Country Universe

Album Review: Blake Shelton, Based On a True Story…

April 8, 2013 Sam Gazdziak 16

Blake Shelton
Based On a True Story…

Bear in mind that Blake Shelton isn’t just another country singer. He is the reigning Male Vocalist of the Year for both the ACM and CMA Awards, as well as the CMA Entertainer of the Year. Due to his position as a judge on “The Voice,” he is one of the most recognizable country stars around. Therefore, his new album Based on a True Story… isn’t just another album release. It’s an event. It’s a highly anticipated occasion. So how does Shelton kick off this record?

ACM 2013 Live Blog

April 7, 2013 Dan Milliken 13

If you’re tuned into tonight’s show at Blake and Luke just ain’t gettin’ it done for ya, come commiserate on the state of this genre with us. It’ll be fun, maybe!

And as always, please let us know in the comments if you have any trouble with the live blog client.

2013 ACM Awards: Staff Picks and Predictions

April 6, 2013 Ben Foster 44

The stars are converging on Las Vegas this weekend as the industry gears up for this year’s ACM Awards. We at Country Universe have been busily poring over this year’s list of nominees, picking and predicting the winners while getting ready for all the live-blogging madness Sunday night.

Single Review: Lee Brice, “I Drive Your Truck”

April 1, 2013 Ben Foster 13

Lee Brice’s current hit is quite possibly the best song he’s yet sent to radio – a compelling meditation on the process of dealing with grief over the loss of a loved one in death.

Single Review: Sheryl Crow, "Easy"

March 28, 2013 Ben Foster 12

It’s not very country, nor does it sound far removed from the music she’s been making for two decades now, but the lead single from Sheryl Crow’s first full-fledged country album gets several things right.

Single Review: Kristen Kelly, "He Loves to Make Me Cry"

March 26, 2013 Ben Foster 11

More noteworthy as a vocal showcase than as a lyrical composition.

Retro Single Reviews: George Strait, 1990-1991

March 24, 2013 Kevin John Coyne 11

As the nineties began, George Strait was the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, a title noted on the belt buckle he wore on the cover of Livin’ it Up.

Around this time, Billboard switched to monitoring radio stations in real time, revealing just how often songs were really being played. So while all of his eighties #1 singles spent only a week at the top, all four of the #1 singles listed here spent multiple weeks in the penthouse, including two five-week runs at the top.

“Love Without End, Amen”
1990
Peak: #1

Listen

One of Strait’s most enduring hits, “Love Without End, Amen” foreshadowed the understated religiousness of future hits like “I Saw God Today.” A classic three act story song, it makes its point subtly and endearingly.

Album Review: Kacey Musgraves, <i>Same Trailer Different Park</i>

March 22, 2013 Ben Foster 14

Kacey Musgraves
Same Trailer Different Park

In just over half a decade, the now-24-year-old Texan Kacey Musgraves has gone from placing seventh on the 2007 season of Nashville Star and releasing a trio of independent albums to finally being granted some well-deserved mainstream exposure. It was beyond a pleasant surprise when her beautifully written, critically lauded debut single “Merry Go ‘Round” became an honest-to-goodness Top 10 hit at country radio – a format not known for being friendly to intelligent, honest women. Whether the industry will continue to support her remains to be seen, but Kacey Musgraves’ major label debut effort positions her as a ray of hope for country music at a time when such are very few – an artist who, if given the platform, just might have the potential to change country music for the better.

Single Review: Pistol Annies, "Hush Hush"

March 21, 2013 Ben Foster 3

On first listen, the Pistol Annies’ new single “Hush Hush” immediately stands out as being their hardest rocking release to date. It sounds more like something one might expect to hear on one of Miranda Lambert’s solo albums than the Annies’ traditional-leaning debut. It seems the Annies are getting a harder radio push this time around – definitely a good thing since country radio has been largely in want of a good girl group for the past ten years.

Single Review: Billy Currington, "Hey Girl"

March 20, 2013 Ben Foster 8

There’s certainly no false advertising going on here, though it would still be easy to guess what we were getting even if the song title didn’t make it so plainly obvious.