Mike Watt is my bass-playin' hero. He played in the Minutemen, fIREHOSE, and now has a kick-ass solo career. Check out my experiences seeing him up in San Francisco.
Steely Dan is one of the coolest bands ever. Songs by The Dan I don't like are extremely few and far between, and I've heard 'em all!
The Artist is absolutely one of my most-loved musicians. He and I are from the same area (the Twin Cities) and his music is just heaven to me.
A friend of mine loaned me The Artist's latest, called "Crystal Ball." It's four discs and I've only listened to the first three, but they are really, really great! I know if you buy it on the web, you can get a special limited edition of it, but I'm saving up the cash. Check out the 1-800-new-funk web page to see about the special limited edition offer.
The Smashing Pumpkins are also one of my favorites. I just picked up their new CD, called "Adore." It's really a great CD. Didn't like it at first, but upon my second listening, fell in love with it!
I've truly loved all their discs: "Gish," "Siamese Dream," "Mellon Collie," and "Adore." They have lots of great b-sides, too. I've got two b-sides collections called "Pisces Iscariot" and "The Aeroplane Flies High." They are quite excellent.
Y'know, The Artist made a song called "Adore" back when he was Prince. Coincidence? You be the judge!