Bonus: Dollar Country host Frank the Drifter

Bonus: Dollar Country host Frank the Drifter

Author: Markly Morrison October 21, 2021 Duration: 58:05
On this bonus episode we have yet another clash of the podcasts.  I had the pleasure of a zoom call and DJ roulette session with the host of Dollar Country, Franklin Fantini, or as his listeners know him, Frank the Drifter.  It’s one of my favorite shows, and shares a common mission to this program: that’s to preserve overlooked music history and share it with a wider audience.  For Low Profile, that means researching the artists and mining them for their oral history.  For Dollar Country, it means sifting through thousands of overlooked country 45’s from the 20th century and sharing the treasure with the listener.  Franklin moved to Cleveland, Ohio from his hometown of Lawrence, KS.  For the last five years or so, he has been regularly releasing sets of irregular songs, many of which even the most devoted fans of country music have never heard of.   So, you might be wondering, who is Frank The Drifter, and where does he find these nuggets? Can I hear some of them? Why does he do it? Is there no stopping him?  Feel free to eavesdrop as a couple of record nerds go head to head.  Whether you're a fan of country music or not, after listening to his show you'll never think about it the same.(For an unedited, feature-length video recording of this episode, visit patreon.com/lowprofile)  So, you might be wondering, who is Frank The Drifter, and where does he find these nuggets? Can I hear some of them? Why does he do it? Is there no stopping him? Feel free to eavesdrop as a couple of record nerds go head to head. Here goes. Dollar Country can be found on apple podcasts, at dollarcountry.org, and on instagram at Dollarcountry. You can support them at patreon.com/dollarcountryArtists and musicians! Want vinyl records but can’t afford to order 1000 and wait 8-12 months? Check out our friends at Lathecuts.com. They will make you vinyl singles in quantities as low as 50 as quickly as 3-4 weeks. All of their pricing is ala carte and they can help pick a package that fits your budget. Email Mike at Lathecuts@yahoo.com and Mention Low Profile to get a 10% overrun on your order for free!The artwork for this episode was donated by Michael Sean Coleman. Low Profile receives financial support from listeners like you through Patreon, where I occasionally share tasty bonus content, like the feature-length video of this interview.  Visit visit patreon.com/lowprofile to find out how you can help support the show.All previous episodes and additional information can be found at www.lowprofilepodcast.comLow Profile also receives in-kind support from the following independent businesses here in Olympia:San Francisco Street Bakery,Schwartz’s Deli,Rainy Day Records,Old School Pizzeria,And Scherler Easy Premium Shitty American Lager from Three Magnets Brewing Company.

There’s a whole world of essential music made by people who never became household names. Low Profile with Markly Morrison seeks out those artists, producers, and behind-the-scenes figures, blending their stories with the music they created. Host Markly Morrison, an audio journalist and musician based in Olympia, Washington, approaches these conversations as oral history-less about fame and more about the craft, the context, and the often overlooked contributions that shaped sounds we love. You’ll hear intimate, detailed interviews that pull back the curtain on influential work, paired with the tracks that define these careers. The show originates as a radio program on KAOS 89.3 FM but finds its enduring home as a podcast distributed by Ruinous Media, allowing these deep-dive stories to be savored anytime. Each episode is a chance to discover not just new music, but the rich human experiences behind it, focusing on the genuine artistry that exists far from the glare of the mainstream spotlight. This podcast is for anyone who believes the most compelling stories in music are often the ones you haven’t heard yet.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Low Profile with Markly Morrison
Podcast Episodes
89. Anne-Tina [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:18
Today, we’re examining a hidden gem from 1984 lovingly crafted by a nineteen year old keyboardist living in Denmark by the name of Anne-Tina, whose debut album was reissued in 2025 on Frederiksberg Records. To help us ex…
88. Shudder To Think [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:39
After moving to D.C. in 1985, then 16-year-old Craig Wedren helped shape Shudder To Think into a standout act within the Dischord Records scene, evolving from a raw hardcore-adjacent sound into a complex style that event…
Kento Oiwa - Olympia Music History Project [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:03
Musician Kento Oiwa interviewed by Markly Morrison for the Olympia Music History Project. Formed in the mid-1990s by Japanese immigrants Kento Oiwa and Michiko Swiggs, IQU was a group unlike anything folks in Olympia–or…
Low Profile Classic: Swamp Dogg [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:36
Swamp Dogg is coming to Olympia this weekend 7/13/2025! First, he'll be performing at Scherler Sundays, it's a free show that starts at 3pm. After that, Olympia Film Society will be hosting a free 8pm screening of the ne…
Pat Maley - Olympia Music History Project (Bonus) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:59
Today, instead of your usual Low Profile programming, I’m sharing an interview I conducted with Pat Maley in 2023 for the Olympia Music History Project. The whole transcript is available at olympiamusichistory.org . Pat…
87. Dick El Demasiado (Season Finale) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:12
When I first developed an interest in rough-around-the-edges cumbia music, a friend (thanks Matt!) introduced me to the music of Dick El Demasiado, purveyor of “cumbias lunaticas.” Over the years I’ve managed to glean a…
Olympia Music History Project: John Foster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:53
It’s been a minute since I’ve put out a new show, and so I thought maybe I’d let you in on what has been keeping me so busy. A couple years ago, I started working on an oral history project funded by the city- appropriat…
Margo Guryan (Revisited) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:27
It's an election day bonus episode! Today we’re gonna be digging way back in the archive to episode 4: Focusing on Margo Guryan. This was recorded in early 2019, when I was still figuring out this show’s format. At that…
86. April March [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:52
If there was such a thing as the American ambassador to 60s French Pop it would have to be Elinor Blake, better known as April March. Elinor began her professional career in the world of animation back in the early 80s b…
85. Chris Schlarb of Psychic Temple [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:18
Psychic Temple is the extended-family project of Chris Schlarb, the proprietor of the retro-chic Big Ego studio in Long Beach, California. Chris is an old friend of mine, going back to the turn of the century when I live…