In honor of my favorite song of the year so far, Guillemots' "We're Here", here's a list of my favorite string arrangements in recent songs (so it doesn't count stuff like Nico's CHELSEA GIRL or The Beatles, etc):

1. Bachelorette/Joga - Bjork
2. Tonight, Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins
3. Starálfur - Sigur Ros
4. Lost Track - Faye Wong
5. We're Here - Guillemots
6. Lonesome Tears - Beck
7. Flowers of Paradise - Faye Wong
8. Whatever - Oasis
9. How to Disappear Completely - Radiohead
10. ...take a pick from The Divine Comedy?

Any other recommendations?

I've always liked this one, but have no idea what it's called or who made it.

(Sampled from a Compton's Most Wanted album)

Broken Social Scene - Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl
Explosions in the Sky - Your Hand in Mine (version with strings on the Friday Night Lights soundtrack although the album version is better)
Mogwai - 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong

First thing I thought of when I saw the thread title:

Pink Cashmere by Prince, followed closely by Desire by The Family, a Prince side-project. Both arrangements done by Clare Fischer, whose work I've come to enjoy.

Just about any song on Elton John's Tumbleweed Connection.

Uninvited - Alanis Morrisette
Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
Drive - REM (arranged by John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin)

Ugh...Elton John and Led Zep aren't very recent There's way too much to pic from if we go back that far! I'm talking about the 90s onwards, really.

Good choice on REM's Drive - forgot that one!

Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl - I really don't like the song - and I like Broken Social Scene. That Cher-esque vocal manipulation thing really annoys the hell out of me.

If you like that sound check out Sea Change by Beck. I think Paul Buckmaster did the strings for both and it has the same type of sound. Great album, great songs. THe SACD is spectacular.

Oh hell yeah.

I have to agree with Robo and Grimfarrow. That was the FIRST song that jumped into my head when I read the title. Also check out Play Dead by Bjork as well.

I quite like Arcade Fire's "Neighborhood #4: 7 Kettles" (I think that's the full name...)

The Delgados have quite a few songs notably on their 'Great Eastern' album:

reminder Delgado fans this came out today

Delgados - Complete Peel Sessions

also I like

My Life Story's song: 'You Don't Sparkle (In My Eyes)' and 'Mr Boyd'

Well, you just sold me. I never picked up that Beck album (heard it was a real downer), but the Tumbleweed SACD is one of my favorite albums ever. I'll be picking up Sea Change as soon as I can. Too bad it's not at Yourmusic.com, though.