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Country Universe Turns 10

July 22, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 14

Ten years ago, in the dog days of Summer 2004, blogging was catching on in the political world. I thought it would be cool to do a country music and politics blog. I think it

Musgraves, Clark, Monroe dominate Annual Nashville Scene Critics’ Poll

January 23, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 1

Much like they dominated the Country Universe lists, Nashville Scene’s 14th Annual Country Music Critics’ Poll finds Kacey Musgraves, Brandy Clark, and Ashley Monroe on top.

This year, six of our seven Country Universe writers voted in the poll, with Sam Gazdziak featuring heavily in the comments section!

Country Universe Turns Eight: An Introduction

July 31, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 12

Way back in July 2004, Country Universe went live on its original Blogspot home. This month marks its eighth anniversary. Today, our writers are sharing their thoughts about the site and some of their favorite posts from the past eight years.

Country Universe Turns Eight: Jonathan's View

July 31, 2012 Jonathan Keefe 2

I distinctly remember the google search that first led me to Country Universe back in early 2006. I was listening to Joy Lynn White’s “comeback” album, One More Time, and I was curious about the songwriter behind her mid-90s single “Wild Love,” the cassingle for which I had somehow misplaced.

Country Universe Turns Eight: Ben's Best

July 31, 2012 Ben Foster 4

The eight-year mark is definitely a noteworthy milestone in the transitory world of the internet. Country Universe’s longevity is both a substantial accomplishment –particularly on Kevin’s part – as well as a testament to the site’s enduring appeal.

Country Universe Turns Eight: Tara's Take

July 31, 2012 Tara Seetharam 5

How to define Country Universe? Thoughtful, authentic, accessible, open-minded – all qualities established long before I came on board. Eight years in, it’s still home to a rare breed of music criticism that knows no boundaries when it comes to what moves people. I treasure that.

Country Universe Turns Eight: Dan's Perspective

July 31, 2012 Dan Milliken 3

Like Jonathan, I first discovered Country Universe via random Google search. It was during my first semester at Belmont University in Nashville, and Carrie Underwood had just released Carnival Ride.

Country Universe Turns Eight: Leeann's Favorites

July 31, 2012 Leeann Ward 4

In 2007, a little over five years ago, I discovered Country Universe. At that point in my relationship with mainstream country music, I had been a diehard fan for over ten years, but was realizing that I was starting to feel less content with Top 40 country radio.

Introducing Ben Foster

July 13, 2011 Ben Foster 15

Country Universe is proud to introduce our newest staff writer, Ben Foster. Ben began his blogging career at his own 1-to-10 Country Music Review, which is essential daily reading for country music afici0nados. We are thrilled to have him on board! – KJC.

Hey, y’all! My name is Ben Foster. I was born a Yankee up in Michigan, near Detroit, and now I currently live in Russellville – a small town located right smack in Middle of Nowhere, Kentucky. Some of the regular readers may already have an idea of who I am, since I’ve been an active comment thread participant for well over a year now.

Two Too Awesome to Remain in One Universe

December 30, 2010 Kevin John Coyne 8

2010 brought two big steps for Country Universe writers Dan Milliken and Tara Seetharam!

Dan’s musings on country music are now being published at CMT.com. Check out his awesome rundown of this year’s reissues: The Greatest Greatest Hits of 2010. He also contributed to features on Toby Keith and Tim McGraw, selecting “Who’s That Man” as a prime Keith cut, and “Just to See You Smile” as prime McGraw.

Meanwhile, Tara has launched her own blog – TaraSeetharam.com – which features her musings on pop culture and has me secretly wishing to do guest posts on the non-country artists who populate my iPod.

Both writers are so amazing that expanded horizons are inevitable. We’re proud to have recognized their talent early on!