best currently active lyrical band

A great storyteller.

loads really...
Tom Waits,
Isaac Brock from Modest Mouse
Will Oldham
Cathal Coughlan
Wu-tang Clan
Edan
Thom Yorke
Mark Kozelek....

I have to second the mentions of Why? Confessional, almost to the point of embarrassing at times...lyrics definitely stick with you though...Alopecia is one of my favourite albums...
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned our own Villagers...or is it pushing it to call 'em a band...Twenty Seven Strangers has nice, simple story, well told...
I love Mountain Goats lyrics too (I know it's really John Darnielle solo)...

This thread has gotten me thinking...Outside of the context of the songs themselves, a lot of my favourite lyrics don't make much of an impression...I suppose it's like tearing your favourite single piece out of your favourite painting and expecting it to mean the same thing...
^^^Wow, I'm an asshole...ha!...

That's true...I was overqualifying there...some of the previous posters seemed offended by the inclusion of solo artists...

On paper, early Mountain Goats should be tolerable at best...hissy, scratchy-sounding singer-songwriter fare...worth a listen once maybe...In reality, I've played the backside out of most of his stuff...the funny, heartfelt, literate lyrics raise even the very lo-fi stuff above the ordinary...
Brilliant...

Have you checked out The Extra Lens' new(ish) album yet?

Out of interest, anyone given AJJ a good listen yet? I can't be alone in thinking that they're lyrically top notch.