This is what you get when you hit the alt/option key and the "j" button on a Mac: ∆
It's also the name-symbol (pronounced "Alt-J") of a Cambridge, England based band making smart music that's nearly impossible to classify. I'd like to say it's art-pop, but that sounds a bit too pretentious. The delicacy and complexity of their songs is something exciting and different. Much like their name, it stands immediately as something both catchy and intelligent. Comparisons that come to mind include Radiohead's multi-facedness, the falsetto vocal delicacy of Wild Beasts, and TV On The Radio's early and unabashed experimentation with song structure. Alt-J's mixture of delicate synths, acoustic guitar, piano, folk, electronics, and beautiful harmonies makes for an eclectic listen that holds up to repeat listens. The band's four members, Gwil Sainsbury (guitar/bass), Joe Newman guitar/vocals), Gus Unger-Hamilton (Keyboards), and Thom Green (drums), met while attending Leeds in 2007. Unger-Hamilton studied English literature, while the others all studied fine art. And while this may seem like the trappings of Anglo-pretension, it's difficult to argue with such beautifully crafted music. The band began recording together, went through a few name changes, released an eponymous 4-track demo, a couple of 7", and finally released their full-length debut, "An Awesome Wave," on May 25th of this year. It is perhaps fitting that the symbol they chose to represent their band is also the symbol that represents change in mathematical equations--this is a young group that is clearly equipped with the musical and artistic skills to reinvent themselves from song to song and album to album. You can head over to their website to buy a copy of "An Awesome Wave," and you can stream the album in its entirety below. Enjoy.
It's also the name-symbol (pronounced "Alt-J") of a Cambridge, England based band making smart music that's nearly impossible to classify. I'd like to say it's art-pop, but that sounds a bit too pretentious. The delicacy and complexity of their songs is something exciting and different. Much like their name, it stands immediately as something both catchy and intelligent. Comparisons that come to mind include Radiohead's multi-facedness, the falsetto vocal delicacy of Wild Beasts, and TV On The Radio's early and unabashed experimentation with song structure. Alt-J's mixture of delicate synths, acoustic guitar, piano, folk, electronics, and beautiful harmonies makes for an eclectic listen that holds up to repeat listens. The band's four members, Gwil Sainsbury (guitar/bass), Joe Newman guitar/vocals), Gus Unger-Hamilton (Keyboards), and Thom Green (drums), met while attending Leeds in 2007. Unger-Hamilton studied English literature, while the others all studied fine art. And while this may seem like the trappings of Anglo-pretension, it's difficult to argue with such beautifully crafted music. The band began recording together, went through a few name changes, released an eponymous 4-track demo, a couple of 7", and finally released their full-length debut, "An Awesome Wave," on May 25th of this year. It is perhaps fitting that the symbol they chose to represent their band is also the symbol that represents change in mathematical equations--this is a young group that is clearly equipped with the musical and artistic skills to reinvent themselves from song to song and album to album. You can head over to their website to buy a copy of "An Awesome Wave," and you can stream the album in its entirety below. Enjoy.
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