Country Universe

Eddy Arnold, “To Life”

May 13, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 7

A heartbreakingly beautiful toast to life, given by a man humbled by the blessings he’s been given over the years. “Life,” he sings, “you served your finest wine. I drank it down to find my

Taylor Swift, “Should’ve Said No”

May 13, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 13

This is very well-written. It’s to Swift’s credit that this song that she penned herself could be credibly sung by a woman twice her age but is still relevant to the female teen demographic that

Marcel, “I Love This Song”

May 13, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 12

Full disclosure: I’m a big Marcel fan. I say this because it’s pretty hard to make an clear, rational case for his music in a review. I just like it. It makes me smile. It

100 Greatest Women, #53: Jo Dee Messina

May 13, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 9

100 Greatest Women #53 Jo Dee Messina The first big post-Shania country star, Jo Dee Messina fully embodied the girl power movement of the late nineties, releasing catchy country-pop songs that were consistently from a

100 Greatest Women, #54: Sara Evans

May 12, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 18

100 Greatest Women #54 Sara Evans A pure country singer with a sweet tooth for pop hooks. Sara Evans has been one of the most prominent female artists during the male-dominated 21st century, thanks not

100 Greatest Women, #55: Jeannie Seely

May 11, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 3

100 Greatest Women #55 Jeannie Seely With the voice of a honky tonk angel and the mouth of a sailor, Jeannie Seely has been one of the most forceful personalities on the country music scene

Discussion: Mother’s Day Songs

May 11, 2008 Leeann Ward 16

Well, it’s Mother’s Day. In country music, though, it should probably be called Mama’s Day. At any rate, country music, like rap music, is fond of covering the topic of mothers. As a daughter, my

Ashton Shepherd, “Sounds So Good”

May 11, 2008 Leeann Ward 9

When I first heard the opening notes of Ashton Shepherd’s debut single, “Takin’ Off This Pain”, I was taken aback by the sharp and twangy voice that I was hearing. Her unique voice combined with

100 Greatest Women, #56: Matraca Berg

May 10, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 14

100 Greatest Women #56 Matraca Berg When women became the dominant creative force in country music during the mid-nineties, it wasn’t just on the strength of their vocal talents, but also because of their excellent

100 Greatest Women, #57: Dale Evans

May 9, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 2

100 Greatest Women #57 Dale Evans Back when they used to call it Country & Western music, Dale Evans was the most iconic female artist for the latter half of the genre. She’ll forever be