Alternative Folk (ɔltə́rnətɪv fók) is a category of music that keeps the gentle tones of traditional Folk while adding in a more aggressive and energetic sound that brings a new edge to the style of music. Often teamed with protests and feminism, the Alternative Folk sound features greats like Billy Bragg, Ani DiFranco, Suzanne Vega, […]

Alternative Rap (ɔltə́rnətɪv rǽp) is a subgenre of Hip Hop music and is defined as being against mainstream and popular rap music. This subgenre borrows heavily from Funk, Rock, and even Reggae. What began in the later eighties with De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and OutKast, is often more embraced by the Alternative […]

Alternative Rock (ɔltə́rnətɪv rÁk) rose out of the independent underground rock music that was popular in the 80s. This style of music features very loud, and often distorted, guitar sounds coupled with the traditional punk sound that started it all. While the beginnings of Alternative Rock were small, bands like The Feelies and Violent Femmes […]

Alternative and Rock Latino (ɔltə́rnətɪv ǽnd rák latíno) is a type of Latin music that combines the sounds of Rock, Metal, and Reggae. Up until recently, this category did not exist and all Latino music fell under the Latino category. In the 50s, Rock emerged in Latin America and artists began using non-traditional instruments in […]

Ambient (ǽmbiənt) is a style of music that originated in the United Kingdom. This style of music is meant to be played as background music, blending seamlessly into the background without overpowering conversation. Brian Eno is said to be the founder of Ambient music through combining the style of environmental music mixed with electronic sound. […]

American Trad Rock or American Traditional Rock (əmɛ́rəkən trad rák) is a style of music with roots deeply embedded in the 50s sound of Rock, R&B, and country. American Trad Rock started with greats like Elvis Presley and Big Joe Turner. This roots based rock music relies heavily on what made the traditional Southern Blues […]

Americana (əmɛ̀rəkǽnə) is a catchall phrase that describes the traditional styling of American music, especially Folk, Country, R&B, and Rock and Roll. This style of music heavily uses acoustic instruments, but electrical bands are almost always present. This subgenre of music developed in the 90s, to include artists and sounds who did not traditionally fit […]

An Amplifier (?mpl?f??y?r), sometimes referred to simply as an

The Archtop Guitar (archtop g?t??r) is an acoustic or semi-acoustic steel stringed guitar that takes its name from its distinctive curved or arched top. The design is credited to Orville Gibson, whose 1898 patent for a mandolin included design specifications and construction techniques also applicable to guitars. The design incorporates a violin style arched top and back, each carved from a single block of wood that creates a need for internal bracing, f-holes on the stomach, a stoptail or moveable bridge and a tailpiece.

The distinctive rich tone of these guitars made them particularly suited to electrification, and they quickly became staple instrumental accompaniments in the Big Bands and Swing Bands of the 1940s. The archtop fell out of style in Pop music for a time, but has seen a revival since the 1990s, and have remained popular with jazz and blues musicians since their inception in the early 1900s.