Country Universe

Zona Jones, “You Should’ve Seen Her This Morning”

August 31, 2008 Guest Contributor 2

Raised on a ranch and the son of a rodeo cowboy, Zona Jones is hardcore country. And after his first album, Harleys & Horses, spawned the single “Two Hearts” which gained fame (of all places)

Zac Brown Band, “Chicken Fried”

August 31, 2008 Dan Milliken 66

When that mellow guitar intro first chimes in, you might swear you’re listening to a late-night NPR special. Or watching an iPhoto slide show. Or maybe hanging out in a coffee shop somewhere in Georgia.

Labor Day Discussion: Songs About Workers

August 30, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 0

While they’re not as common as they used to be in country music, sometimes good songs about workers still surface. Tim McGraw’s “I’m Workin’” on his most recent album was a highlight, and Trace Adkins’

Kris Kristofferson

August 30, 2008 Guest Contributor 3

On his tombstone, Kris Kristofferson has requested the first three lines of Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on the Wire” to be engraved: Like a bird on a wire/Like a drunk in a midnight choir/I have tried in

Introducing Lynn Douglas

August 30, 2008 Guest Contributor 15

The introduction of our new writers concludes today with the first post of Lynn Douglas. She has been a regular commenter for a long time, and now she will be contributing her perspectives on country

Discussion: Carrie Underwood, Shania Twain and Gender in Country Music

August 29, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 103

I fear this post won’t quite live up to its ambitious title, and I realize that I’m stirring the tempest pot a bit by putting those two artists in the same sentence. But the tone

Faith Hill, “A Baby Changes Everything”

August 29, 2008 Leeann Ward 15

We all know that I’m a sucker for a good Christmas song, or Christmas songs in general, really. So, while Faith Hill’s latest release of a Christmas song is admittedly premature in the month of

Favorite Songs by Favorite Artists: Todd Snider

August 29, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 12

908 miles. That’s the total distance, door-to-door, from my home in New York to the college I attended in Nashville, Tennessee. If you leave at a decent hour of the day, it’s going to take

Patty Loveless, The Trouble With the Truth

August 28, 2008 Guest Contributor 4

Patty Loveless The Trouble With the Truth 1996 She’s no trouble at all. Patty Loveless thoroughly deserves a place among the very best of country hitmakers, and The Trouble with the Truth, the follow-up to

Thursday: Recommend a Track

August 28, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 0

Don’t know why I’m so into kiss-off songs for this feature, as this is my third in a row. This week, I’m recommending “I’ll Be Gone”, a killer track off of Clint Black’s 1989 debut