Country Universe

Discussion: Playin’ Favorites

September 15, 2008 Dan Milliken 60

Sure, we want all of our little country music-singing babies to grow up strong and healthy and produce great material. Because we love all of them equally, right? Right. But admit it: you’ve got a

Lee Ann Womack, “I Hope You Dance”

September 15, 2008 Guest Contributor 20

I Hope You Dance Lee Ann Womack 2000 Written by Mark D. Sanders & Tia Sillers Although her traditional leanings are the cornerstone of her career, the most notable song of Lee Ann Womack’s career

Video Review: Taylor Swift, “Love Story”

September 15, 2008 Dan Milliken 41

There’s nothing I could say about Taylor Swift that hasn’t already been said – and that’s the point. She knows how to score that attention; she knows how to make the dough. With a strong

The Lost Trailers, Holler Back

September 15, 2008 Dan Milliken 24

The Lost Trailers Holler Back In retrospect, the news that The Lost Trailers had recorded their own version of “Chicken Fried” should have been a warning. It turns out that the group’s fifth studio album

Darius Rucker, Learn to Live

September 14, 2008 Guest Contributor 14

Darius Rucker Learn to Live On his first country single, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” Darius Rucker delivers an honest, heartfelt performance of a pensive ballad about love lost and the mark that it

Discussion: Country Cussing

September 14, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 48

I was a little taken aback by the language used by Toby Keith onstage this past Thursday, which was the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. I’m not going to quote his blue

Classic Country Singles: Charlie Daniels Band, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”

September 14, 2008 Guest Contributor 7

The Devil Went Down to Georgia Charlie Daniels Band 1979 Written by Charlie Daniels A work of great electricity, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” is one of the most rousing songs in country music’s

Charlie Louvin, Steps to Heaven

September 13, 2008 Guest Contributor 1

Charlie Louvin Steps to Heaven Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Louvin (one half of the Louvin Brothers) is full of praise on his latest release Steps to Heaven. By recording a religious album,

Discussion: Country Music Around the World

September 13, 2008 Guest Contributor 79

Country music, by and large, has been confined to the North American continent since its inception as a commercial art form in the 1920’s. On the one hand, that’s understandable because much of country music

Jason Boland & The Stragglers, Comal County Blue

September 13, 2008 Guest Contributor 14

Jason Boland & The Stragglers Comal County Blue Jason Boland and the Stragglers are unaware of it, but we’ve spent a lot of quality car time together over the years. We’ve sung some amazing duets,