Ben Foster

Win a Signed Copy of Easton Corbin's <i>All Over the Road</i>

September 18, 2012 Ben Foster 28

UPDATE: The contest is now closed. Congratulations to winner Dustin Donahue!

I don’t know about you, but we sure do love us some Easton Corbin here at Country Universe. His second album All Over the Road drops today, and the current single – the catchy two-step-friendly “Lovin’ You Is Fun” – has already become Corbin’s third Top 10 hit. For all the Easton Corbin fans among our readers, Country Universe is pleased to offer one autographed copy of All Over the Road to one of our readers.

Single Review: Kacey Musgraves, "Merry Go 'Round"

September 10, 2012 Ben Foster 9

A delicious, absorbing slice of country storytelling, flavored with a strong dose of everyday realism.

2012 CMA Nominations

September 5, 2012 Ben Foster 60

The list of nominees for the 46th annual Country Music Association Awards has been released. Eric Church had a big breakthrough this past year, and such is reflected in the nominee list – Church leads the pack with five nominations. Current favorite power couple Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert follow with four each, including a shared Song of the Year nod for their co-write “Over You.”

Single Review: Darius Rucker, "True Believers"

August 29, 2012 Ben Foster 2

Darius Rucker – the former Blowfish with the strong distinctive voice, and now a streak of six Top 3 country hits thanks to a reliable strategy of playing it safe. The #17-peaking “I Got Nothin'” may have interrupted Rucker’s hot streak for now, but his new release “True Believers” should be just mediocre enough to get him back into the automatic add club.

Single Review: Craig Morgan, “More Trucks Than Cars”

August 21, 2012 Ben Foster 17

It is not “Corn Star.”

Here is where the praise must end.

Single Review: Alan Jackson, “You Go Your Way”

August 15, 2012 Ben Foster 5

You know the country music market is in sore straits when a career-best effort from Alan Jackson dies outside the Top 20 on the charts. It’s easy to wonder if, after more than two decades of populating country airwaves with quality material well-sung and tastefully produced, the hits may finally be drying up for Alan Jackson. That would be a huge shame, because finely polished country tunes like current single “You Go Your Way” are becoming increasingly rare on country radio, with Jackson having been one of the last nineties veterans standing who was still able to sneak such efforts into the playlists.

Retro Single Review: Tim McGraw, "Angry All the Time"

August 10, 2012 Ben Foster 11

2001 | #1

I will append a “-” onto the grade as a means of acknowledging the fact that the Bruce Robison original is overall superior. That said, Tim McGraw’s hit recording of “Angry All the Time” is an excellent record in its own right.

I’m sure there are relatively few artists who would have listened to Bruce Robison’s noncharting self-written 1998 single “Angry All the Time” and thought, ‘Hey, that sounds like a hit!’ But “Angry All the Time” was a classic instance of McGraw finding a hit in the most unlikely of places, and thus giving mass exposure to what was already an achingly beautiful, yet underrated composition.

Single Review: Andy Gibson, "Summer Back"

August 6, 2012 Ben Foster 26

Coming on the heels of Top 30 debut hit “Wanna Make You Love Me,” Andy Gibson’s new single “Summer Back” continues to build him a reputation as a cliché machine.

Retro Single Review: Shania Twain, "Thank You Baby! (For Makin' Someday Come So Soon)"

August 3, 2012 Ben Foster 9

2003 | #11 (U.K.), #17 (Austria), #20 (Germany)

The song with the ridiculously long title was released as the fourth international single from Up! It performed respectably in some markets, but did not match the success of the previous singles from the project.

It also reaffirmed Twain’s affinity for parentheses, which apparently ranked as her second-favorite punctuation mark behind only the exclamation point.

Country Universe Turns Eight: Ben's Best

July 31, 2012 Ben Foster 4

The eight-year mark is definitely a noteworthy milestone in the transitory world of the internet. Country Universe’s longevity is both a substantial accomplishment –particularly on Kevin’s part – as well as a testament to the site’s enduring appeal.