Linda Smith - "Till Another Time" 7"

Linda Smith – “Till Another Time” 7”

Slumberland, 1993

Acquired: Love Garden, Used, 2012

Price: $1

The dreamy lo-fi pop of Linda Smith’s 1990 “Gorgeous Weather” 7” gives way to a fuzzy, languid shoegazer vibe that jibes well with her new label, Slumberland. “Till Another Time” sounds like it has a buzzsaw running through it. It feels much akin to the recent crop of Slumberland shoegaze-revival bands that resurged like mad at the end of the 00s. The b-sides have a bit more jangle but on the whole were a lot quieter and I ended up taking a nap somewhere in the middle of it all.

Linda Smith - "Gorgeous Weather" 7"

Linda Smith – “Gorgeous Weather” 7”

Harriet Records, 1990

Acquired: Love Garden Shotgun Room, Used, 2007

Price: $.25

My experience with Harriet Records is limited, but that doesn’t stop them from being one of my favorite bygone record labels. I’ve always thought of them (and idolized them) as a sort of American Sarah Records. When I hosted Pop Rocks!—an indie pop worship showcase on KJHK—Harriet artists got a ton of play. The Magnetic Fields, Tullycraft, the Extra Glenns, and any band featured on the label’s amazing compilation The Long Secret were A-OK in my book and got a ton of play. The lo-fi production values of Linda Smith’s dreamy pop makes for an interesting listen and reminds me why I am constantly looking for the little illustration of Harriet the Spy on labels when I go record hunting.