But who - and what - to listen to, that is the question? (A bastardised Shakespearean quote, I know, and one for which I apologise).

In an effort to answer such a question, this article will provide readers with a list of five bands and artists that should hold a place in any music collection.

Explosions In The Sky: If ever there were one band that demands far greater attention, it is Explosions In The Sky. Formed in Texas in 1999, the four-piece are exponents of which they themselves call "cathartic mini-symphonies". True to their word, their instrumental compositions are a lesson in emotional soundscapes, eliciting a host of emotions from the listener as the tracks progress. Debut album How Strange, Innocence is a perfect representation of the band's abilities and makes a perfect introduction to their work.

Enter Shikari: Many readers will already be familiar with the energetic and often chaotic works of the Hertfordshire quartet, Enter Shikari. Formed in 2003, the post-hardcore band comprise rock and dance stylings in a way which has seen them acquire a reputation for frenetic live shows. With just one full album currently available, Take To The Skies, there are only a number of other EPs by the band for fans to discover. However, the forthcoming release of single We Can Breathe In Space, They Just Don't Want Us To Escape marks the precursor to the second album.

Everclear: American college rock. Three words that can isolate music fans the world over. Some love it, others despise it. Everclear, however, are one of those bands that unify the two. Frontman Art Alexakis is the driving force behind the band that has released a number of commercial and critically successful albums since their formation in 1992. Personally, I would recommend earlier recordings - including Sparkle And Fade and So Much For The Afterglow - as essential listens, while the over-production of later works have seemed to water-down much of the band's original excitement.

Electric Six: I do enjoy a good humorous band and Electric Six fit the bill perfectly. The album Fire is awash with catchy, funny and ludicrous rock songs that stick in your head. Their career may well turn out to be nothing more than a flash-in-the-pan, but what a flash! If you can, get out and see them live. I had the opportunity to see them in a tiny pub in Kent and it was one of the most frantic live experiences I have witnessed. For sheer fun, they are the perfect choice.

Eels: Quirky, humorous, melancholic and eclectic are just some of the adjectives that can be attributed to Eels. Producing songs of such simplicity and beauty has seldom been done as well, and debut album Beautiful Freak to this day retains an almost universal appeal.