Jonathan Keefe

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

Sunday Selections: December 6, 2015

December 6, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 3

The year of Chris Stapleton rolls on unabated. The reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year– which is still an amazing thing to type!– figures prominently in the country music news this week. But there

Sunday Selections: November 29, 2015

November 29, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 3

Despite the fact that it’s the year’s biggest shopping weekend, this week offers a fairly paltry slate of new releases to get excited about. Fortunately, there are still plenty of newsworthy items to discuss

Sunday Selections: November 22, 2015

November 22, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 9

Earlier this week, writer and friend-of-Country Universe C.M. Wilcox announced that he was shuttering his blog, Country California. The crew here have long been admirers of the sharp, insightful writing and wry humor that Country California brought to the country music blogosphere, and we all wish Chris the best in his new ventures.