April 2013 – Page 2 – Country Universe

Country Music Hall of Fame Welcomes Cowboy Jack Clement, Bobby Bare, and Kenny Rogers

April 10, 2013 Ben Foster 11

This year’s inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame have just been announced from Nashville by Bill Anderson. The 2013 inductees are Cowboy Jack Clement (Non-Performer), Bobby Bare (Veterans Era), and Kenny Rogers (Modern Era).

Freakin' "Accidental Racist," Y'all

April 9, 2013 Dan Milliken 69

In case you spent yesterday outdoors and missed it, Brad Paisley released his eyebrow-raising new collaboration with rapper LL Cool J, “Accidental Racist,” and the Internet’s eyebrows shot up into outer space.

Summarizing this song and all it entails feels, frankly, beyond me. It has to be experienced firsthand. Listen to it if you can find a clip that hasn’t been taken down, or download it on iTunes. But here are the lyrics:

Album Review: Blake Shelton, Based On a True Story…

April 8, 2013 Sam Gazdziak 16

Blake Shelton
Based On a True Story…

Bear in mind that Blake Shelton isn’t just another country singer. He is the reigning Male Vocalist of the Year for both the ACM and CMA Awards, as well as the CMA Entertainer of the Year. Due to his position as a judge on “The Voice,” he is one of the most recognizable country stars around. Therefore, his new album Based on a True Story… isn’t just another album release. It’s an event. It’s a highly anticipated occasion. So how does Shelton kick off this record?

ACM 2013 Live Blog

April 7, 2013 Dan Milliken 13

If you’re tuned into tonight’s show at Blake and Luke just ain’t gettin’ it done for ya, come commiserate on the state of this genre with us. It’ll be fun, maybe!

And as always, please let us know in the comments if you have any trouble with the live blog client.

2013 ACM Awards: Staff Picks and Predictions

April 6, 2013 Ben Foster 44

The stars are converging on Las Vegas this weekend as the industry gears up for this year’s ACM Awards. We at Country Universe have been busily poring over this year’s list of nominees, picking and predicting the winners while getting ready for all the live-blogging madness Sunday night.

Single Review: Lee Brice, “I Drive Your Truck”

April 1, 2013 Ben Foster 13

Lee Brice’s current hit is quite possibly the best song he’s yet sent to radio – a compelling meditation on the process of dealing with grief over the loss of a loved one in death.