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Martina McBride, Shine

March 24, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 16

Like Waking Up Laughing before it, Shine promises a far more upbeat album than Martina McBride intends to deliver. It’s almost disappointing, as McBride can be a burst of positivity when she sets her mind to it, with deliciously upbeat treats like “Safe in the Arms of Love” and “Happy Girl” to her credit.

There are a few songs in that vein this time around. “Ride”, the infectious first single, open with a “Yeah!” that would make Shania Twain proud, and McBride belts the song with eager intensity. Equally charming is “Sunny Side Up”, which was co-written by McBride herself. It’s the closest thing to “Walking on Sunshine” that we’re ever likely to hear in country music.

The best of the upbeat material comes late in the album. “You’re Not Leaving Me” is McBride’s most convincing rocker to date, all fiery conviction and stubborn will. You can almost hear her furrowing her brow and putting her foot down, stopping her weak-kneed partner in his tracks.

But a few of the other uptempo attempts falter because they don’t strike the right tone. The jangly “Don’t Cost a Dime” is almost Beatlesque, but the banality of the lyrics make it an unconvincing attempt at boosting the morale of those dealing with hard times.

The lyrics are stronger on album opener “Wrong Baby Wrong Baby Wrong”, but the song never gets off the ground. With a faster tempo and a more energetic production, it would have been far more effective.

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Bargain Hunter: Dolly Parton (Today Only)

March 18, 2009 Dan Milliken 4

Dolly Parton, The Grass is Blue$1.99

If you don’t like Dolly doing bluegrass…we can’t be friends.

Reviews:

All Music Guide (4.5/5 stars)

Downloading Instructions:

Click on the big “Play” symbol to play the clips. When they start playing, a little box with information about the track will appear at the bottom of the box. Click where it says the album’s name (The Grass is Blue) to reach the full album. Alternatively, you can click the yellow “Buy MP3″ button to go to the page of the individual song that’s playing, from which you can also reach the full album’s page.

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Say What? – Kristian Bush

March 15, 2009 Guest Contributor 47

I ran across the following quote attributed to Kristian Bush (of Sugarland) in an article in the U.K. newspaper The Independent, frankly titled: “Far from the old country music: Nashville is making yet another attempt to

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Random Question about Kellie Pickler

March 3, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 27

Entertainment Weekly included a song from Kellie Pickler among its selections for the Ultimate American Idol playlist. The title of the song – “Rocks Instead of Rice” –  caught my attention. Take a listen: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5habfvPIwcQ

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My Start in Country Music

March 2, 2009 Guest Contributor 11

The following article is by guest contributor and Country Universe commenter, Craig R. My Start in Country Music By Craig Ross My memories only started collecting at age four. That year, 1969, my uncle was

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You Say You Want an Evolution

January 26, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 23

I found this video recently on YouTube. It’s a chronological collection of all of Madonna’s music videos from the past 26 years. I’ve mentioned a few times that Madonna is one of my favorite artists. She’s

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Grammy Flashback: Best Country Album

January 17, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 23

A look back at the previous winners and nominees of the Best Country Album Grammy, updated to include the 2009 contenders. The Grammys have been doing better in the country categories since they reintroduced the

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