That Elliott Smith's work is still being discovered long after his tragic passing in '03 is a testament to its emotional power. Formerly the lead vocalist in Portland alt-rockers Heatmiser, the prolific singer-songwriter gradually attained cult hero status in the '90s with a string of bleak but beautiful solo LPs. The troubled star flirted with mainstream success when his songs were featured in Good Will Hunting, and left behind an influential catalog of melancholic and candid indie folk that spoke directly to the soul.