian Munsick, Jeremy Spillman Produced By Ian Munsick Source: Warner Music Nashville, Warner Chappell Music
Born in Wyoming, the Rocky Mountain musician offers a mix of traditional bluegrass and modern musical stylings through his songs. “Me Against the Mountain” automatically captivates with the simple strums of a banjo but the magic continues as he continues his story with deep visual cues.
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Last year was a tough year for all of us. Due to the pandemic, the studio made a tough decision to close its doors temporarily. Now that we’re back and open for business we’re looking forward to making some changes that will help us and our artists work towards creating some amazing music. One of the biggest things we are working on is how to make things easier for you, the artist, to record your music.
With a massive website redesign underway, we have created a way for musicians and artists to book sessions online from the comfort of their smartphone or computer. By using our online scheduling system, you will be able to book your recording sessions and make payments online through our website. To get started, all you have to do is go to www.ashcraftstudios.net/bookings. Scheduling is as easy as picking the date and time that you want, make a payment, and show up when it’s time. It’s just that easy. Please note that due to studio policies, all guests will be screened before entry into the studio. The screening process will include a brief questionnaire and a temperature check. Failure to submit your answer to the questionnaire or a temperature over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit will result in rescheduling your session. While we recognize the inconvenience of the situation, these policies are in place to keep our staff and guests safe. For further information on how we are ensuring the safety of everyone at the studio, you may read our blog post “Ashcraft Studios is Open for Business.” That being said, Ashcraft is continually working to improve your experience here. From an ever-expanding lineup of unique and interesting instruments to an onsite personal audio engineer, gig player, and professional mentor on site we have everything you’ll need to bring your music to life. Never miss a thing and join our mailing list today.
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What started as African American music, the R&B genre grew alongside the nation’s civil rights movement and fanned the flames that would eventually change the nation’s social and political views. Following World War I and World War II, African Americans began to move into urban communities and cultural pride boomed as the community worked to make strides in a turbulent political landscape.
With the increased population and increased access to economic resources, the communities need for entertainment grew. The commercial success of Mamie Smith’s “Crazy Blues” helped pave the way for African American artists to make a meaningful impact within the music industry. Originally called “race records,” the category was created to show solidarity for the African American community and included various styles of music such as blues and gospel. First coined in 1948, the term “rhythm and blues” was used by RCA Victor records to describe secular songs by African Americans. It was a term to replace “race music” and has gone on to describe various styles of music including variations of swing, jazz, and blues. Also known as R&B, rhythm and blues is often described as music that combines pop, blues, and jazz elements with a strong beat. As the nation fought for civil rights, R&B continued to develop as more and more people began to identify with the music. The Dixie Cups are attributed to bringing R&B into the mainstream. Their release of “Chapel of Love” in 1964 knocked the Beatles out of their number one spot in the pop charts and their rendition of “Iko Iko” originally released by James “Sugar Boy” Crawford as “Jack-A-Mo” garnered national attention and has been covered by the likes of music legends the Grateful Dead and Cyndi Lauper. In his most recent YouTube video “A Lil Rhythm & Blues” our resident artist Stanford Lee talks about R&B and how it has inspired his music. You can watch the Stanford Lee Show on YouTube and Rumble to see what else Stanford Lee has to say about music and musicology. Never miss a thing and join our mailing list today.
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Songwriter Ed Bruce passed away in Clarksville, Tennessee passed away of natural causes on Friday, January 8, 2021. The 81-year-old country singer and songwriter held 35 Billboard spots and six Top 10 Hits. His hits include “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” “You’re the Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had,” and “See the Big Man Cry.”
Ed was born in Keiser, Arkansas on December 29, 1939. His first big break came when he was 17. Catching the eye of record producer Sam Phillips, of Sun Records, Bruce released his first song “Rock Boppin’ Baby.” Later in 1962, Bruce wrote, “Save Your Kisses” for Tommy Roe. The next year he earned his first Billboard spot n the Bubbling Under chart for “See the Big Man Cry” for Carlie Louvin. Other notable songs include “Walkers Woods,” “Last Train to Clarksville,” “Song for Jenny” and “Everybody Wants to Get to Heaven. Country music star Blake Shelton spoke out on Twitter over the weekend regarding Bruce’s passing. “Just hearing that Ed Bruce passed away… What a stand-alone voice he had. He’ll be remembered for his many talents including acting and maybe most important his songwriting… Rest In Peace cowboy. I’m not loving 2021 so far.” In addition to a successful music career, Ed Bruce also enjoyed his time as an actor. He co-starred alongside James Garner in the TV series Bret Maverick, as well as made special appearances in Walker, Texas Ranger, and The Chisholms. He also played host to shows such as Truckin’ USA and American Sports Calvacade. Bruce was married twice, first to Patsy Bruce who cowrote “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” with him. They had three children together. The pair divorced in 1987 and Bruce remarried Judith Woodlee and had one child together. Never miss a thing and join our mailing list today.
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Well, 2020 sure was fun, said no one ever. Although 2020 was one heck of a year, we at Ashcraft Studios are looking forward to what 2021 can bring. But before we get into what our plans for the year are, let’s review.
A Look-Back The past year had more than its shares of challenges. For months the city of Atlanta came to a screeching halt as the pandemic gripped the country in fear. Live music and social gatherings became a thing of the past and artists everywhere struggled to make the best of a terrible situation. For a brief period, the studio closed its doors for the safety of the Ashcraft family and its guests, but that doesn’t mean we gave up. Over the course of the year, we continued to focus on what matters the most, music. Our chief audio engineer has been working hard in the studio trying new things, experimenting, and honing in his skills. Through our network of creatives, we also teamed up with Atlanta and Nashville based media production company Tessellation Media Productions to produce Stanford Lee’s flagship YouTube show the Stanford Lee Show. With new policies in place to keep our staff and clients safe, the studio is open for business. Pre-screening questionnaires and temperature checks are mandatory before entering the premises. Masks are required at all times, except when it impedes the artist’s ability to perform, and all equipment is deep cleaned and sanitized before and after every session. Looking Forward Now that the studio Is open for business, we are excited to invite artists to join the family. Still offering full-service recording and audio production services, we are looking forward to welcoming new musicians to the studio. Did we mention there’s an app coming? Last year we began the development of an app to help keep our clients connected with not only the studio, but it’s fans. The project was, unfortunately, put on hold during the pandemic season, but we are happy to report that we are back on track to its development. Make sure you subscribe to our email list so you can be one of the first to know when it officially releases. Filming As we mentioned earlier, Ashcraft Studios teamed up with Tessellation Media Productions to produce the Stanford Lee Show. Filming will continue throughout the year with the next film session slotted for this week. We’ll be releasing teaser clips as they become available and invite you to check out Tessellations’ media page to see what awesome projects they are working on. So, we had a rough year, but all is not lost. We are here and we are determined to push for great music and the artists that create it. Never miss a thing and join our mailing list today.
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First gaining popularity within the United States in the early 1940s, bluegrass music is a style that’s easily recognizable. Marked by the “high lonesome sound” of a tenor lead, bluegrass is similar to jazz in the way that it offers its performers opportunities improvise and to take turns with the lead. The music is about every day life, more notably life living in the hills or on the farm.
While some may view the beginnings of bluegrass dating back to the early 1600s as immigrants from England, Scotland, and Ireland travelled to what is now the US, bluegrass as we know it today is often traced back to Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys. Named after their home state, Kentucky, Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys took the stage at the Grand Ole Opry in 1939 where he continued to perform until he passed in 1996. Taking inspiration from both white and black musical traditions, Monroe and his boys joined together to create the classic bluegrass sound. While the group saw its fair share of line up changes through out it’s 58-year history, most notable players include guitarist Lester Flatt, banjo player Earl Scruggs, upright bassist Cedric Rainwater, and fiddler Chubby Wise. Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt later went on to create The Foggy Mountain Boys and introduced the Dobro to the music scene. Invented by the Dopyera Brothers, the Dobro was considered an obscure instrument at the time, however it grew in popularity when Brukeett H. Graves joined the group and adapted Scrugg’s unique three-finger picking style for the slide bar instrument. The Foggy Mountain Boys continued to push the sound of bluegrass and garnered attention with the release of “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” which was featured in the film Bonnie and Clyde. While bluegrass music is still alive and well today, it has seen a healthy dose of developments and changes in order to adapt and keep up with current music trends. Other musical elements such as jazz, rock, and pop were added leading to what some call “new grass” but the heart and traditions of the genre are still relevant today. Notable artists who have been inspired by bluegrass include Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, and Alison Krauss. Never miss a thing and join our mailing list today.
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So, you’re thinking about recording? While the idea can be as terrifying as exciting, there is no reason why you should be scared. There are a few things to think about before walking into a professional recording session, but the most important thing is to remember to have fun and focus on the music. Here are five things to expect throughout your recording process.
Come Prepared Preparation is key when getting ready to record music. Write your song, practice, and rehearse. You don’t have to get it perfect all in one shot, but you need to know enough to perform it while recording. Define your Vision Have a discussion with your audio engineer. What are your goals, what do you hope to get from this project? Let him know the direction you want the project to go in and decide on a tone and feel for the music. Record This is where the fun begins. The first tracks will be recorded to set the composition and design of the piece. The initial tracks will serve as the baseline for your song and all other tracks will be layered against it. Expect to do a lot of takes and each instrument and vocal will need to be recorded separately to capture the best sound. It may feel like tedious work, but it will be worth it in the end. Mastering This is where the final touches will be made. All tracks will be put together, any additional instrumentals, and effects will also be applied to enhance the music. Make sure to work closely with your audio engineer to ensure that the track is developing the way you like it. Here at Ashcraft Studios, we require that you be present throughout the whole process so we can guarantee your happiness with the final product. Enjoy Your Song The rest is up to you. With your newly recorded and mastered song in hand the rest is up to you. You can keep it and share it with your friends, or promote it and share your vision with the world. The opportunities are endless and once you’ve got one recording under your belt you can be sure that you’ll want to do it again and that’s okay! Never miss a thing and join our mailing list today.
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For the past few weeks, we’ve talked about how music affects our minds and how different genres can impact the way we think and perceive the world. So now that we know the basics, the big question remains. Does it matter what kind of music we listen to? Let’s have a look.
First, let’s review what the pros and cons of listening to music are. Studies have revealed that listening to music offers a variety of benefits. Music has been proven to boost moods, increase focus, lower stress, and reduce pain. It has also been shown to increase academic performance, and speed up recovery in stroke patients. As far as cons, well there aren’t any really unless you count reduced productivity due to rocking out too hard. Now back to the matter of musical genres. As we established in our previous blogs, the effect music has on us tends to correlate with the style of music. We learned that classical music can help boost IQ and increase focus. Pop music can boost energy levels. Rap music can inspire and motivate while helping to combat depression. Country music makes us reminisce. Jazz music boosts productivity, and heavy metal offers a sense of community. So, which is the best style of music? The answer is simple. Whatever your favorite music is, that is the best music for you to listen to. While it’s true that you can reap many benefits from listening to various styles of music, the style that you like the most is going to have the greatest impact. So, go ahead and put on your favorite song, turn the volume up, and rock out to your heart’s content. Well, that wraps up our little series on music’s effect on the brain. Make sure you check in next week to see what we’ll talk about next! Don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss it! Never miss a thing and join our mailing list today.
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For the past few weeks, we’ve been talking about music on the brain. We’ve had discussions about how music is heard and how it affects us physically and emotionally and how different types of music have different effects on us. Last week we talked about classical, pop, and rap music can help us achieve goals such as stay more focused, get energized, or help us cope with our lives. This week we’re continuing the music genre discussion to take a look at how Country music, jazz music, and heavy metal can help us too.
Country Music As our resident artist, Stanford Lee once said, country music is “a longing for home and hardship, and some drinking and heartache. It’s a story I can tell…” Country music, in short, is about our lives and experiences steeped in heartfelt memories and tradition. Because of country music’s use of universal stories of humanity, the genre can unify and connect listeners creating a community of shared experiences Jazz Music Because of its complexity, Jazz Music has a way of forcing listeners into interpreting the music rather than following a specific melody or rhythm. The experimental and often improvised musical behavior and increase neural stimulation, engaging the mind, increasing motivation, and boosting productivity. Smooth jazz on the other hand has a different effect resulting in stress reduction, lowered blood pressure, and even in some cases reduce pain. Heavy Metal It’s loud, it sounds angry, it’s the perfect way to get your heart pumping. Studies have shown that the fast-paced tempos and guttural tones in heavy music have many benefits to the human mind. Despite it’s fuming overtones, Heavy Metal music has been found to help combat feelings of anger and depression by reducing the cortisol, the stress hormone, in the body. In addition to biological reactions, Heavy Metal fans have also been found to have an increased sense of community due to the scene’s strong network of fans. Studies have also shown that younger fans of Heavy Metal listeners have a higher chance of growing up to become happier and well-adjusted individuals, and listeners of the genre also report feeling less angry after listening leading researchers to believe that Heavy Metal may be an effective way to regulate emotions. By now we’ve talked about six musical genres and their effects on our brains and emotions. But the big question here is, does it matter what kind of music we listen to? Join us next week to get the big answer. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss it! Never miss a thing and join our mailing list today.
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