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This month, we're going to get back to some basics. We will review two artist sites: Martina McBride's official web site is online with some recent updates, and Sherrie Austin's web site, which has just come online, will be covered under the New Discovery section. We'll also look at the CyberCountry site and a place on the Web as an overlooked source of Country Music recordings.
Martina McBride started out selling T-shirts as part of Garth Brooks' tour. She then opened shows for him in the early 1990's. She has recorded four albums in her career, the latest being Evolution, which just recently peeked at number nine on the Billboard Country Album charts. She has won several CMA & MCN awards for her music and videos. Her web site has a lot to choose from. There is the usual features for an artist site including discography info, a photo gallery, tour dates, audio clips (in RealAudio format), biography information and a merchandise store. The latter section allows you to print out an order form to mail in using snail mail. The audio clips are from live performances and not from her CDs; I believe that this is based on the fact that the site started out as a fan site. You can also find information on joining Martina's Fan Club. The CD Reviews section contains printed reviews from various country and audio magazines. There are also scheduled chats and a mailing list to which you can subscribe. There is a lot of other stuff here to explore. The site has a professional look and feel and is well worth a bookmark and regular visits. CyberCountry CyberCountry is the creation of Lance Yelvington, Jr. This site features information on up-and-coming country artists and has a regular feature on a specific artist. The other regular sections include a news page, a new artists page, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, an events page, a destinations page (for those looking for a travel destination), a radio list and info on the site's creator. The radio list is based on information from Radio & Records and the BRS Radio Directory. The FAQ page contains information on various artists not on the site itself. The events page contains information on various concerts. There is also what looks to be a fairly complete list of fan clubs. All in all, this site could use a little work. The content is interesting but the format could be better organized. The navigation bar at the bottom helps in traversing the site but doesn't contain the same links as the front page. It's worth a look but it's up to you on regular visits. |
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