Country Universe

2014 Grammy Awards: Staff Picks & Predictions

January 23, 2014 Tara Seetharam 3

The Country Universe staff has picked and predicted the 2014 Grammy Awards below, strange bunch that they are. Chime in with your thoughts, and catch the show on Sunday at 7 p.m. CST.

Album of the Year

Should Win:

Sara Bareilles, The Blessed Unrest
Daft Punk, Random Access Memories – Kevin
Kendrick Lamar, good kid m.A.A.d. city – Jonathan
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, The Heist
Taylor Swift, Red

Will Win:

Sara Bareilles, The Blessed Unrest
Daft Punk, Random Access Memories – Kevin, Jonathan
Kendrick Lamar, good kid m.A.A.d. city
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, The Heist
Taylor Swift, Red

Kevin: With electronic music so mainstream now, it would be wise and timely for NARAS to acknowledge the excellent comeback of one of its pioneers, especially as the year’s best country albums (Brandy Clark, Kacey Musgraves, Ashley Monroe, etc.) and the year’s best rap album (Kanye West) didn’t score nominations in the top category.

Jonathan: Lamar and Daft Punk would both be worthy winners of an award that rarely seems to go to one. Hip-hop and R&B have notoriously struggled in the general field in recent years, so Daft Punk’s cachet with the rock contingent should give them the edge over Swift, who didn’t score the across-the-board support many were expecting from her this year. If the voters are feeling especially timid, though, watch out for “Brave” yelper Bareilles as a spoiler.

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!

Single Review: Rascal Flatts, “Rewind”

January 22, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 5

Using the word rewind in 2014 is a bit dated and quaint, don’t you think?

Single Review: Joe Nichols, “Yeah”

January 22, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 6

Harlan Howard, when asked once about his Judds classic, that “Why Not Me” was a weak title, so he had to repeat it over and over again to make it work.

Single Review: Eli Young Band, “Dust”

January 21, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 3

“Dust” tells the story of an interesting woman who is leaving her past behind her in the…dust.

Single Review: Bush Hawg, “More than Corn”

January 21, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 0

Well, it’s not all about partying out in the corn fields.

Single Review: Tim McGraw, “Lookin’ for that Girl”

January 20, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 12

It’s hard for me to not like a song that uses “Funky Cold Medina” and “Strawberry Wine” as adjectives.

Single Review: Blake Shelton, “Doin’ What She Likes”

January 20, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 10

There’s a point early on where you hear Blake Shelton end a line with the word “fajitas,” and you just know the next line will end with “margaritas.”

Single Review: Lady Antebellum, “Compass”

January 17, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 7

A lot of country music lovers want to claim Mumford & Sons and Philip Phillips as their own.

There’s a joy, a rootsiness, and killer musicianship in the best records of those acts, despite them not being what we’d traditionally consider country artists. Lady Antebellum has never had much connection to what’s historically been considered country music, either. So it’s not entirely surprising that their path from pure, glossy pop to a more grounded, earthy sound, still takes its cues from the top forty music scene.

Single Review: Jon Pardi, “Up all Night”

January 17, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 7

Stop me if you’ve heard this one.

It’s been a long week, girl. It’s time to let loose. Let’s get together everything we need, and take a dirt road out into the country. Don’t forget your flip-flops, and don’t worry, we’re going to be all alone. Hope there’s a great song on the radio. Maybe a nice sunset, too.