November 2008 – Page 3 – Country Universe

Discussion: Country … on Broadway?

November 22, 2008 Guest Contributor 10

I fell in love with Broadway musicals at age 6 when my parents took me to see “Camelot”. It was a truly magical experience, and over the years I’ve often wondered if my early love

Rascal Flatts, Greatest Hits Volume 1

November 22, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 11

Rascal Flatts Greatest Hits Volume 1 If an act’s musical identity can be distilled into five seconds, it may be the opening of “Praying For Daylight”, the debut single of Rascal Flatts and first cut

Review: Trace Adkins, “I Can’t Outrun You”

November 22, 2008 Leeann Ward 10

While Trace Adkins’ formulaic “You’re Gonna Miss This” was received well (likely partly due to his high-profile appearances on Celebrity Apprentice), his more unconventional ballads like the gospel-flavored “Muddy Water”, the thoughtful “Arlington” and the

Discussion: Recommend a Track

November 21, 2008 Guest Contributor 14

About a year ago, I made a YouTube discovery while I was in the process of searching for something completely different. (Isn’t that how it always works?) I came across a video of The Ginn

Review: Emerson Drive, “Belongs to You”

November 21, 2008 Guest Contributor 2

In 2006, Emerson Drive hit the jackpot with “Moments,” a once-in-a-lifetime story song that stretched the boundaries of country radio in all the right directions. The band now resides with Valory Music Co., and their

Discussion: Five-Star Albums

November 20, 2008 Leeann Ward 35

Let’s face it, 2008 has not been a particularly strong year for country music albums. Sales are down both due to the struggling economy and as a result of big name artists not exactly releasing

Review: Rodney Atkins, “It’s America”

November 20, 2008 Guest Contributor 10

That patriotism is such a powerful fixture in modern-day country music can largely be attributed to the events of 9-11. In the early stages of the decade, the format issued jingoistic missives (“Courtesy of the

Discussion: Creative Song Titles

November 19, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 20

I was listening in the car today to a track from the Caitlin Cary and Thad Cockrell album Begonias. It’s a winding, bittersweet epic that clocks in at over seven minutes. The title? “Conversations About

Review: Jason Aldean, “She’s Country”

November 19, 2008 Guest Contributor 16

Jason Aldean’s latest release is a limited assessment, depicting a young woman who’s a product of the countrier-than-thou generation. No artist in recent memory has bludgeoned the audience with so many country-to-the-core songs. Ironically, the

Discussion: Country Universe Giveaway/Darius Rucker, Learn to Live

November 18, 2008 Guest Contributor 38

While a number of artists from different musical genres entered into the country rodeo this past year, no Nashville newcomer was more successful than Hootie & the Blowfish frontman, Darius Rucker. His debut country disc,