Instead of bloating my post with quotes, I'll say who I love from recent lists:
0mastar - Murder By Death are incredible, I've been raving about them for months, did a review of their first album also. I also adore the Casket Lottery, they just don't come up too often in my iTunes shuffle.
Carl - I knew I'd know a lot from your list, so: Dismemberment Plan I love, especially, thanks to you and Dweedle. Elliott Smith is incredible (as is Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley, if you like any of those guys get the others ASAP). Menomena you just told me about, they're great. The Wrens also kick ass, and I just happen to be listening to 13 Months in 6 Minutes at the moment.
So apparently the cool thing to do is go through your list and pick names, so I'll attempt to do it with some brevity. I will do my best to pick names I have NEVER seen in any NP format:
The Absentee
Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill soundtracks 1-3, fucking incredible music/noise)
Aloha
Antony & the Johnsons
Arab Strap
Atmosphere
Beulah
Botch
Brian Eno
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Cave In
Centaur
Christie Front Drive
The Dears
Doves
Failure
Fireside (greatest Scandinavian indie rock band of all time)
The Gloria Record
Hatebreed
Hopesfall (even though they sold out like WOW)
Hot Water Music
Insane Clown Posse (lol I KNOW I'm alone on this one)
It Dies Today
Jets to Brazil
Joseph Arthur
Kashmir
The Legends
The Life and Times
Manitoba
Mineral
Mouth of the Architect
Nada Surf
Nick Drake
No Knife
Onelinedrawing
Pinback
Poison the Well
Q and not U
Red House Painters
Sarah Fimm (like McLachlan, only more electrical and probably better)
Sebadoh
Shiner
Silver Jews
Slowdive
The Soundtrack of Our Lives
Spiritualized
Sun Kil Moon
Sunny Day Real Estate
Swollen Members
Time in Malta
Unwed Sailor
The Vandals
The Walkmen
Pretty comprehensive.