What Is Alt-J?
Every once in a while a band comes along that is so different, so undefinable that your immediate reaction might be to dislike it. Then there is something familiar about it… and the uncommon sound of it starts to make it ‘unique’ rather than ‘different.’
Alt-J was like that for me. My friend Mike had the Alt-J album playing in the car on Sunday while driving up the coast of New Jersey. Mike confessed to me that he had been listening to the Alt-J album non-stop for a few weeks now, which I found unbelievable at first but started to understand after a couple of minutes.
I still can’t quite put my finger on what makes Alt-J’s sound so addictive and unique. They’re sound is simple and strays away from being too over-produced… they remind me of Radiohead but more Folk-y then that… and the frontman Joe Newman can conjure up his voice in a distorted Billy Corgan-esque howl.
Oh and what exactly does Alt-J mean? It’s the key combination you need to press to produce a triangle on a Mac keyboard. In math, this triangle is called ‘Delta’ and it means change…. I’m guessing these guys are setting out to change some things.
Pick up their debut album entitled An Awesome Wave at the iTunes store. I’m attaching a few of their singles below but you would be doing yourself a diservice if you didn’t listen to the entire album.
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Alt-J – Fitzpleasure (Dave Sitek remix)
Tags: indie-folk
“Triangles are my favorite shape.” Apparently so.
I like what I hear.
Oats, these guys are incredible, what a find. Since I started listening I haven’t stopped. Around every corner of each track is a new instrument that blends within the sound spectrum in such a unique way, I find myself stunned by their musicianship.
I keep trying to identify them with a current or past group and I cannot. Noah and the Whale meets Billy Corgan meets Edward Sharpe and yet that does them no justice.
I found a new favorite today, thanks guys.