The Cure:

The Trilogy albums: Pornography, Disintergration and Bloodflowers- they are are dark and delicious.

Tom Waits:

(I haven't heard his last 3 albums)
But these are considerd gems in my music library: Frank's Wild Years, Swordfishtrombones and Bone Machine.

Elliot Smith: I was living in Portland (where he launched his music career) when he first came on the scene and everybody in town was talking about him (and another local band Dandy Warhols). My first of his records was from his band Heatmiser "Dead Air". The writing on "Dead Air" was half Elliot Smith and half Neil Gust but ther're all good songs and "Dead Air" is almost my favorite Elliot Smith album.

Top 3 are: Roman Candle, Dead Air and From A Basement On The Hill (that one is still too painful to listen too at present)

i r totally serious. just about everything released is absolutely wonderful. but if i had to pick a top three:

* either/or
* xo
* roman candle

probably in that order.

From a Basement on the Hill,
XO,
Either/Or

Apart from 'Elliott Smith' which I don't own (the result of an extreme laziness which leads me to make totally irrational decisions) I think I prefer each album to the last except Figure 8 which, like Roman Candle, is an incredible piece of work, but, for me, a less enjoyable listen.