Kevin J. Coyne

United States

The longest-running country music blog. Never blue-checked, but that's quite all right, y'all. No longer active 'round here.

Articles

Riffing on Acoustic Rooster with Kwame Alexander and Julius Harper

2 weeks ago | wgbh.org | Kevin J. Coyne

May 19, 2025 Kwame Alexander’s journey with Acoustic Rooster, GBH Kids’ new animated special and short-form digital series based on his children’s book, began more than 15 years ago on a Tuscan hillside. Whisked away to Italy for a writing fellowship and struggling to put pen to paper, Alexander went for long walks where he encountered chickens, pigs, and other livestock on a neighboring farm.
GBH News Rooted: Showing the Full Spectrum of Black Life

1 month ago | wgbh.org | Kevin J. Coyne

April 17, 2025 The oft-forgotten part about standing on the shoulders of giants is that the climb up there can be a bit daunting. For the creators of GBH News Rooted, following in the indelible, Emmy Award-winning footsteps of the longest-running public television program for people of color (Say Brother, later called Basic Black) represented an opportunity as rich as it was important. “This show has such a profound legacy,” says new host Paris Alston.
Behind the Scenes of NOVA's Revolutionary War Weapons

1 month ago | wgbh.org | Kevin J. Coyne

If you find yourself standing on the bank of a rather shallow pond, contemplating how best to film the detonation of a small(ish) explosive just under the surface of the water, a host of thoughts will crowd your mind. First and most pressing: are we really far enough out? Is there ample eye and ear protection? How closely can we replicate historically-accurate scale (i.e., how much gunpowder) in this experiment?
Every No. 1 Single of the Seventies: Charley Pride, “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone”

2 months ago | countryuniverse.net | Kevin J. Coyne |Kevin John Coyne

“Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone”Charley PrideWritten by Dave Kirby and Glenn MartinBillboard#1 (2 weeks)April 18 – April 25, 1970Charley Pride’s third No. 1 single came from his tenth album, which is his fifth chronological release to earn a gold certification. Those stats are as boring as wallpaper in 2025, but in 1970, selling gold at all was a huge deal for a country artist. Music Row used to throw a party back then when an album sold 100,000 copies.
GBH Daily Newsletter Helps Readers “Be Better Neighbors”

2 months ago | wgbh.org | Kevin J. Coyne

March 20, 2025 “I’ve always viewed journalism as a way to connect people,” says Gal Tziperman Lotan, writer of GBH Daily , the newly launched weekday newsletter keeping readers in the loop on the most important stories—from up and down the Green Line to around the globe—plus can’t-miss events and programs, ways to connect, and more.
Twenty Greatest Albums of the CU Era: Jason Hawk Harris, Thin Places

Dec 27, 2024 | countryuniverse.net | Kevin J. Coyne

Jason Hawk HarrisThin Places2023Jason Hawk Harris captures the insidious nature of grief on his 2023 masterpiece, Thin Places. Written and recorded in the aftermath of his mother’s death, it’s hard not to empathize with how painful Harris’ talent must be.
Twenty Greatest Albums of the CU Era: Allison Russell, Outside Child

Dec 24, 2024 | countryuniverse.net | Kevin J. Coyne

Allison RussellOutside Child2021Few contemporary artists match Allison Russell for a creative vision of what “Americana” can actually encompass. The sub-genre has spent the better part of the last twenty years sanding down the edges of the alt-country movement and has centered a polite, genteel whiteness to such an extent that it often plays like the musical equivalent of Jordan Peele’s Get Out.
Twenty Greatest Albums of the CU Era: The Chicks, Gaslighter

Dec 24, 2024 | countryuniverse.net | Kevin J. Coyne

The ChicksGaslighter2020In retrospect, Natalie Maines let George W. Bush off easy. Her ex-husband wasn’t nearly so lucky, as Sony rejecting a Patty Griffin covers project to fulfill the Chicks’ contract coincided with the dissolution of Maines’ marriage due to her spouse’s rampant infidelity. He took her to court to limit how much she could say on record, but he should’ve saved himself the legal fees, because what’s here eviscerates him, leaving only a pile of ash.
Twenty Greatest Albums of the CU Era: Allison Moorer, Blood

Dec 23, 2024 | countryuniverse.net | Kevin J. Coyne

Allison MoorerBlood2019Released as a companion piece to a full memoir, Allison Moorer’s Blood demonstrates her mastery as a storyteller across multiple media. As great as her memoir is– it’s an essential read for any country music fan– it’s the album that takes a headier approach to unpacking generational trauma and where Moorer’s gifts shine brightest.
Twenty Greatest Albums of the CU Era: Tami Nielson, KINGMAKER

Dec 23, 2024 | countryuniverse.net | Kevin J. Coyne

Tami NeilsonKINGMAKER2020“Kingmaker. Game changer. It could all be mine. I’m waiting. Years fading. One by one, like pearls you throw to the swine.”Tami Neilson’s masterpiece KINGMAKER is a requiem for what could’ve been that doubles as a rallying cry for what can still be.