About
Rachel Hurley is a writer, radio host, producer and social media consultant. Her radio shows can be heard on Breakthruradio.com and are downloaded to an audience of over of 1.5 million. She is the publisher of Ardentpresents.com, Rachelandthecity.com, and created one of the very first widely recognized music blogs, Scenestars.net. She has written for Spin.com, Projectdu.com, The Commercial Appeal, Image Magazine, The Memphis Flyer, Breakthruradio.com and various other rags. She currently holds the title of New Media Consultant at Ardent Studios where she preaches the gospel of Ardent to anyone who will listen. She is also an integral part of Ardent’s new record label, Ardent Music, that has recently signed two major up-and-coming Memphis artists – Jump Back Jake and Star & Micey.
Hurley has worked as a music supervisor and associate producer for MTV, VH1, Disney, ESPN and RCN. She grew up in Memphis and attended the University of Memphis where she studied Philosophy, which basically means she has no tangible skill set. Therefore, she moved away to work in entertainment. After two boring winters in Nashville and five cold winters in New York City, she returned home to Memphis where all the bartenders know her name.
When she is not working, Hurley has dedicated many hours helping the Memphis community, from teaching blogging classes to teens at the Memphis Public Library, to teaching publicity classes at Delta Girls Rock Camp and Southern Girls Rocks Camp, to appearing on panels at Indie Impact Memphis and the SPJ, to curating and producing the 6 Degrees of Memphis SXSW Day show in Austin, TX for the past three years.
Red Bull Big Tune Crowns Frank Dukes in Atlanta
A crowd of 1,000 packed the main lounge and balcony boxes of Opera in Midtown Atlanta to cast their vote for the producer with the hottest beats in the 2009 Red Bull Big Tune Finals. Sixteen producers representing eight cities across the country battled it out in a head-to-head competition that came down to last year’s Red Bull Big Tune runner-up, Frank Dukes, and the man behind the mask representing The Big Easy, Hannibal the Beat Animal. The energy of the crowd elevated the performances and showmanship of both final contestants. Once the final track was played the audience was ...
Why Jerry Lawler’s Social Media Campaign Was An Epic Fail
Social Media made it's first major impact on the recent special election for Memphis mayor back when the news broke on Twitter that after resigning, Mayor Herenton pulled a petition to run for his old job. Several candidates reacted to the news via their own twitter accounts. This signaled that this would be a historic election not only because it would guarantee the first new mayor for the city in 18 years, but because of the new and exciting ways candidates would reach out to voters. [caption id="attachment_114" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Jerry Lawler Facebooking. "][/caption] The result of the election has ...
New Stax Exhibition to Open – “Still Life in Soul”
The Stax Museum of American Soul Music announces a new exhibition, “STILL LIFE IN SOUL,” opening November 6th, 2009. The exhibit explores the current life, activity, and resurgence in popularity of soul music through portrait, performance, and documentary photography made since 2005 by music photographer Jacob Blickenstaff. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Still Life in Soul"][/caption] The Stax Museum of American Soul Music announces a new exhibition, “STILL LIFE IN SOUL,” opening November 6th, 2009. The exhibit explores the current life, activity, and resurgence in popularity of soul music through portrait, performance, and documentary photography made since 2005 by music photographer Jacob Blickenstaff. An ...
Going Gray at Girltalk
I have a confession to make: I am getting old. Now, I know what you're thinking - Rachel, you're not old - you look GREAT! But, alas, I must be getting old because last Friday night when I went to Girltalk at Minglewood Hall I felt something that I have never felt before at a live music performance: crotchety. [caption id="attachment_94" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Girl Talk's Gregg Michael Gillis"][/caption] It's not that it wasn't a good show, if you could call it a show. The kids were having a blast and the sound system was fantastic. But it felt like a rave with a ...
Saving the Memphis Music Scene
Last week the BBC posted a video highlighting the return of Al Bell to the Memphis Music Scene. You can watch the video detailing his return to Memphis here. [caption id="attachment_83" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Al Bell at Stax "][/caption] Although I think it's great that Al Bell wants to be involved again, and I am quite sure his experiences with Stax are valuable, there were a few items in the interview that I found less than accurate - the first being the the following claim: "Bell has returned to his roots in Memphis, Tennessee, to rekindle the music scene he dominated ...
