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Album Review: Katie Armiger, Fall Into Me

January 17, 2013 Ben Foster 4

katie armiger fall into me

Katie Armiger
Fall Into Me

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By now, Katie Armiger’s country music career comprises six years, four studio albums, and still zero bona fide radio hits.  Her label Cold River Records has nonetheless stuck with her since 2007, with her previous outing, 2010’s Confessions of a Nice Girl, producing her first chart singles in the #55 “Kiss Me Now” and the #42 “Best Song Ever.”  Her new album Fall Into Me has yet to reverse her fortunes at radio – Lead single “Better In a Black Dress” topped out at #42 on Billboard Country Airplay – but it no doubt contains more than enough tasteful, likeable pop-country material to keep current fans interested.

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A Conversation with Katie Armiger

January 15, 2013 Tara Seetharam 2

KatieArmigerIn 2007, Katie Armiger released her first album at just 15-years-old after winning a local singing competition in Texas. Since then, she’s had quiet but solid success in the industry, earning four Billboard-charting singles and touring with major artists such as Brad Paisley, Little Big Town, Jason Aldean and Ronnie Dunn. 

Last year, Country Weekly’s readers voted 21-year-old Armiger the “Hottest Bachelorette” for the second consecutive year, just before she appeared on ABC’s dubious reality television show, “The Bachelor Pad.” Ironic events, considering the fellow Sugar Land native has built her image on independence and  empowerment, themes she captures pithily on her first Top 40 hit, “Better in a Black Dress.”

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Six Pack: Iris DeMent

January 13, 2013 Kevin John Coyne 7

Iris DementEven long-time readers of Country Universe could be forgiven for getting to #2 on our Top Country Albums of 2012 list and wondering, “Who on earth is Iris DeMent?”

Iris DeMent came out of nowhere in 1992 with a stunning debut album, Infamous Angel, that received rapturous critical acclaim. The general consensus was that it heralded the arrival of a new singer-songwriter for the ages.

Two years later, My Life only strengthened that sentiment, and DeMent was widely seen as a critical voice in what would eventually become known as the Americana music genre.

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Single Review: Edens Edge, “Swingin’ Door”

January 11, 2013 Ben Foster 14

edens edge albumThis finely crafted gem of a country song was co-written by Country Universe staff favorite Ashley Monroe, and was released as a single in 2005 by Australian country artist Catherine Britt, whose own version is well worth seeking out.  The song was a highlight of the charming Edens Edge self-titled debut album released last summer, and now looks like it just might be one of the most enjoyable new singles with a prayer of radio airplay in 2013

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Single Review: Florida Georgia Line, "Get Your Shine On"

January 6, 2013 Dan Milliken 16

FGL shineLove it, hate it, or tolerate it, the one thing “Cruise” undeniably had going for it was a mighty hook. Not just a catchy one, either; as in all great sing-alongs, there was a universal quality to it; it captured a certain moment in the human experience. Yes, I really do think “Baby, you a song / You make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise” speaks to something substantial – kind of like “Oh, play me some mountain music / Like Grandma and Grandpa used to play” or “You and me goin’ fishin’ in the dark!” – or, to hew closer to Florida Georgia Line’s probable influences, “I don’t ever wanna feel like I did that day” and “You better lose yourself in the music, the moment, you want it, you better never let it go.”

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Single Review: Zac Brown Band, "Goodbye In Her Eyes"

January 4, 2013 Ben Foster 8

zac brown band uncagedAfter narrowly missing the Top 10 with “The Wind,” Zac Brown Band returns to the summit of the country charts with “Goodbye In Her Eyes” – a release which fortunately shows the band able to get back into the good graces of country radio without stooping to compromise or pandering.

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CU's Top Albums of 2012

January 2, 2013 Ben Foster 39

As reflected by the title of our web site, our choices for Top 40 Albums of 2012 span the farthest reaches of the country music universe.  In previous years, the Country Universe staff has counted down twenty albums and forty singles, but this year our album picks included such a wide variety that we were able to stretch our Top Albums countdown to a full forty slots.  What did we miss?  That’s where you, our readers, come in.  Please join in the discussion, and share which albums you had in heavy rotation over the past year.

 

#40
The Garden of Love – Songs of William Blake

Martha Redbone Roots Project

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CU's Top Singles of 2012

December 29, 2012 Ben Foster 47

2012Something you probably already know about us here at Country Universe:  We love country music.  A lot.  While truly great country music has become scarce on country radio, we are fortunate to live in an age in which modern technology has made great music more accessible than ever, regardless of whether Top 40 radio dares touch it.

At the close of each year we separate the grain from the chaff, and share the music we discovered over the past year that made us glad that we stuck with our genre of choice.  We at Country Universe have put our heads together to create the following lists of favorite singles and albums of 2012.

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Merry Christmas: A Christmas Card Playlist

December 24, 2012 Leeann Ward 0

I know that we’d love to send each of you a Christmas card from us, but since we can’t, here is a playlist of Christmas songs to enjoy as a stand-in, which is probably better than any card we could send anyway.

These songs are hand-picked by me as songs that I find particularly relaxing, yet still entertaining, during the chaos of the Christmas season. I hope you enjoy.

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