| If there's any alluring indie mystique | | | | indie-folk songstress Laura Veirs, who |
| to Portland, it's most likely due to | | | | inbetween recording sessions and |
| late singer-songwriter Elliott Smith, | | | | touring, gives guitar lessons to kids |
| who attended high school on the west | | | | from her home in the centre of the town. |
| side of town and recorded his most-loved | | | | Even the British indie music scene is |
| work there. | | | | represented in Portland, with both |
| Before Smith, Portland's primary musical | | | | former Smiths guitar legend Johnny Marr |
| contribution to the universe was the | | | | (now a full-time member of Modest |
| Kingsmen, and their worldwide party | | | | Mouse), and Chris Jarman of Leeds indie |
| anthem, "Louie Louie". But Smith | | | | charmers The Cribs, recently moving to |
| sketched a virtual map of the city with | | | | the town. |
| his whispery voice, and even went so far | | | | This trend of artists moving to Portland |
| as to adopt a local street name, Elliott | | | | after already having gained some level |
| Street, as his first name (legend has it | | | | of fame might explain why few people are |
| he considered his birth name of Steven | | | | even aware of Portland's incredible |
| as "too jock-y"). To his fans, Smith's | | | | concentration of mu-sical talent. |
| music made Portland seem infinitely more | | | | Virtually none of these groups can |
| romantic than it ever could be in real | | | | really be considered "Portland bands", |
| life. | | | | since none are natives. There are a few |
| After Smith came the deluge, as swarms | | | | exceptions - hugely popular indie rock |
| of indie rockers descended upon the | | | | group Modest Mouse originate from the |
| town. In the late '90s, politically | | | | town, as do alternative pop group The |
| charged riot-girls Sleater-Kinney | | | | Shins (whose singer and keyboardist |
| arrived from punk rock hot-bed Olympia, | | | | Brett Mercer lives in Elliott Smith's |
| Washington. They brought Stephen Malkmus | | | | former home). Both bands toiled the |
| and his genre-defining college-rock | | | | local live circuit, playing many bars, |
| collective, Pavement, who were all from | | | | clubs and hotels in Portland before |
| Stockton, California, along with them. | | | | really making the big time. |
| The two bands began hanging out a lot at | | | | So, despite the lack of a distinctive |
| the Beulahland bar in the North West | | | | Portland sound akin to Seattle's grunge |
| part of town, and in the process, turned | | | | scene or the post-White Stripes |
| Beulahland into one of the hippest | | | | explosion of blues-influenced garage |
| hang-outs in all of Portland. | | | | rock from Detroit circa 2001, the sheer |
| Other indie rock alumni who call | | | | caliber of its musical luminaries have |
| Portland their home are husband and wife | | | | firmly planted the city on the musical |
| duo Anita and Kevin Robison, aka Viva | | | | map. |
| Voce, who relocated from Alabama, and | | | | |