Country Universe

Interview: Randy Houser

November 17, 2008 Guest Contributor 7

Tomorrow marks the release of Randy Houser’s debut disc, Anything Goes, a contemporary country album in a traditional vein. Houser has gained fame through his performance on The Late Show with David Letterman and his

Single Review: John Rich, “Another You”

November 17, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 7

As a singer, John Rich is a good songwriter. “Another You” is a decent song, and a great singer could hoodwink listeners into thinking it’s far better than it actually is. To be fair, if

Single Review: Jessica Andrews, “Everything”

November 17, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 10

This is not a country single. Not by any stretch of the imagination. It’s one of those pop songs with enough of a rock flavor to make it palatable to adult top 40 radio stations.

Discussion: Music Pricing

November 16, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 14

I caught this Kid Rock quote in the current Entertainment Weekly: Like the Beatles, AC/DC, and Garth Brooks, Rock eschews today’s most popular digital-music portal, though he happily admits to owning major stock in Apple

DVD Reviews: Marty Robbins, Legendary Performances; Tammy Wynette, Legendary Performances

November 16, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 2

Marty Robbins Legendary Performances Tammy Wynette Legendary Performances In coordination with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Shout Factory! has begun a new series of country music DVDs that collect archived performances of

Matraca Berg

November 16, 2008 Guest Contributor 0

When women became the dominant creative force in country music during the mid-nineties, it wasn’t just on the strength of their vocal talents, but also because of their excellent choice of material. No single songwriter

Review: Lance Miller, “Bacon Frying”

November 16, 2008 Guest Contributor 7

Lance Miller, a Nashville Star contestant in 2004, has won the favor of traditional fans with his plain-spoken songs and rich, rugged voice. His new release, “Bacon Frying” is a down-home heartbreaker about a lover’s

Discussion: Country Music Pet Peeves

November 15, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 45

A less cheery discussion tonight, just because I read something that annoyed me. Here’s an article about songwriter Jeffrey Steele: NASHVILLE (Billboard) – One could forgive Jeffrey Steele if he had an inferiority complex. The

DVD Review: Alison Krauss, <em>A Hundred Miles or More: Live From the Tracking Room</em>

November 15, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 5

Single Review: Kenny Chesney with Mac McAnally, “Down the Road”

November 15, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 7

It stands to reason that a single that combines the talents of the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year and Musician of the Year would be entertaining to listen to and musically interesting. But country