I think we may have touched on this before, but I gotta go again and give props to:

Robert Quine (Richard Hell & The Voidoids/Matthew Sweet/many others):
He's my favorite player ever. Simply bludgeons his instrument. Listen to the lead playing on Sweet's "Girlfriend".

Joey Santiago (Pixies):
Listen to "Vamos" (from Surfer Rosa) and tell me that is not just a sick guitar part. Not your traditional guitar hero, to be sure, but that is another part of what I love about his playing.

There are a number of other guitar players that can (and probaly eventually will )mention in this thread, who may get their props with those more-knowledgeable in the underground scene, are not really well-known by the mainstream.

Hop On Pop, the band at Facebook!
STREAM and DOWNLOAD Hop on Pop music