Country Universe

Randy Owen, One on One

November 4, 2008 Guest Contributor 0

Randy Owen One on One As the lead singer of Alabama, Randy Owen guided the quartet with his rugged, yet appealing vocal style. With the band retired from the road, Owen steps into the spotlight alone with

Classic CMA Awards Moments, #6: Mary Chapin Carpenter’s Opening Act (1990)

November 4, 2008 Guest Contributor 10

#6: Mary Chapin Carpenter Opening Act 1990 In a rare coup for a new artist, Mary Chapin Carpenter earned a coveted performance slot on the 1990 show, and she used it to establish her identity

Classic CMA Awards Moments, #7: Shania Twain, Entertainer of the Year (1999)

November 3, 2008 Guest Contributor 7

#7: Shania Twain Entertainer of the Year 1999 She’d long been an afterthought with the Country Music Association, failing to secure an award in her six-year career, but the organization righted past wrongs by honoring

Classic CMA Awards Moments, #8: Faith Gets Carried Away (2006)

November 3, 2008 Guest Contributor 8

#8: Faith Hill & Carrie Underwood Female Vocalist of the Year 2006 The CMAs experienced an unwanted (and many would argue, unwarranted) amount of attention in 2006, when an intended joke by Faith Hill cast

Discussion: Greatest Hits Going the Way of the Dodo?

November 2, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 17

There’s a big article in Billboard this week about how Rascal Flatts are hoping to dodge the downward trend that recent hits collections have been experiencing. Their attempt to do so was to add a

Open Thread

November 1, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 35

You have the floor. Chat away.

Review: Martina McBride, “Ride”

November 1, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 18

Martina McBride previews her forthcoming album with “Ride”, a high-energy single that surrounds one of her typical positive messages with atypically aggressive production. This is worth hearing for the guitar work alone, but stick around

Dean Dillon

November 1, 2008 Guest Contributor 6

Although he started his career in front of a microphone, Dean Dillon soon transitioned into one of the finest songwriters in Nashville, notably enhancing the careers of one of its legends and illustrating an uncommon

Discussion: Recommend a Track

October 31, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 18

Earlier this week, I’d planned on talking about an Iris Dement track for this weekly discussion thread. Then some poking around on iTunes led me to discover something else entirely. I love iTunes because it

Adam Gregory, “What It Takes”

October 31, 2008 Guest Contributor 14

At just twenty-three years old, Adam Gregory has built a following in Nashville based on a soulful vocal style and a strong dose of melody. His first single, “Crazy Days,” dinted the charts, and now he’s