Two almost-visitor bands and their latest releases

Two outstanding US bands, who would have performed at major bluegrass events in Ireland in 2020 if the pandemic had not intervened, have recently released new singles, both of which are unashamedly retro in nature. Both songs, moreover, centre on a familiar motif in bluegrass - a sweetheart in the mountains.

The Appalachian Road Show (above), who were to play at Bluegrass Omagh in May 2020 (the first time the Omagh festival had been scheduled for the spring), have a new single, 'The ballad of Kidder Cole', from their latest album, Jubilation - their previous album was Tribulation. The history of the song is told on Bluegrass Today, where you can hear the Road Show's recording, as well as on YouTube.

The Kody Norris Show, who were to play at the Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival in June 2020, have just released a lyric video for 'Mountain Rosalie', their current single. It can be seen on YouTube and also on Bluegrass Today, where John Lawless comments:

Where a lot of contemporary bluegrass acts work to tone down the hard core hillbilly sound of traditional grass, Kody and company take the exact opposite approach, embracing the look and sound of the early days of our music.

© Richard Hawkins