18 CHVRCHES
"Cannot recover" I see what you did there
I love their sound as well, it's really refreshing and there's something euphoric and atmospheric about it that's very unique and just draws you in. They also seem to be good live, I've watched a couple of videos and her voice sounds exactly the same.
16 30 Seconds to Mars
Their videos really are great, recently watched the one for City of Angels and it was highly moving and inspiring. I haven't really listened to the album, the single didn't quite excite me so I never got round to listening to the rest of the album when it came out. I'll try again some time though.
10 Vampire Weekend
I like how you described their sound like an old storybook, the way this album is less hectic and a bit more calm combined with Ezra's soft vocals it often seems like he is a wise old man telling stories from his past and passing on knowledge and experience. They managed to develop their sound so well while keeping that special something that makes them so unique, I love every single one of their albums and I am so happy that they have proven they are here to stay. They are so talented.
8 Haim
Their album is definitely fun to listen to, makes you feel like you're at the beach on a sunny day or something. You can really hear their SoCal origin in there. They have good melodies and you're right about their different, quirky personalities coming through in the music. It makes them interesting plus the fact that they're sisters and so attractive, it automatically draws you to them and then the music does the rest, haha.
7 Arctic Monkeys
This album is EVERYTHING, omg. I listened to it yesterday just focusing on the music and it blew my mind, I got lost in it exactly like you described. I am so stunned by their development, when they came out all those years ago they took the scene by storm and I don't think anyone would have predicted such a great career for them, growing with every album and slowly building their own trademark sound. I watched them at the iTunes festival and when I heard all those songs, I knew this album was special. It reperesents Arctic Monkeys 100% imo and I keep finding myself going back to it all the time.
6 Arcade Fire
Another band and album that blew me off my feet with its sheer awesomeness. It's a lot more dancey than their older stuff, and I guess it was risky to incorporate all the percussion and tropical sound but it paid off, just like the whole 'concept' of the album - you can tell the whole story it's based on really spoke to them as well as the genuine influence of Carribbean/Haitian music and culture. It's amazing. They are one of the best bands of our time.
What a list of amazing bands! 
