Single Review: Maren Morris, “My Church”

January 4, 2016 Jonathan Keefe 14

The most obvious points of comparison for singer-songwriter Maren Morris and her single “My Church” are to Sheryl Crow’s self-titled masterpiece and its follow-up, The Globe Sessions. Though Crow spent the 1990s as a pop star, her ties to the country genre were clear. “If It Makes You Happy” was always a honky-tonk anthem waiting to happen, while “The Difficult Kind,” “Home,” and “Mississippi” all sound more recognizably country than do current chart-topping hits by Sam Hunt, Kelsea Ballerini, and Thomas Rhett.

The Best Albums of 2015, Part Two: #10-#1

December 28, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 6

The upper half of our albums list reflects the revitalization of country music in 2015, courtesy of mostly younger artists with fresh perspectives in their lyrics and arrangements. There is still a legend or two in the mix, but if this year has proven anything, it’s that the genre’s future is in good hands.

Year-End Rodeo 2015: The Master Lists

December 14, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 17

As 2015 winds down, we’ll be unveiling the Country Universe crew’s Top 30 Singles and Top 20 Albums, along with our writers’ individual ballots. Because everyone loves lists. And lists of lists. But, despite all

Sunday Selections: December 13, 2015

December 13, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 4

This week’s round-up is a bit light on Chris Stapleton news… if only because we already have a post about the Grammy nominations, where he scored a total of 4 nods, including the all-genre Album

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