Live: Elliott Smith + Minuteman

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; as a member of the band Heatmiser, he debuted in 1993 with the LP Dead Air, issuing his first solo effort Roman Candle on the tiny Cavity Search label a year later. For his 1995 self-titled album, Smith signed with the noted Kill Rock Stars label; Either/Or followed in 1997, around the same time that filmmaker and longtime fan Gus Van Sant requested permission to use the singer's music in his upcoming Good Will Hunting. Smith also composed a handful of new songs for the soundtrack, among them "Miss Misery," and when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its Oscar nominations the following February, the track was a surprise entry in the Best Original Song category. Although he did not win, Smith performed the song live at the televised Oscar broadcast, appearing on-stage alongside superstars Trisha Yearwood and eventual award-winner Celine Dion in one of the most notably surreal musical moments in recent memory. Smith's DreamWorks label debut, XO, followed later in 1998. Two years later he delivered Figure 8, which indulged in lush arrangements and orchestrations more so than any of his previous solo efforts. For the next two years, Smith labored over what was to be his next album, From a Basement on a Hill. He would not live to see its completion, however -- to the shock of friends and fans alike, Smith took his own life on October 21, 2003. The record was released two days shy of the first anniversary of his death.

Elliott Smith @ archive.org
Elliott Smith - B Sides & Other Songs
Elliott Smith - Tribute CD

More than any other hardcore band, the Minutemen epitomized the free-thinking independent ideals that formed the core of punk/alternative music. Wildy eclectic and politically revolutionary, the Minutemen never stayed in one place too long; they moved from punk to free jazz to funk to folk at a blinding speed. And they toured and recorded at blinding speed; during the early '80s, they were constantly on the road, turning out records whenever they had a chance. Like their peers Black Flag, Hüsker Dü, R.E.M., Sonic Youth, and the Meat Puppets, the Minutemen built a large, dedicated cult following throughout the United States through their relentless touring. Like their fellow American indie bands, the trio was poised to break into the world of major labels in 1986, and they would have if it wasn't for the tragic death of guitarist/vocalist D. Boon in December of 1985. Even though bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley carried on with fIREHOSE in the late '80s, the legacy of the Minutemen overshadowed the new band in the late '80s and early '90s, as the San Pedro trio influenced several generations of musicians.

Minuteman - Acoustic & Live
Minuteman @ archive.org


Bonus:
Kid Casanova - Finished Album (2006)
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/jyvhk
The Mars Volta - Deloused In The Comatorium
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/g645p
30 Seconds To Mars - 30 Seconds To Mars
System Of A Down - Hypnotize
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/kkxzu
Agent Double O Zero - Best Way To Say I Love You
Agent Double O Zero - Gets Eliminated
The Taxicab Samurais - Five Miles To Newark
[CODE]http://tinyurl.com/zd2cb