When Elliott Smith died a little over two years ago, it silenced one of the most important songwriters of my generation. Elliott left behind a tremendous legacy in the indie world and a substantial body of unfinished work and b-sides. Some of those unfinished works were meant to end up on his posthumous release, From A Basement on the Hill, released last fall to wide critical acclaim. However, there were piles of other demos and unreleased material which made their way through trading circles, friends, and curious listeners. A labour-of-love 22-song compendium of sorts leaked its way onto the net nearly a month ago (while I was in movie land), being called Basement II Demos which reveals yet another layer of the Elliott that I once knew. It’s hard to listen to these recordings without recalling his earliest solo material, albums like the self-titled Elliott Smith or Roman Candle, and they are no less introspective or darkly tinged.

All of the songs are now freely available for download from elliottsmithbsides.com, though it is not known how long that will continue to be true. I suggest that if you’ve ever been a fan of Elliott’s music, you need to stop what you’re doing and head over there. Gorilla vs. Bear originally pointed out this story to the blogosphere and I’d like to thank them for doing so. I’d like to refresh the conversation about it for those who might have missed out. Enjoy these tracks, which are among my favorites from the Basement II demos.

Almost Over
Going Nowhere
Thirteen (Big Star Cover)
Fear City

Proceeds from sales of FABOTH continue to support the Elliott Smith Memorial Fund/Free Arts For Abused Children fund.

Donations can also be made to the following:

Elliott Smith Memorial Fund
c/o Free Arts for Abused Children
12095 W. Washington Blvd. Suite 104
Los Angeles, CA 90066

* * CHECKS MUST BE MADE PAYABLE TO: * *
“Elliott Smith Memorial Fund/Free Arts”

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