Wow this is a long thread... and an old topic.
Anyway, if anybody cares, I love the following:
Yo La Tengo, Low, Tom Waits, M Ward, The Clash, Nina Simone, New Order, Neil Young, Elvis Costello, Big Star, John Prine and recent obsession = Andrew Bird!
See my last.fm page:
http://www.last.fm/user/JimmyChanga/