The Record Crate by Alex V. Cook

The cruel hand of fate plucked two very different musical figures from this mortal coil. Charlie Louvin was a torchbearer of country gospel blues. As the Louvin Brothers, he and his brother Ira pit their guitars and perfect tenor harmonies against Satan himself, crafting the spectral 1960 masterpiece of hi-fi hillbilly kitsch Satan is Real. His take on the complex relationship between faith and mountain life was a touchstone for folks like Gram Parsons who brought his songs to the Byrds and the likes of Elvis Costello and Jeff Tweedy who appeared in a comeback album in 2007. More…