Built to Spill were one of the most popular indie rock acts of the '90s, finding the middle ground between postmodern, Pavement-style pop and the loose, spacious jamming of Neil Young. From the outset, the band was a vehicle for singer/songwriter/guitarist Doug Martsch, who revived the concept of the indie guitar hero just as Dinosaur Jr.'s J... [+] Read More

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Longtime linchpins of the Boise, ID, indie scene, Caustic Resin were often lost in the shadow of the city's best-known exports, Built to Spill. Yet their roots dated back farther, and were also less connected to Seattle. Somewhat in contrast to the dominant sounds of the Northwest, Caustic Resin's music was a dark, druggy blend of heavy metal,... [+] Read More

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Folk-punk singer/songwriter Elliott Smith rose from indie obscurity to mainstream success in 1997 on the strength of "Miss Misery," his Academy Award-nominated song from the film Good Will Hunting. A native of Portland, OR, Smith began writing and recording his first songs at age 14, later becoming a fixture of the city's thriving music scene;... [+] Read More

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Issaquah, WA, indie rock trio Modest Mouse was formed in 1993 by vocalist/guitarist Isaac Brock, bassist Eric Judy, and drummer Jeremiah Green. After honing their muscular sound in "The Shed" -- a makeshift practice space built by Brock on the land next to his mother's trailer -- Modest Mouse entered Calvin Johnson's Dub Narcotic Studios to cut... [+] Read More

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With their fractured songs, unexpected blasts of feedback, laconic vocals, cryptic literate lyrics, and defiant low-fidelity, Pavement were one of the most influential and distinctive bands to emerge from the American underground in the '90s. Pavement, along with Sebadoh, were the leaders of the lo-fi movement that dominated U.S. indie rock in... [+] Read More

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Jenny Lewis (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Blake Sennett (guitar, vocals), Pierre de Reeder (bass), and Dave Rock (drums, later replaced by ex-Lassie Foundation member Jason Boesel) formed Rilo Kiley in 1998 in Los Angeles. Three years after its formation, the band released Take Offs and Landings on the Barsuk label. The supporting tour found the... [+] Read More

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The Halo Benders were a side project for Built to Spill's Doug Martsch and Beat Happening's Calvin Johnson, uniting two of the Northwest's more idiosyncratic indie rockers. The results were appropriately loose and eclectic, with an off-the-cuff charm and a quirky sense of humor that brought them general critical approval. Johnson had spent the... [+] Read More

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Portland, Oregon-based Helio Sequence was comprised of vocalist/guitarist Brandon Summers and keyboardist/drummer Benjamin Weikel. The project debuted in 1999 with the Accelerated Slow-Motion Cinema EP before dropping the Cavity Search full-length Com Plex two years later. Helio Sequence's 100% home studio approach allowed for a lot of sonic... [+] Read More

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In alternative rock, as in any other genre, it's hard to stand out from a crowded field. When the Spinanes emerged in the early '90s, they got a couple legs up on the competition to be different. Taking the power trio format one stage further, they created a full-bodied rock sound with just two members, guitarist/singer Rebecca Gates and drummer... [+] Read More

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The Visitors Q are from Los Angeles, CA. The group formed in 2004.

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