THE FUCKING FALL.

A whirling dervish of bilious and twisted logic set to a glam rockabilly disco whirl-ah.

WAITS, go, go now, quick, go. Mule variations.

Miss Black America.

Yep.

punk rock 'n' roll with horns. Great stuff.

or Bob Dylan. No one I've ever heard comes remotely close to touching either of them.

though Radiohead--and I'm embarassed to say--Up the Bracket is one of my favorite albums

. needs no explanation.

or Neutral Milk Hotel

obviously!

easily.

also bearsuit, bright eyes, my bloody valentine, the boredoms

And of bands that are still making music: Animal Collective.

"Six" is a classic album.

or Trail of Dead

because they rock, have the best noisy bits and actually surprise/amaze me every time I hear another one of their albums.

They haven't put out a crap album or treaded water at all in 23 years. Not many bands can say that.

For being the playfully imaginative, beautifully noisy, consistently challenging yet comforting band of my dreams and then some.

or if she doesnt count, not being a band and stuff; SLINT

and guided by voices.

You cunts.

but now it's sonic youth.

because they're the best and every single record they make is amazing.

because they embody everything good, and bad, about rock music and could make records like the filthy junkie nightmare of "Twin Infinitives" as well as making really clean sounding Stones jams like the first half of "Veterans of Disorder" and whatnot. And "Accelerator" has the best production job ever, as well as being possibly the best 'rock' record ever made. And their cover versions were always better than the originals.

or Can, for inventing a ton of shit and having my favourite rhythm section ever by a fucking stretch.

or Black Flag, because they just have all the fucking songs.

the Cure or Low.

sleater-kinney or prolapse or electrelane or pavement

Adem
Heavenly
Bearsuit

TV on the radio. utterly utterly unique and incredible.

Blood Brothers close second.

... I really believe that even if overnight:

1) Every other form of music previous written/recorded was destroyed
2) Humankind (inc. Black Francis) lost the ability to compose/play any new music

... I would still listen to music every day of my life and never tire of Pixies.

thread for some reason. More people should answer the question. MORE!

Constantly inventive, rocked, awesome live and they stood for something and did something about it. I was absolutely gutted when they split.

Hefner a close second.

Gets me in a good mood before going out on the razzle dazzle ya see.

Yeah !

on balance I would say the Beach Boys. Radiohead a close second.

Pink FLoyd...bought Wish You Were Here when I was 11 and my parents thought I might be troubled - I liked that

Grant Lee Buffalo/Grant Lee Phillips - if I could sing I would like to sound like him - the sexiest male voice I've ever heard

But as an all time album I'd live with sparklehorse-Good morning spider. It's the most complete, compelling and well produced album I've heard. From the heavy start of pig, past the pop-tastic sick of goodbyes to the beautiful hundreds of sparrows, there's something for every state of mind.

Cat Power
Maybe.

Due to the whole factor of not having much expertise with music and not having been able to love a band for several years because I havn't known what I listen to for several years then I can only really say that right now, My Bloody Valentine and Neutral Milk Hotel really can't be beaten.

But who the hell knows how I'll feel a year on.

mclusky yet? Marvellous. Although the answer to your question is actually "Pixies, easily"