after a long debate with myself I would say:
(random order)

Elliott Smith
Flaming Lips
Wilco
Sufjan Stevens
Bonnie Prince Billy
Plunkett
José González
Sigur Ros
Iron & Wine
Yo La Tengo
Broken Social Scene

I'm sure there's someone missing...

No love for Arcade Fire, Pavement, Neutral Milk Hotel or Animal Collective?

No. No one here likes those bands.

I happen to like Neutral Milk Hotel and Animal Collective.

Here are some others I like:

Of Montreal
Wolf Parade
Tapes 'N Tapes
The Apples In Stereo
The Archers Of Loaf
Ugly Cassanova
People In Planes
Her Space Holiday
A Million Billion
Andrew Bird
Wilco
The Microphones
Portugal The Man
Deerhoof
Crystal Castles
Iron And Wine
Sujan Stevens
Ambulance Ltd
Angus And Julia Stone
Plus So many more...

Here are some of my favorites:

The Killers
Of Montreal
The Strokes
The Shins
The Decemberists
Modest Mouse
Wilco
Snow Patrol
Spoon
!!!
The New Pornographers
Fratellis
Editors
Bloc Party
Babyshambles
Arctic Monkeys

What do you think of my list? I'm missing a lot of them.

hmmmm....

Andrew Bird
Beirut
Belle and Sebastian
Beulah
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
Frog Eyes
John Gold
Kasabian
Neutral Mild Hotel
Of Montreal
Pavement
The Ponys
Rogue Wave
The Sea and Cake
Snowden
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Sound Team
Sunset Rubdwon
Tapes 'N Tapes
Ted Leo and the Pharm.
The Teeth
Two Gallants
Voxtrot
Wilco
Wolf Parade

They are the best I know of at least. I would love to find some more great bands.

its iron and wine not iron and whine

Definitely the Hold Steady and any band with Spencer Krug.