Country Universe

Phil Vassar, “I Would”

July 3, 2008 Leeann Ward 3

Phil Vassar’s, “I Would” kicks off with up-tempo piano and fiddles. In fact, the whole song moves at a pretty fast clip. The problem with this is that the supposed regret of the lyrics isn’t

Trisha Yearwood, “They Call it Falling For a Reason”

July 2, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 25

My last Trisha Yearwood single review was exactly one word long, so I’ll try to embellish a bit more here. Let’s see. How’s this? “A well-written, expertly performed and tastefully produced single that showcases Yearwood’s

Little Big Town, “Fine Line”

July 2, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 4

There’s a big difference between homaging Fleetwood Mac and imitating them. Little Big Town is at its best when it does the former, but on “Fine Line”, they’re definitely doing the latter. It’s not a

Wednesday Open Thread

July 2, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 12

Usually I link to a news article or feature to get the discussion going, but I’m going to use today’s open thread to thank all of the readers here, old and new, who took such

Tuesday Open Thread

July 1, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 13

Kristy Lee Cook, the sixth-place finalist from this year’s American Idol, has signed with Arista Nashville: July 1, 2008 — The fastest way to get a recording contract in Nashville these days is to compete

100 Greatest Women, #1: Dolly Parton

July 1, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 60

100 Greatest Women #1 Dolly Parton She emerged from poverty in the Smoky Mountains, the first of her family to graduate high school. She dreamed of being a country music singer, but it was

Discussion: The Trouble with John Rich

June 30, 2008 Leeann Ward 14

We all know of John Rich. He’s the guy from Big & Richwith a silky smooth voice who has a personality that doesn’t match. He has made more than one controversial statement and has an

Monday Open Thread

June 30, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 41

Back to work. Meh. Good day to focus on the negative. Entertainment Weekly has a feature up now called 22 Rock Heroes You Just Don’t Get. Readers submitted the names of rock legends that they

Jewel, “I Do”

June 30, 2008 Leeann Ward 4

It’s interesting that Jewel’s official second country effort, “I Do”, sounds less country than some of her songs on previous albums that were not specifically marketed as country music. While sounds of steel guitar can

Review: The Road Hammers, “Girl on the Billboard”

June 30, 2008 Leeann Ward 8

With their song, “Girl on the Billboard”, The Road Hammers manage to create a sound that contains a bit of Garth Brooks and a little Dwight Yoakam to create an overall feeling of the good