Elliott Smith has been a patron saint of the indie scene since his days helming Portland heroes Heatmiser. As a solo artist, Smith led a revolution of home four-trackers, from Beck to Cat Power, out of the bedroom and into the studio, where Smith's fondness for Beatlesque melody led to some of the most beautifully orchestrated pop of the last decade. "From a Basement on the Hill" is Smith's final recording and finds Smith returning to an edgier, guitar-driven sound, alongside his trademark heart-rending ba   [ read more ]

CD $17.99

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Arguably the most gifted songwriter of his generation, Smith produced a large body of work that includes five solo albums and a collection of songs completed before his death in 2003. This double CD contains twenty-four songs recorded between 1994 and 1997, a prolific time in Elliott's career, when he recorded his self-titled album and Either/Or. Like his other work, New Moon reflects the power of Smith's ability to integrate rich, melodic music with poetic, multi-layered lyrics.

2xCD $17.99

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Elliott Smith made some great contributions to the world of indie rock, long before he stood in front of millions at the Oscars holding Celine Dion's hand. Released in 1997, this single was originally only available on 7" (and was one of the highest-charting 7"s, according to CMJ), but it's now finally here on CD. We get two landmark Smith songs, "Division Day" and "No Name #6," stripped down just like you like it.

CDep $4.32

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Judging only by his earlier, bare-bones indie-label albums, it seemed highly unlikely that Elliott Smith would turn into the ambitious arranger and studio craftsman of his lushly textured Dreamworks debut, XO. A big part of that shift, of course, was the fact that Smith had major-label finances and equipment to work with for the first time; this allowed him to fuse his melancholy, slightly punky folk with the rich sonics of pop artists like the Beatles and Beach Boys. Smith contin   [ read more ]

CD $13.25

This singer/songwriter can say more with a whisper than most folks can with a scream. The gently insinuating despair of Smith's work communicates volumes about the heartbreak and alienation that is the bane of 20th century boys with too much time on their hands. Smith's day job fronting the aggressive post-punk band Heatmiser provides him with the necessary yang to produce the quiet, evocative yin of his solo work. On Either/Or, Smith observes a production ethic that retains a lo-fi looseness without   [ read more ]

CD $15.99

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A year before his major label debut, XO, was released, it seemed unlikely that Elliott Smith would even be on a major, let alone having his record be one of the more anticipated releases of 1998. He had certainly earned a great deal of critical respect with his low-key, acoustic indie records and was emerging as a respected songwriter, but he hadn't made much of an impression outside of journalists, record collectors, and indie-rockers. His sweetly dark melodies are vividly brought to life with the detaile   [ read more ]

CD $17.99

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Neutral Milk Hotel  In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Belle and Sebastian  Fans Only , Explosions in the Sky  Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever

Elliott Smith's self-titled second album was his first for the Kill Rock Stars label and also his first major artistic statement. Its sound is fairly similar to that of Roman Candle -- it's mostly just Smith and his gently fingerpicked acoustic guitar, embellished a bit more often with drums, harmony vocals, and the odd additional instrument. The main difference here is that Smith's melodies and lyrics reveal their greater strength and substance with repeated listens. And make no mistake, the songs do requi   [ read more ]

CD $15.99

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Clap Your Hands Say Yeah  Some Loud Thunder , Arcade Fire  Neon Bible, Do Make Say Think  & Yet & Yet

Judging only by his earlier, bare-bones indie-label albums, it seemed highly unlikely that Elliott Smith would turn into the ambitious arranger and studio craftsman of his lushly textured Dreamworks debut, XO. A big part of that shift, of course, was the fact that Smith had major-label finances and equipment to work with for the first time; this allowed him to fuse his melancholy, slightly punky folk with the rich sonics of pop artists like the Beatles and Beach Boys. Smith continues in   [ read more ]

CD $44.63

Elliott Smith began his career like most aspiring musicians in the Northwestern states: putting in the requisite hours in a grunge band. Being a team player, however, is not Smith's forte. After those buzzy shows in the bars of Portland, OR, he would retreat backstage with his acoustic guitar and whisper his own quiet songs to himself. This album is his first attempt to record those songs, and they capture that feeling perfectly: a loner retreating from the noisy tension of life with others, findin   [ read more ]

CD $13.28

Elliott Smith's self-titled second album was his first for the Kill Rock Stars label and also his first major artistic statement. Its sound is fairly similar to that of Roman Candle -- it's mostly just Smith and his gently fingerpicked acoustic guitar, embellished a bit more often with drums, harmony vocals, and the odd additional instrument. The main difference here is that Smith's melodies and lyrics reveal their greater strength and substance with repeated listens. And make no mistake, the   [ read more ]

CD $37.03

A year before his major-label debut, XO, was released, it seemed unlikely that Elliott Smith would even be on a major, let alone having his record be one of the more anticipated releases of 1998. He had certainly earned a great deal of critical respect with his low-key, acoustic indie records and was emerging as a respected songwriter, but he hadn't made much of an impression outside of journalists, record collectors, and indie rockers. An Oscar nomination can change things, however. "Miss Misery,"   [ read more ]

CD $44.63

Elliott Smith's third album sees his one-man show getting a little more ambitious. While he still plays all the instruments himself, he plays more of them. Several of the songs mimic the melody mastery of pop bands from 1960s. The most alluring numbers, however, are still his quietly melancholy acoustic ones. While the full-band songs are catchy and smart, Smith's recording equipment isn't quite up to the standards set by the Beatles and the Beach Boys. The humbler arrangements are better sui   [ read more ]

CD $37.03