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