Virtually no other album anywhere in history is known to its audience by its label number. Not Kind of Blue, nor Pet Sounds, Glenn Gould’s Goldberg Variations, none. Except this one. Rounder 44. Probably the most seminal bluegrass album of all time. Notice we didn’t say modern bluegrass, though it originally came out in 1975. That’s because, unlike, say, Aereo Plain by John Hartford (who contributed notes to the original package, reproduced here), The New South didn’t reinvent bluegrass. It perfected it. Bandleader and banjoist supreme J.D. Crowe got his start as a teenager in Jimmy Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys, before returning to Kentucky and forming The Kentucky Mountain Boys. That band morphed over the years to become The New South, boasting probably the most formidable line-up any American band of any genre has enjoyed. Bassist Bob Sloane (of The Kentucky Colonels) was the first to join, followed by one legend after another: fiddle and mandolin player Ricky Skaggs, dobroist Jerry Douglas, and guitarist/vocalist Tony Rice. Together, they were pure magic: technically brilliant but soulful, inventive but disciplined, each a virtuoso but still part of the unit. And, oh, those harmonies! The New South is the cornerstone of any bluegrass collection. Of course, a group this talented wasn’t destined to last long. Within a year, each member went their own way, pioneering progressive bluegrass with each successive project. But the one album they recorded together, Rounder 44, is THE ONE. Our Real Gone reissue of The New South features two sets of added liner notes, one by guitarist Skip Heller and one by mandolinist Jarrod Walker, along with the bonus tracks “Why Don’t You Tell Me So” and “Cryin’ Holy” with Emmylou Harris. We’re pressing 1000 copies of this classic in root beer vinyl…don’t you dare miss it!
Release date:
June 6, 2025
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Nobsound Little Bear T7 Tube Preamp
Delivers rich, warm audio through its high-quality vacuum tubes, featuring multiple inputs and adjustable gain
-
Edifier R1280DB Powered Speakers
Combining classic design with modern Bluetooth connectivity, built-in amplification and versatile inputs, these speakers deliver rich, balanced sound.
-
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO
Featuring a one-piece carbon fiber tonearm, precision-tuned motor, and a heavy steel platter with TPE damping, it ensures superior stability and sound quality.
-
Turntables - Top Picks
A selection of reliable record players you can buy today, for every budget
-
Nagaoka MP-110H Cartridge
Features a high-quality elliptical stylus that provides excellent tracking and minimizes distortion, delivering a detailed sound reproduction with an output voltage of 5.0 mV
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Richard Ashcroft Lovin' You
RPA/Richard Ashcroft
October 3, 2025 -
Rocket R Is for Rocket (Opaque Red)
Transgressive
October 3, 2025 -
Greywind Severed Heart City
Frontiers New Recordings Physical Only
September 19, 2025 -
Jobber Jobber To The Stars (Emerald Green)
Exploding In Sound Records
August 22, 2025 -
Angel Of Damnation Ethereal Blasphemy
Dying Victim Productions
July 25, 2025 -
Whiskey Myers Whomp Whack Thunder [2xLP]
Wiggy Thump Records
September 26, 2025 -
Motion City Soundtrack The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World
Epitaph
September 19, 2025 -
Nova Twins Parasites & Butterflies (Transparent Blue)
Marshall Records
August 29, 2025 -
Hot Chip Joy In Repetition [2xLP]
Domino Record Co
September 5, 2025 -
Galaxie 500 CBGB 12.13.88
Silver Current
August 8, 2025 -
Strange Boutique Let The Lonely Heart Sing (Transparent Marbled Turquoise & Black)
The Circle Music
August 8, 2025 -
Various Artists The Black Album
Cleopatra Records
August 8, 2025 -
Dylan Gossett Westward [2xLP]
Mercury Records/Republic
July 18, 2025 -
Good Charlotte Motel Du Cap (Amazon Exclusive)
Atlantic
August 8, 2025