The Coroner's Gambit foreshadowed what the Mountain Goats would eventually become; angry, sad, hopeful, biblical, burned—all in the same breath. This album is unlike any other. Part Panasonic, part Tascam; sometimes solo, sometimes accompanied; studio and hometaped. Unforgettable, gut-wrenching, contains at least one reference to cows. Step aside and tune your guitar down a quarter step in reverence—the grain elevator cometh and we are all powerless to stop its egress. My favorite record.

The Coroner's Gambit foreshadowed what the Mountain Goats would eventually become; angry, sad, hopeful, biblical, burned—all in the same breath. This album is unlike any other. Part Panasonic, part Tascam; sometimes solo, sometimes accompanied; studio and hometaped. Unforgettable, gut-wrenching, contains at least one reference to cows. Step aside and tune your guitar down a quarter step in reverence—the grain elevator cometh and we are all powerless to stop its egress. My favorite record.

Every track on this compilation is unbelievably good, to the point where it's hard to pick a favorite. That said, if Lonnie Eugene Methe and Linda Smith did an entire album together, I would buy it immediately, probably twice

Linda Smith's works are the pinnacle of what the home taping movement should've been. While the obscurity of the cassette era may have prevented her from reaching the audience she deserves, she has a special place in the annals of bedroom pop history.

A long-time favorite EP given new life on Bandcamp, Satanic Messiah is a beautiful four song run. It is also the first EP to showcase the schism in the church of strings, featuring an A-side on the acoustic and a B-side solely on keys. All four are highlights, but I want to highlight Gojam Province 1968, which tells the story of the rebellion of an Ethiopian province as they turn against the government oppressing them. The story is told with the level of gravity you've come to expect from John.

An indie pop dream and my most anticipated rerelease of 2023. If you're a fan of any of Harriet's catalogue from the 90s to now, you're going to love this album. Just give it one listen and you'll be hooked.

Almost Halloween Time and Unread Records have both been pivotal to the long-term prolific lifespan of home recording. This release is the amalgamation of all of that work.