Florence & The Machine

You can't get much more English than a name like Florence Welch. Her powerful pipes plow through familiar Brit bases -- Joss Stone's neo-soul, P.J. Harvey's eerie rock, Kate Bush's artsy pop, Goldfrapp's flirty electro-pop. But the music of Florence & the Machine is far from derivative, thanks in part to the wealth of musicians Welch has recruited to back her up. Gathering an array of artists has allowed her to delve into various genres, from the garage rock of hit debut single "Kiss with a Fist" to soulful singer-songwriter material and even upbeat dance-pop. The rich combination proved successful as her 2009 debut, Lungs, quickly rose up charts around the world, including the U.S. Billboard 200.