Country Universe

Discussion: Hidden Gems of 2008

November 25, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 4

Over the course of the next three weeks, Country Universe will be looking back on 2008. We’ll be starting by reviewing some albums that we missed over the course of the year. With such a

Single Review: Josh Gracin, “Telluride”

November 25, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 14

If you’re going to comb through an artist’s catalog looking for missed hits, Tim McGraw is a good guy to start with. “Telluride” was on Tim’s Set This Circus Down album, which produced four #1

Discussion: The Right to Write

November 24, 2008 Guest Contributor 10

Mary Chapin Carpenter has been tapped by the Washington Times to write a regular column in the paper’s “Show” section, and her first article appeared on Friday, November 21. A press released last week lauded

Recap: American Music Awards, Country Style

November 24, 2008 Guest Contributor 12

It’s hard to imagine a time when the American Music Awards consistently trumped the Grammys in terms of viewing audience while also giving off an air of importance and prestige. Since the days of Dick Clark,

Trace Adkins, X

November 24, 2008 Guest Contributor 5

Trace Adkins X Making a major label album is a commitment to the art of compromise, and Trace Adkins provides a prime example of this exercise. His musical output has been schizophrenic, with playful absurdity

Giveaway: Toby Keith Autographed CD – That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy

November 24, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 33

We’re feeling like good guys here at Country Universe, so we’re giving away an autographed copy of Toby Keith’s latest CD, That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy. You can read Blake’s review of the

Discussion: Different Approaches

November 23, 2008 Guest Contributor 8

Typically, I listen to the songs on my iPod via the various playlists I’ve created. However, the other day, for some reason, I listened to my iPod on shuffle. These were the first two songs

Discussion: Country … on Broadway?

November 22, 2008 Guest Contributor 10

I fell in love with Broadway musicals at age 6 when my parents took me to see “Camelot”. It was a truly magical experience, and over the years I’ve often wondered if my early love

Rascal Flatts, Greatest Hits Volume 1

November 22, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 11

Rascal Flatts Greatest Hits Volume 1 If an act’s musical identity can be distilled into five seconds, it may be the opening of “Praying For Daylight”, the debut single of Rascal Flatts and first cut

Review: Trace Adkins, “I Can’t Outrun You”

November 22, 2008 Leeann Ward 10

While Trace Adkins’ formulaic “You’re Gonna Miss This” was received well (likely partly due to his high-profile appearances on Celebrity Apprentice), his more unconventional ballads like the gospel-flavored “Muddy Water”, the thoughtful “Arlington” and the