November 2008 – Page 4 – Country Universe

News: Jewel to Sell <em>Perfectly Clear</em> Cheap to Benefit Hall of Fame

November 18, 2008 Dan Milliken 6

Via : Jewel will be selling copies of her first country album, Perfectly Clear, for a minimum $1 donation to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. The 24-hour sale will be

Blake Shelton, Startin’ Fires

November 18, 2008 Guest Contributor 2

Blake Shelton Startin’ Fires Blake Shelton’s fifth album, Startin’ Fires, finds the Oklahoma native discovering his niche as a smooth operator with the slightest hint of a wild side. He’s polished his musical personality without

Review: Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire, “Cowgirls Don’t Cry”

November 18, 2008 Dan Milliken 8

What a difference a voice makes. Mere weeks after its initial release, “Cowgirls Don’t Cry” has been re-released to incorporate Reba McEntire, who reprises her CMA show cameo with an added bonus of audibility (nice!).

Discussion: Faith on Christmas

November 17, 2008 Guest Contributor 36

Soundcheck is an original live music series that features top artists in a variety of artists, and their recent feature revolved around Faith Hill. From a Soundcheck news release, Deck the halls. Soundcheck celebrates the

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