December 2015 – Country Universe

Year-End Rodeo 2015: Individual Ballots

December 29, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 5

Now that our final lists of the 40 Best Singles of 2015 and 20 Best Albums of 2015 are posted and open for discussion, we have decided to post each of our seven writers’ individual

The Best Albums of 2015, Part Two: #10-#1

December 28, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 6

The upper half of our albums list reflects the revitalization of country music in 2015, courtesy of mostly younger artists with fresh perspectives in their lyrics and arrangements. There is still a legend or two in the mix, but if this year has proven anything, it’s that the genre’s future is in good hands.

The Best Albums of 2015, Part One: #20-#11

December 27, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 4

The lower half of our Best Albums of 2015 list includes the welcome return of an eighties lady, a return to country from a legendary Eagle, and no less than five Country Music Hall of Famers.

Sunday Selections: December 20, 2015

December 20, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 1

The theme for this week’s Sunday Selections post is, “What year do you think it is?” One of the week’s few new releases has garish cover art that looks like something from the late 90s,

The Best Singles of 2015, Part Two: #20-#1

December 20, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 15

Our singles list concludes with strong entries from new artists, established superstars, and alternative country stalwarts.

The Best Singles of 2015, Part One: #40-#21

December 19, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 5

Our first Best of 2015 list kicks off today with the lower half of our top forty singles of 2015. Check back for part two tomorrow!

Year-End Rodeo 2015: The Master Lists

December 14, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 17

As 2015 winds down, we’ll be unveiling the Country Universe crew’s Top 30 Singles and Top 20 Albums, along with our writers’ individual ballots. Because everyone loves lists. And lists of lists. But, despite all

Sunday Selections: December 13, 2015

December 13, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 4

This week’s round-up is a bit light on Chris Stapleton news… if only because we already have a post about the Grammy nominations, where he scored a total of 4 nods, including the all-genre Album

Single Review: Carrie Underwood, “Heartbeat”

December 11, 2015 Kevin John Coyne 18

“Heartbeat” has been stuck in my head for days, which isn’t surprising, really. It has a solid hook that Underwood delivers with charm and sincerity, two qualities that I always find abundant in her work.

It’s a beautiful song, too. Romantic, heartfelt, and chock full of the specific details that make a song with a well-tread theme sound fresh and interesting.

Album Review: K.T. Oslin, Simply

December 10, 2015 Ben Foster 2

On her first new release in 14 years, K.T. Oslin offers one new song and eight re-imagined incarnations of past singles and album cuts from throughout her thirty year career.