Country

Country Music favorites making headlines and the rising stars to be watched in 2018

May 21, 2018May 26, 20180

Country Music America’s next big music genre next to rock ‘n roll bringing the likes of Dolly Parton, Kenny Loggings, Bruce Springsteen, Shania Twain to name

Instruments

5 Musical instruments that are used in a swing band

April 6, 2018May 26, 20180

Toe-tapping swing Whenever a big band plays swing you are bound to get people dancing if not you will note that they cannot help but move

Metal

The best metal bands of the new Millennium

May 6, 2018May 26, 20180

The heavy sounds of Metal There is a lot of metal genre's out there and some of it is quite an acquired tasted. It also gets

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The legend of Frank Sinatra still one of the most well-known and influential celebrities

Legends

by THE NEW ROPE STRING BAND - June 20, 2018May 26, 20180

Frank Sinatra
There is not a music lover out there who does not know his name, if you don’t – go look him up that is what Google is for! Trust us on this when you have read his bio and learned what songs are his you will go “Oh, right, of course, I know who he is!”

Frank Sinatra was Born December 12, 1915, he was a singer, songwriter and actor, he was also one of the most influential musical artists of the twenty-first century.
He started his career with a swing band featuring Tommy Dorsey and Harry James but his career never really took off until 1943. He signed a solo deal with Columbia Records where he released his first album “The Voice of Frank Sinatra”.

When his career stalled around the late 1950’s he took to the Las Vegas scene where he and a few other well-known artists performing the Vegas scene became known as the “Rat Pack”.
May the 14^th of this year marks the 20^th anniversary of his death.

Some best-known songs from Frank Sinatra

New York, New York
Perhaps his most famous of all songs, or at least on a par with the next one mentioned in our list. You can barely watch a movie filmed in or about New York without this song slipping into the soundtrack somewhere.

Originally written for the movie “New York, New York” produced by Martin Scorsese and first sang by Liza Minelli in 1977. It was made famous by the stylings of Frank Sinatra forever being branded as his song which he released in April 1970.This song went on to the Grammy Hall of Fame, it was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance award.

My Way
Another very popular and well-known song that seems to appear in a lot of movies, adverts and has had various pieces of it used in other songs by various artists.

This song was released by Frank Sinatra in 1969 it was written by Paul Anka, it made the UK Top 40 where it stayed for 75 weeks.

A Grammy Hall of Fame winner it was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and the Grammy Award For Best Pop Collaboration Vocals.

Fly Me to the Moon
This song was originally written by Bart Howard in 1954 and recorded by Kaye Ballard that same year.The most popular version of this song, however, was Frank Sinatra’s version which he recorded in 1964.

Country Music favorites making headlines and the rising stars to be watched in 2018

Country

by THE NEW ROPE STRING BAND - May 21, 2018May 26, 20180

Country Music

America’s next big music genre next to rock ‘n roll bringing the likes of Dolly Parton, Kenny Loggings, Bruce Springsteen, Shania Twain to name a few.

Country music headliners of 2018

Devin Dawson
With his hit country song “All On Me” he made a name for himself on the Country and Western Scene.
Devin rose to fame when he and a friend (Louisa Wendorff) made a musical mash of Taylor Swift songs which were posted on Louisa’s YouTube channel.

All of me is his first hit song which was produced by Jay Joyce and which got him on contract to Warner Bros. Records.

Tegan Marie
When you have the backing of your teenage fan base behind you as this teenager does you know she is going to the top of the country music scene.This confident and extremely talented singer-songwriting teen has already stolen the hearts of the American country music fans and has been signed to Warner Brothers.

Her single Lucky Me is on the up on the country charts not bad for a fourteen-year-old.

BebeRexha
Her new song “Meant to be” is currently topping the country charts. A singer, songwriter who has written and produced songs sung by artists such as Eminem and Rihanna have won Grammy awards.She released her very own single in 2016, “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up” and her “I’m Gonna show you crazy” featured in the DC Movie “The Suicide Squad”

Born in Brooklyn, New York this twenty-eight year is already reaching great heights in her career.

Brett Young
This College baseball pitcher from Orange County, California has come a long way since then. His debut album was produced by Dann Huff and released through Big Machine Group record label to land at number two on the country chart.

His song Mercy was released in 2017 and is still a firm favorite in the States.

Carrie Underwood
Winner of American Idols fourth season to become America’s country and western sweetheart.
Her first song “Some Hearts” was released in 2005 after she had won American Idol and became the best selling solo debut album of a female artist.

Her current song released early this year/latter part of 2017 is “Cry Pretty”.

Jake Owen
This all-American country singer with his wide warm smile and voice to match his charm hails from Winter Haven in Florida.

He is currently signed to RCA Nashville which he has been since 2006. He recently released a tribute to John Mellencamp with his song “I was Jack (and you were Diane)” currently sits at number seventeen on the country charts.

info1 - Country Music favorites making headlines and the rising stars to be watched in 2018 — Infographic by: visual.ly

The best metal bands of the new Millennium

Metal

by THE NEW ROPE STRING BAND - May 6, 2018May 26, 20180

The heavy sounds of Metal

There is a lot of metal genre’s out there and some of it is quite an acquired tasted. It also gets a rep of being Satanist music, so most people tend to not give it a try. Things is, there are a lot of Christian metal bands that are quite good. The dark metal, death metal or really heavy stuff you have to sift through as even that has some really great tracks.But if you find the right songs from the right bands and give it a go you are bound to get hooked. This music takes you to a new level. The deep bass and rifts, with gravelly deep male vocals (and yes, some woman have that deep vocal too) can take you to another place.

The trick to listening to metal is in your car on a really good sound system that lets the music touch go through you.
Please NOTE: Some of these songs do have explicit language.

The best metal bands

#1 Metallica

Face it when you read heavy metal one of the first bands that ran through your mind was Metallica!
Not only did they hit the jackpot with their cool name but they have some really awesome tracks.
This band has been together since 1981 and even though there has been some ups and downs it is still going strong.

Their most famous song of all Enter Sandman is still one of the most played metal songs.
If that is a bit too heavy for you then try “The Unforgiven” or “Nothing else matters”.

#2 Disturbed

Disturbed have been around since 1994 and hail from Chicago Illinois.
The deep resonant voice of Erich Awalt on vocals reaches many pitches from the grown of metal to pelting out their cover of Sounds of Silence.

They are well worth a google or Youtube look as they do have some really awesome tunes like “Down with the sickness” and “The Vengeful One”

#3 Stone Sour

Corey Taylor is a true music legend whose voice has many pitches as has his music.
From singer lead vocals of Slip Knot to doing the Soundtrack to Dave Grohl’s “Sound City” to forming Stone Sour and a great entertainer to boot.

Some of the top songs from Stone Sour include “Through the Glass”, “Son #3”

#4 Five Finger Death Punch

From Las Vegas, Five Finger Death Punch has been around since 2005. It has had its ups and downs as most bands do.

But if it is a great performance mixed with heavy rock metal this is the band. They do tend to have rather explicit lyrics.

Be warned they are quite addictive as there is nothing like pumping out “The Pride”, “Jekyll and Hyde” or “Wash it all away” whilst travelling down a motorway.

The swing sounds of the bands and voices of the 1930’s through 1940’s

String Bands

by THE NEW ROPE STRING BAND - April 21, 2018May 26, 20180

The 1930’s to the 1940’s swing era

A time of glitz, glamour veering into the second world war. Swing saw in a new era of music that led to into the 1950’s era of Rock ‘n Roll.

Swing still lives on today as big bands swing people onto dance floors at functions, weddings, etc.
Even Mickey Mouse and Friends swung to the sounds swing music as they boogied the across most television and movie screens. It does not matter who you are swing starts to play and you are bopping!

Some of the swing music from big bands

#1 Benny Goodman – Sing, Sing Sing
You cannot listen to this song without wanting to move some part of your body. You cannot help it as it bursts with all the magical instruments of a swing band led by a true master. Makes you want to get up and do a slide into some fancy footwork whilst snapping your fingers and keeping up with likes of Fred and Ginger. This song was first released in 1936, the music and lyrics by Loius Prima.

#2 Louis Armstrong – Mack the Knife
Born in the town of madrigals, this New Orleans trumpeter with his deep gravelly voice went on to become one of the kings of swings. With a career spanning across five-decade, he swung, jazzed and serenaded the world.
One of his most famous early songs was Mack the Knife where he spellbinds you with his trumpet abilities smoothly transitioning into vocals.

The song was originally composed by Kurt Weill for the “Threepenny Opera” and premiered in Berlin at the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm in 1928.

It was remastered by Louis Armstrong in 1956.

#3 Ray Charles – Mess Around
Release in 1953 this song is one is a great example of the magic piano can bring to swing especially when you have Ray Charles playing it.

A master of the piano even after being blinded and listed as a true musical genius singer, songwriter and pianist.

#4 Glenn Miller Orchestra – In the Mood
Probably one of the most famous big band swing songs of all times. In the Mood is a number 1 hit swing song written and produced by Glen Miller it was recorded in the late 1930’. It held the chart number one for thirteen weeks.

#5 Royal Crown Revue – Hey Pachuco
This song gets an honorable mention from a truly fun movie The Mask.It is also an incredible piece of swing from an amazing band formed in 1989 in Los Angeles.

This band has been credit as one of the major players in the swing revival movement.Hey Pachuco flows from an upbeat tempo, slowing it down a bit then into full swing – go on see if you can keep up!

#6 Big Bad Voodoo – Jumping Jack
This song will truly get you jumping with its classic heavy double bass upbeat swing. Also, a more recent band that is true to its swing roots. Formed in 1994 from Big band records

5 Musical instruments that are used in a swing band

Instruments

by THE NEW ROPE STRING BAND - April 6, 2018May 26, 20180

Toe-tapping swing

Whenever a big band plays swing you are bound to get people dancing if not you will note that they cannot help but move or tap to the sound.
Swing basically dominated the music scene during the 1930’s through to the 1940’s, aptly because of its swing type feeling.
Many notable musicians shone in the swing era such as Woody Herman, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman and Shep Fields.

5 Musical instruments used in a swing band

Trumpets

The major musical component of a swing band is its brass section and as such the trumpet plays an important part in this music style.
When played correctly they add an upbeat buzz to any kind of music.

Saxophone

One of the best sax introductions is that of Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street released in 1978.
The sax is one of those instruments that in the hands of the right musician takes you away.

Double Bass

Who doesn’t love the double base? It gives a soulful smooth ripple to classical music, the bass to swing and a foot-tapping deep resonance to songs like the Stray cat’s strut by The Stray cats released in 1981.

Drums

No band is really complete without a set of drums. This is the most basic of all the musical instruments but the most needed as it adds the backbone to any sound.

Keyboard

These are one of the most versatile as they are able to produce all sorts of back up harmonies. The keyboard was used more recent times than back when swing first came out.

Trombone

You need the good old trombone for that lower base sound to give the depth and make you want to slide!

Piano

To give the quirky to dramatic effect to the backdrop of a good old swing track. An instrument that has been around for decades, it lends a haunting to classical, a perky honky-tonk for the bar room and a spunk to swing.

5 Bands that are named after food

Salad

by THE NEW ROPE STRING BAND - March 22, 2018May 26, 20180

Where foodies and music lovers mix

A blues legend, who was the first to ever record with an electric guitar, appropriated a stage name as a tribute to his favorite cut of meat. T-Bone Walker, namely Aaron Thibeaux Walker an American singer, songwriter and pioneer of the electric and jump blues. Since then many of music’s great bands have been named after various types of food.

5 Bands named after food:

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Formed in 1983 this Californian rock band has been rocking the world with their albums associated with record labels such as Capitol, EMI and Warner Bros.

They are also one of the best-selling bands of all time having sold over 80-million records worldwide. They won six Grammy Awards whilst been nominated for sixteen and were inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” in 2012.

Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray is another American rock band that has been around since the 1980’s and is still going strong.
Originally active sine 1986 this alternative rock band hails from Newport Beach, California.

They became more popular in 1997 with their pop-rock hit single “Fly”.

The Cranberries
It has been a very sad year for the Cranberries with their singer Dolores O’Riordon passing away suddenly on the 15^th January this year.

The band originally formed in 1989 in Ireland has been delighting audiences for years with their Alternative/pock rock style music laced with hints of Celtic rock.

Cream
Formed in the 1960’s this British rock band introduced to the world some of music great artists such as Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce.Their album “wheels of fire” made history in becoming the worlds very first “Platinum-selling double album”. They went off the become the world first supergroup to become a huge success.

Meatloaf
Not a band as such but you cannot mention artists named after food without mentioning a true legend that changed rock by giving us albums such as “Bat out of Hell”. Teamed up with the likes of Jim Steinman it is no wonder “Bat out of Hell” is still one of the best-selling albums of all times.