The J.Byrd Hosch Trio Press Kit
 

PEOPLE ARE TALKING I


"The Kountry Kays are the band with the sweetest sounds in town!"
Bill Crandall
BAM

"The Kountry Kays rock! This band has the sweet and pure country twang-thing going on. They are the genuine article with all the crystal clear melody of a real live country roadhouse band."
Bruce Woodman
Front Row Magazine

"The Kountry Kays are straight up country with lush, multipart harmonies that evoke warm fuzzies."
S.F. Guardian
Howard Myint

"The Kountry Kays multipart harmonies and down to earth lyrics with just the right amount of cliche could inspire even the most country challenged to tap her feet and hum along."
Girlfriend Magazine
Margaret Coble

"Who were those southern belles who opened Ween's Fillmore show? None other than the Kountry Kays. The gorgeous ballads they've been spreading around Bay area clubs are earning them the title of ìthe sweethearts of San Francisco."
BAM
Bill Crandall

PEOPLE ARE TALKING II

"For authentic down-home country music with a sly twist, raucous energy and disarming warmth, one need look no further than the Kountry Kays. J. Byrd Hosch of Crosby, Texas, composes earnest tunes that cross the sentimental with the perverse and which continue to tickle, boggle and endear audiences from Folsom St. to the Baptist Church."
Edward Crouse
S. F. Bay Guardian

"Did you catch the Kountry Kays on the country stage at this years Pride. They've been making waves all over town receiving quite a bit of attention. Various moods are evoked while listening to the powerful lyrics of J. Byrd Hosch. While several of her songs are extremely touching others demand a hearty chuckle offering everyone something to relate to. Catch 'em while you can before Nashville steals them away!"
Q San Francisco
Heather Row

"The Kountry Kays just plumb stole the hearts of each and every judge at the Gavin Convention last month. Not a surprise to anyone who has heard their harmony. J. Byrd Hosch the head Kay and songwriter is a honey voiced Texan that sounds like Sinead O'Conner if she fell in love with Hank Williams."
S.F. Weekly
Silke Tudor

CD REVIEWS
J. BYRD HOSCH & THE KOUNTRY KAYS
CAT O' NINE TAILS by J. Byrd Hosch & The Kountry Kays
Cat O'Nine Tails
Dirty Bird


The quality of San Francisco's Kountry Kays debut album is uncompromised. Lead singer/songwriter J.Byrd Hosch turned a fortuitous business trip from Texas to the Bay Area into a new life, and took full advantage of her second chance. Returning to music after a 20-year hiatus, Hosch sports the fervor of someone who makes music as an end in itself and the pen of a writer with real life experiences to draw upon. While her songs cover many of countryís standard bases (drinkin', fightin' and honky-tonkin'), the key to her writing is its transparency. When she sings of first loves, broken hearts and family matters (neatly combined with drinkin' and dyin' on Daddy's Dead'). It's as if a friend is telling you a story first-hand. When she daydreams on 'I Wish I Was A Bird' it's easy to fly away with her, and when she revs up the hot-rod Lincoln beat of 'Smokin' the burnt rubber is palpable. The latest version of the Kays features Hosch and Marya Martini on vocals, twangy lead guitar from Adam Hancock and a swinging rhythm section of Andrew Bacon and Alex Warmer. Guests Doug Adams on fiddle and harmonica and Robert Powell on steel round out the fun.

Eli Messinger
Country Standard Times

Kountry Kays
American Band


With their single, the sublime cowgirl anthem 'Ricky' (no, not that 'Ricky'), already charting in Philly and Austin, J.Byrd Hosch and the Kountry Kays look to finally get their due. After a few years and wilder incarnations they've streamlined their approach, and their album "Cat 'O Nine Tails" is imprinted with authentic honky-tonkin' and whiz-bang twang.

(EC)

San Jose Metro Active People, Places and Trends of 2000.

J.Byrd Hosch & The Kountry Kays: Cat 'O Nine Tails There's a strong country/rockabilly scene in the San Francisco area and, judging from this CD, J. Byrd Hosch & The Kountry Kays are one of the most impressive. Rarely does a band with little publicity generate the response we've gotten on WLFR about this release. Every time we spin 'A Drink Away,' 'Ain't Nobody's Baby' or, especially, 'Mama's Prayers,' the phones light up. People want to know who is J.Byrd Hosch & The Kountry Kays. Or, should I say was. Listeners are always shocked to learn the band is contemporary and not something from the sixties. There's, a lot going for the band, they've got fantastic material, sharp musicianship, beautiful harmonies, and a terrific lead singer in Marya Martini. She's got a lot of power in her voice. Really nice CD which I encourage everyone to own.

Roadhouse Fever Reviews

Take Country Back
Too country and proud of it!

The Take Country Back Team http://www.takecountryback.com

Notable entries: BJ's Picks: Hey its out of Texas this week, fact is headed west all the way to San Francisco Ca. Also have to tell you folks at the hub of this move is........yup another Texan a fine lady by the name of J Byrd Hosch and her band of pickers: The Kountry Kays. This particular CD nesting in my changer titled "Cat O' Nine Tails" is a lulu, one hot tamale. People this gal's go go juice is high octane motion lotion. Lot of high energy tracks a bunch of mid tempo tracks and all self penned. Just to give you a little background J Byrd, I think, hails from Crosby, Texas a little place some 25 miles from Houston and like a lot of folks raised very poor but had her love of music to sustain her through those lean years. J Byrd made it to the Bay Area after a while formed the Kountry Kays. My guess would be the name stems from the use of Kay Guitars by the band. These guys have a great sound and have done well for themselves and have a real good following. Track this album down folks it is a country gem I have no idea as to how many albums were printed but it is one you would love to own. Tracks like "Smokin'" "Honky Tonkin'" "A Drink Away" will have you boot scootin' for sure. "I Wish I Was A Bird" "Give Me One Kiss " "Ain' t Nobody's Baby" will have you two steppin' across the den. Hey, I get white knuckled in my easy chair just listening man, this CD moves and the chair has no brakes. Check out their web site "http://www.kountrykays.com".