THE BEST

BEST HOME-SUBURB HEROES: MODEST MOUSE

If you couldn't catch Seattle's Death Cab for Cutie parade their chart-topping new record, the SPIN-praised Narrow Stairs, across the country this summer don't fret -- SPIN.com has you covered.

The sad truth: Not all youngsters gallivanting under Seattle's Space Needle Monday turned out to heed SPIN deputy editor Steve Kandell's advice and catch indie rock luminaries Superchunk's rare live set in Memorial Stadium.

While fans fisted and elbowed their way to the front of Memorial Stadium Monday night for a closer look at festival-closing headliner Death Cab for Cutie, fellow Seattleites Minus the Bear mounted the Rockstar Stage across the festival grounds and -- with their decidedly different math rock sound -- showed Bumbershoot concertgoers that Ben Gibbard and crew aren't the only heavyweights in town.<

Nevermind the semi-dorky, stoner-made visuals (flames, nubile babes on racing cars, lava lamp psychedelics), reunited alt-rock quartet Stone Temple Pilots strolled into Memorial Stadium more than 30 minutes late Saturday night (literally walking off the tour bus and on to the stage) and truly handed it to fans with a kick-ass set of riff-heavy classics featuring Scott Weiland's high-pitched gro

Between his shining moments of absolute genius -- Odelay, Sea Change, Mellow Gold -- Beck has had his creative and commercially unsuccessful moments.