I Loved a Porter

It serves as something of a palate cleanser or a pate cleanser. This is Dellie Norton, of Sodom, NC. A town you all know well. Recorded by John Cohen in 1965 and heard on High Atmosphere, on Rounder. Plenty croak, yip and rasp for everyone. The aim is to not prove false hearted. It's harder than you think. It's among the most raw tracks on the record, which I rarely listen to without skipping to Lloyd Cramer's weird "A Conversation With Death."

Another bit of pious throat-blasting comes from Children of the Heav'nly King, a record recorded by southern musical folklorist and Louvin Brothers biographer Charles K. Wolfe. This is Elder and Mrs. Jess B. Higgins recorded in Galax, Virginia in the late 70s. The three-LP Library of Congress set of field recordings of southern mountain religious music was released in 1981. No death denial here.


And finally, a mystery. A minor one. I got this on a cheap-o anthology of country hits from 1974. No mention of who it is. I'm thinking Mrs. Lefty might have an answer. Put where you put all of your other great train songs. Blackfoot. "Death's Black Train," "Wabash Cannonball," "Good Morning American How Are You." It makes you feel dirty.

If you're not into staying in deep hollow mode. Here's a little

stoner art metal from Drunk Horse. It floats boats. Prog alert.