One thing I do need - dynamics. And I'm not talking about any group named "the Dynamics," either. I just gotta have some variety.
There's a time and a place for distorted guitar, hollering vocals, pounding drums, fast tempos, etc. Don't go speeding up a song that should be midtempo or slow, don't step on the effects box when a clean guitar line will do. Not to sound like an uptight music theory teacher, but I've heard too many neo-garage bands do the noise thing way too much (and most of them seemingly recorded for Estrus Records, but that's another story entirely).