Georgia's Lonesome Country Star


There can be few country music singers quite as lonesome as Shota Adamashvili. He is the only one in Georgia - not the American state, the country which lies on the border of Europe and Asia. With his cowboy hat and boots and pretty convincing Southern accent, many who come to see him play mistake Shota for an American. But he has never been to the U.S.A, and he taught himself English by listening to country music.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dropkick Murphys: 'We Aren�t Doctors, But We Can Play Music and Deliver a Message of HopeThrough Our Songs'

Image
Much of the band's latest music directly addresses the causes closest to them including the rampant opioid epidemic ravaging New England and the recent presidential election Dropkicks Murphys are a rare breed. Boston�s pride, the Celtic punk rockers are kicking off their third decade as a band, with their famous flame of passion showing no sign of dwindling to a flicker. It�s burning more fiercely than ever, frontman Al Barr and guitarist Tim Brennan tell me, as we slump into leather sofas surrounded by guitars in London�s Gibson Studios. It�s impossible to separate this six-piece from their fans, so much so that new song �Blood� from their upcoming ninth album 11 Short Stories of Pain and Glory is a homage to the mutual respect and dedication they share. Unlike many contemporary bands, the Dropkicks do not rely on radio airplay to get their music heard. They have shifted over four million albums globally, fan favorite � Rose Tattoo � has racked up over 24 million hit
Read more

A&R Legend John Kalodner Talks Aerosmith and Why Rock Won't Reach the Masses Again

Image
Legendary A&R man John Kalodner, center, and a few friends. Courtesy John Kalodner A Whitesnake medallion is the only memento John Kalodner kept from his remarkable A&R career.  He keeps it in front of the desk and computer in his airy Hollywood Hills home, commemorating Whitesnake�s self-titled 1987 album, which featured the band�s epic pop-metal hits �Here I Go Again� and �Still of the Night.� It sold more than 8 million copies. Kalodner did A&R for it, which means he helped develop the band's sound and vision, as he also did for the post-rehab Aerosmith LPs that sold a bazillion copies during the 1980s and '90s. At one time or another, Kalodner also played a major role in the careers of AC/DC, Phil Collins, Cher, Bon Jovi, Peter Gabriel and even Jimmy Page.  During his own 30-plus year career in the music business, which began in Atlantic Records' publicity department in 1974, Kalodner was awarded a literal pile of platinum and gold records. But
Read more

Rise Above: Will Donald Trump's America Trigger a Punk Protest Renaissance?

Image
The underground hardcore punk movement � led by the likes of Black Flag, MDC and Minor Threat � flourished during the height of Reagan�s presidency in the 80s. Composite: Getty Images & Malcolm Rivera Since the election, the Kominas have been getting the same curious request. The east coast punk band keeps being asked, by film-makers and documentarians, for a Donald Trump protest song. �People just assume we have an anti-Trump song already recorded,� says Basim Usmani, the group�s bassist. In the weeks preceding and following the election, musicians, fans and critics have discussed and debated the idea that Trump�s impending presidency could inspire a new movement of politically charged protest music. So it�s no surprise that the Kominas, a South Asian American band whose discography includes provocative statements like Sharia Law in the USA, would be called upon for a musical reaction to the president-elect. �It�s been hard to deal with,� says Usmani, whose band recentl
Read more