Move over, Nirvana. Step aside, Soundgarden. In the last decade, the Northwest has reinvented itself as an epicenter of innovative indie pop-rock.

Modest Mouse, The Moon & Antarctica

Mouse’s Epic debut is truly epic: a sonic, spastic, often beautiful experiment in orchestration and vocal arrangement. “Cities Made of Ashes” proves falsetto can rock with the best of them, while “Gravity Rides Everything” is pure bliss.

Built to Spill, Ancient Melodies of the Future

From the hills of Boise, Id., comes a band that consistently takes musical risks and triumphs. Melodies blends cacophony and harmony to create a signature sound that is primordial, novel and infectious.

Sunny Day Real Estate, How It Feels to Be Something On

Dream-like and droning, this album evokes the drug-drenched escapade its title suggests. While SDRE is often credited with spawning the bastard child that is “emo,” How It Feels proves there is more to the group than teenage angst.

Death Cab For Cutie, We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes

Death Cab delivers lyrics so sweet and light you can almost feel singer Ben Gibbard’s pain. With guitarist/local music guru Chris Walla producing, the band has made the quintessential Northwest album.

Elliot Smith, Either/Or

Don’t let his memorably mediocre A&O performance fool you: Smith is a lyrical force to be reckoned with. His wistful, whiny vocals and light guitar strumming seep with emotion that kicks Dashboard Confessional’s ass.