Favourite Alt/Indie musicians?

Stompbox

Thought it might be cool to show some appreciation for those lads and lassies producing the noise that let your ears swim in good sounds. List the individual instruments and then the musician who really floats yer boat (gonna include songwriting as well as I think that being conventionally talented with an instrument does not necessarily equate with solid songwriting chops).

Guitar - Johnny Marr

This man is a God, took me quite some time to warm to the Smiths but the catalyst had to be the mesmeric musicianship of Messrs. Marr. Who could want more than shimmering guitar lines that knot together in perfect harmony?

Bass - Colin Selway

Really tempted to plump for Macca but Colin has been laying down some serious grooves with the 'Head lately, as evidenced so clearly in the new 'From The Basement' sessions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qm1XrZI0zY

Vocals - Julian Casablancas

Methinks JC marries an effortlessly melodic croon with a deliciously snotty gnarl.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri5K28MSY_A

Drums - Matt Helders

Torn between Helders and Christopher Bear from Grizzly Bear as the latter uses some astonishly inventive dynamics and fills but I love Helders energy and his uncanny knack for linking in with the rest of the band, loved his work on Humbug in particular.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHe3E366_Po

Songwriting - Damon Albarn

A man whos prolificity has never resulted in a compromise of quality, there's no doubt in my mind that this man will go down as one of the all-time greats. Blur, The Good,The Bad and the Queen, Gorillaz, Doctor Dee, Monkey and frequent dalliances with African music, the chap is a proper musical omnivore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGiWZ0NyvLE

Lyricist - Stephen Malkmus

Honourable mentions to Morrissey, James Mercer and Alex Turner but you can't understate how well this man articulates his thoughts. Acerbic, abstract and with flashes of biting wit, Malkmus is one tuned-in guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoMdkyeZOqE

Phew!

TwoCanDan

Acoustic Guitar: The Tallest Man On Earth
I could just as easily have mentioned him under the heading 'vocals', 'lyricist', or 'stage presence' (if such a category were allowed). He just writes quality songs and performs them brilliantly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XzPFdFI0yU

Violin: Toss-up between Owen Pallett and Andrew Bird
I love how violin is used as a lead rock instrument by these guys (albeit with sporadic help from loop pedals, etc).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSg8u8Rk3X4

lordgoat

Trumpet:

Kermit Ruffins


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoIk3ZT91KU


Also please limit the embedding of vids to one or two. As it makes the thread really clunky and slow.

Feel free to put in as many non embedded links as you like.