Meet MTV's latest Artist To Watch: highbrow indie rock quartet Alt-J.
There are a few things to know about the Cambridge, U.K.-based, Leeds-formed Alt-J, the first of which being that they're an indie rock band who DO. NOT. MESS. AROUND. Each track in the four-piece's repertoire is its own perfectionist work of art, like the Wild Beasts-esque "Matilda," the heavier-than-expected "Fitzpleasure," and the xylophone-tinged "Breezeblocks." Their debut album, An Awesome Wave, a quirky mixture of folk, pop, hip-hop, trip-hop, and synth riffs, took a whopping five years to complete before the members were satisfied (who has that kind of patience?). But their dedication didn't go unrewarded -- Alt-J took home the prestigious British Mercury Prize for their 2012 disc. That's like the musical equivalent of being admitted to Harvard -- fitting, really, since Alt-J were originally a college band. But how many of those actually "make" it?
Read more about Alt-J after the jump.
