I was trying to think the other day of currently active recording bands with at least 3 releases whose entire catalog is worth owning and I couldn't come up with many. I think Dinosaur Jr. is the only one i could think of.

What says you. For quality control, assume "worth owning" means that you either own it or its on your shopping list if you don't, and that if you do own it and your entire collection was stolen but your insurance was going to cover buying an equivalent amount of new music that you would repurchase it.

Current...I'd go with a few...

White Stripes
Air
Boards of Canada
ISAN
OutKast (although I never heard that soundtrack, but I don't count that)

Quite a few others come close, but have some sort of blemish for me...and a couple are technically still current I guess, Like Reverend Horton Heat and Social Distortion that I kinda classify as from other eras even though I like everything they've done.

Oh and please limit it to bands. Its too easy if you list singer songwriters and solo artists.

I'd agree with the White Stripes. The only other one that comes to mind is The Velvet Underground, but that's not current.

This will require some thought.

bleh bleh bleh...cute

wilco
iron & wine
my morning jacket
sigur ros
belle & sebastian (yes, even storytelling)

Okkervil River (maybe minus "Stars Too Small to Use," which is more like an early demo album anyway)
Decemberists
Shins
Strokes
Sigur Ros
Spoon
and, yes, Radiohead

estone, i submit that iron and wine is a solo artist.

Are we talking out and out duds, like no redeemable qualities whatsoever?

I'm gonna say Lucero and Rancid.

I see some I agree with...Sigur Ros and Strokes.

Not that it matters but I don't agree with any of the answers yet. I thought of another though: Knife in the Water.

Strangely, neither D Jr. or Knife in the Water are that close to my favorite bands.

i'm defining "dud" as an album that i never want to listen to. see, for examples from my favorite bands: terror twilight, drag it up.

What about Ike Reilly. Not my favourite, but I don't know if I considered any of his albums duds. And if we're considering the Pixies to be at least semi-active, then they definitely count as a no-dud band.

No they don't have to be out and out duds...just subpar, not really something you want to listen to in the future. I was trying to get at that with the idea that you would repurchase it if it was stolen.

Things you don't own just as a completist but actually own because you want to listen to them. If you are going to construct what is your ideal collection of things to listen to in the future with the idea that you can really only give time to a finite number of albums, whose entire catalog is worth still listening to?

Ike
Strokes
Lucero
The Rolling Stones
Hold Steady
Kings of Leon

haha rolling stones
also, aerosmith.

yeah I'm behind these ones as well, particularly the latter two

If all it takes is comeback gigs, I wanna add the Sex Pistols

Since it's been awhile since I mentioned them:

Self-4 official records and easily three albums worth of online releases. Solid songwriting, catchy melodies, kwirky noises throughout, and really all masterminded by one man still make this my favorite act today.

the national
super furry animals
the thermals
voxtrot

I meant actively recording...also bands with at least three albums.

You like Voxtrot? Interesting. I've never heard them on record, but their Pitchfork appearance wasn't anything like I expected.

les savy fav
the hives
lightning bolt

yeah I've certainly gotten a shitload of mileage from Matt's efforts.

i still haven't heard the first hold steady but could see them passing muster if its as good as the other two.

their EPs (didn't realize the parameters had releases being albums) are terrific. the LP is all right and i wouldn't call it a dud, but those EPs are sweet.