Elliott SmithAmerican musician (1969–2003)Musical artistSteven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known as Elliott Smith, was an American musician and singer-songwriter. Raised primarily in Texas, he lived much of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he gained popularity in the 1990s. Smith's primary instrument was the guitar, though he also played piano, clarinet, bass guitar, drums, and harmonica.
Quasi (band)Quasi is an American indie rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1993 by former spouses Sam Coomes (vocals, guitar, rocksichord, various keyboards, bass) and Janet Weiss (vocals and drums). Joanna Bolme performed and recorded with the group as a bassist from 2007 to 2011. HistoryIn 1990, Sam Coomes, Janet Weiss, and Brad Pedinov formed the band Motorgoat. The band released two self-released cassettes and one 7" single before dissolving in 1993.
Janet WeissJanet Lee Weiss (born September 24, 1965) is an American rock drummer, a member of Quasi and former member of Sleater-Kinney. She was the drummer for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, leaving after the album Mirror Traffic, and contributed to the Shins' fourth studio album, Port of Morrow (2012). She was also the drummer for the supergroup Wild Flag.
HeatmiserHeatmiser was an American rock band, formed in Portland, Oregon, in October 1991. Consisting of Elliott Smith (guitar and vocals), Neil Gust (guitar and vocals), Brandt Peterson (bass; later replaced by Sam Coomes, frontman of Quasi) and Tony Lash (drums), they were known for their well-crafted lyrics and songs often featuring the juxtaposition of melancholic and cheery words and melodies.
Portland, OregonMost populous city in Oregon, U.S.City in Oregon, United StatesPortland ( ) is the most populouscity in the U.S. state of Oregon.
Mic City SonsMic City Sons is the third and final album by American alternative rock band Heatmiser, released on October 29, 1996, through record label Caroline. RecordingMic City Sons is the band's only recording for a major label; however, when individuals at Virgin Records learned the band might be on the verge of disbanding, the album was subsequently licensed for release through the smaller sister label Caroline Records (also an EMI subsidiary) and their distributor of the same name.Donner Party (band)Donner Party was a San Francisco–based indie rock band, performing between 1986 and 1989. The band consisted of Melanie Clarin on drums and accordion; Sam Coomes on guitar, violin, and banjo; and Reinhold Johnson on bass. The band released two albums, both self-titled; the first was released in 1987 on the Cryptovision Records label, and the second on Camper Van Beethoven's Pitch-A-Tent label in 1988.
Bass guitarThe bass guitar, also known as the electric bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar but with a longer neck and scale length. The electric bass guitar most commonly has four strings, though five-, six-, and seven-stringed models are also built.
Indie musicIndependent music (also commonly known as indie music, or simply indie) is a broad style of music characterized by creative freedom, low budgets, and a do-it-yourself approach to music creation. It originated from the liberties afforded by independent record labels. Indie music describes a number of related styles, but generally refers to guitar-oriented music that deviates from mainstream conventions.
Southern CaliforniaSouthern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal region includes Greater Los Angeles (the second-most populous urban agglomeration in the United States) and San Diego County (the second-most populous county in California).
Sherman, TexasSherman is a city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas, United States and is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK combined statistical area. The city's population in 2020 was 43,645. It is one of the two principal cities in the Sherman–Denison metropolitan statistical area, and is the largest city in the Texoma region of North Texas and southern Oklahoma.
San FranciscoSan Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 826,079 in 2025. Among U.S. cities with a population of 200,000 or more, San Francisco is ranked first by per capita income, third by population density, and sixth by aggregate income as of 2024.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.