Kevin John Coyne

Review: Sara Evans, “Low”

September 10, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 27

The few opening seconds sound like another pop-country throwaway. Then, a wonderful surprise: acoustic instruments! Banjo-picking, bluegrass style! Evans has a classic country voice that she rarely puts to use singing classic country, so it’s

Review: Dierks Bentley, “Feel That Fire”

September 10, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 11

Check it out: an uptempo song by Dierks Bentley that isn’t about being on the road! “Feel That Fire” has a cool rhythm, and the hook has an extra punch, thanks to the gravel in

Brad Paisley featuring Keith Urban, “Start a Band”

September 10, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 54

Brad Paisley may be in Keith Urban’s league as a guitarist, but having them trade off verses in a song just rams home the fact that Urban is leagues beyond Paisley as a vocalist. It’s

Discussion: Video Ruined the Song

September 9, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 7

Music videos can be quite powerful. The very best intensify the song’s message or reveal new ways to interpret it. Then there are those videos that absolutely ruin the song. They’re so bad that you

Discussion: Favorite Soundtrack

September 8, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 19

I was going to be conventional and just pick O Brother Where Art Thou, since it is the most significant movie soundtrack in country music history. But it would be a bald-faced lie to call

Taylor Swift, “Love Story”

September 8, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 58

This is essentially a love theme for a cheesy teenybopper movie, minus the movie. The clunky songwriting isn’t encouraging, given this is the lead single from her upcoming album. It’s a series of been there,

Comment Policy

September 8, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 3

As of September 8, 2008, we have put an official comment policy into effect. They are as follows: 1. Stick to the topic. Discussion on each post should remain relevant to its content. 2. Speak

Rodney Crowell, Sex & Gasoline

September 7, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 3

Rodney Crowell Sex & Gasoline Rodney Crowell has long been one of country music’s most prolific and literate songwriters, but in recent years, he’s developed into the genre’s philosopher-king. His probing and thought-provoking work reached

Discussion: Pick a Candidate Theme Song

September 6, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 19

Brooks & Dunn’s “Only in America” has been used for both the re-election campaign of President Bush and the current campaign of Senator Obama. That’s caused a bit of a stir, given the Republican leanings

Random Thought

September 6, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 18

Taylor Swift, Kellie Pickler and Julianne Hough… look a lot like old school Dixie Chicks.