Top ten bands/individuals in no particular order

1. Chris Whitley: “Clear Blue Sky”, “On Cue”, “Aerial” – Terra Incognita
2. Bill Frisell: Any
3. Led Zepplin: “Achilles Last Stand” - Presence
4. Shellac: “Watch Song” – 1000 Hurts
5. Helmet: “Rollo”, “Speechless” – Betty; “Complete” – Johnny Mnemonic Soundtrack
6. Metallica: “St. Anger”, “Invisible Kid”, “Purify” – St. Anger
7. Deftones: “Hexagram”, “When Girls Telephone Boys” – Deftones
8. Soundgarden; “4th of July”, “Like Suicide” solo – Superunknown
9. Ministry; “Filth Pig” – Filth Pig
10. Godflesh: “Almost Heaven” – Songs of Love and Hate

Has anyone ever heard of Manitas de Plata? I can't remember his birth name, but he is an amazing Spanish-Gypsie Flamenco guitarist.

I picked up a 3-LP set put out by the Music Conniseurship Society (great name, eh?) around 1963.

Absolutely stunning playing. All recorded live - very well I might add (3-Sony C37's, Ampex 351). In addition to the fantasic playing there is audience participation that adds to the imprompteau feel and excitement....good stuff.

Yo La Tengo: Heart Beating As One

Melt Banana: Charlie

Oxes

X: More Fun In The New World

Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers

PIL: Metal Box

Live Skull: Dusted

Cave and Bad Seeds: Murder Ballads

Prince: Sign Of the Times

Some of which few might mention:

Hardvark - "Memory Barge"
Randy Towner crafted some brilliant guitar lines into his top notched song writing. With Bob Rising on drums, you can't go wrong. Randy had a beautiful sounding rig of Hiwatt amps and a Fender Jaguar.

Panel Donor - "Lobedom & Global"
Lawrence, Kansas quartet. The "Donor". Fuck. Ten years later and their records still do it for me today. Dual Jazzmasters and Big Muff pedals, but not MBV and not quite Dinosaur.

Shorty - "Thumb Days"
Mark Shippy is just jaw dropping brilliant. Recorded at CRC, mixed in the old Electrical and put out by Germans. I'd hate to think that this record could've been recorded by anyone other than Steve. This album is what a live Shorty gig was like, without all the tobacco spittin.


Surprise me if you heard these:

Ocelot - "Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow"
Purkinjie Shift - "Nickel Waves and Carbon Stars"
Haberdasher - " Songs On Love nos 48602-48608"
Table - "s/t"
Pencil - "Skantron" & "El Toro"

Recent likes:

SinceByMan - "We Sing the Body Electric"
Loincloth - CDR demo & 7" on Southern Lord
Moreland Audio - "Turbogold"
Part Chimp - "Chart Pimp" The guitar sound on this album is insane. Like they trashed the hellout of some nice ribbon mics trying to capture this distorted, garbling trainwreck of a guitar sound. V.Cool. Their John Peel Session sounds even more over the top.

ooh...ooh!

Shapes by Polvo is woozy and bendy. THE riff on d.d.s.r. is unbelievable.

Ira From YoLaTengo really rips live]

Recently, the first half of Purple On Time. by U.S. Maple-totally hot lix. The blenderized zeppelin catalogue never sounded so perfect

Spaking of which. the Zep catalogue sounds perfect to begin with.

Spaking of first halves. The first half of Hurrah by versus has both lyrically beauteous and earrippingly moments.

Rectangle has two that really slay me, Teotihuacan and Angstroms Versus Hemisphere's off of "Bunker" are of the finest I've heard. Orion's playing made me want to play guitar too.

Marquee Moon. Never have two guitars sounded better together.

There's quite a bit from Os Mutantes' albums that destroys my mind. Sergio was fifteen when they dropped their first record and the sheer psychedelic command that he has is astounding.

Sonic Youth-Dirty
Nick Drake-bryter layter

Oh yeah, Faiz from Danger Adventure is the best guitarist ever.
Faiz
www.dangeradventure.com

Oh Jesus,

Jackson 5's ABC has theeeee sickest fuzz tone ever.

and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

that's it. Even if I remember something. I'll stop here

In Utero is a masterpiece. The only album close to that (as far as production os concerned)is Nevermind.

My current guitar favorites...

Ministry - Psalm 69 or Filth Pig
Motorhead - No Sleep til Hammersmith
Bauhaus - first couple
Just about everything released on SST in the 80's, from Angst's jumbled progressions to St. Vitus' (no) tone.
Deadhorse - Peaceful Death and Pretty Flowers
Shellac's At Action Park and the Tokyo show
Wire - Pink Flag
Explosions in the Sky
Melvins - damn near any of 'em
Sugar - File Under Easy Listening (first three songs, anyway)
The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms
Screaming Trees - Invisible Lantern
Buzzcocks

I second the Os Mutantes...

I haven't met many others who have heard of those guys.
Really awesome stuff... definately worth checking out.

As for all of the Soundgarden references... "Badmotorfinger" was an amazing album. Superunknown has it's moments as well. The song 'My Wave' on that album is amazing. I think it's the second track. Probably my fav. Soundgarden song. It's just one of those overlooked gems that comes across as their pinnacle of songwriting (IMO). Kim Thayil is a great guitar player. The alternate tunings on some of their records are great.

Faraquet - "The View From This Tower" is phoenominal as far as a guitar record is concerned. The guitarist really can play his ass off.