Hey bgracie, The most important things to think about will be pick-ups/tone, feel, and versatility. You mention indie and alternative. If you need to switch between single and double coil tones, I would suggest a Strat with an HSS pick-up configuration. They have a humbucker in the bridge position to thicken the tone when necessary and the usual brighter single coil sound. If you like a thick/warmer tone most the time, I'd go with a Les Paul Studio. It sounds good clean and dirty (and has nice controllable feedback). You also get a nice bright tone with the bridge pickup. The mid priced Epiphone models sound great and will save you a few $'s.
If you are looking for something that will work for jazz blues, and rock;the Epiphone Casino or Dot have a great warm tone and are a preferred taste for many guitarists. Ibanez have some similar models like the Artcore models.
Really, it would be best if you could try out each style to see how they feel and sound to you. The neck, pick-ups, body weight, even looks, (guitarists are vain!) are all important in choosing your main axe.
You might check out 4-5 of your favorite guitarists and see what they play. It will also help with your decision (don't forget to see what they use for effects too cause that is a big part of some guitarist's sound). Good Luck!
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