I chose my current fave, The Decemberists, and their antithesis, Vanilla, Ice to see what minotaur-infested maze might connect the two.

The Decemberists
Neutral Milk Hotel
Pavement
Beck
Ween
They Might Be Giants
Barenaked Ladies
Natalie Imbruglia
Postishead
Tricky
Goldie
Wu-Tang Clan
LA the Darkman
DMX
LL Cool J
Young MC
Tone Loc
Kid 'N Play
MC Hammer

It might have been a shorter list, but I got distracted by Ween and ventured into a few bands that I do like, but that didn't get me anywhere closer to my goal. Around Barenaked Ladies, I realized that I had to stop messing around and get back on track, so I took a turn for the mainstream with "Natalie Imbruglia" which was a step in the right direction. Then I figured Portishead might get me into the realm of "music with bass". Tricky was merely a stab in the dark and Goldie just seemed like a move toward the mainstream... And it seems to have been, since it got me to LA the Darkman and then DMX. At this point I'd been getting a little depressed because Vannila Ice seemed so far away, but then, as if an angel began singing in my ear, I saw LL Cool J on the list... I knew I couldnt be too far off!!! After that, I figured it was just a matter of circling the drain until I found MC Hammer and my eventual prey... So I just held my breath and dove and there he was, in all his glory.

word to your mother.