For those of you that are tech-savvy, alt-j may just be a keyboard shortcut used to make the triangle symbol, but for others like myself, alt-j is more than just a computer command, it is the band that makes me get the feels, in a good way.
Alt-j (∆) is an English indie rock band that formed in 2007 in Leeds, England. Actually, the four boys who began the band were friends who met at Leeds University. The four band members are Joe Newman, the guitarist and vocalist; Gwin Swainsbury, the guitarist and bassist; Gas Unger-Hamilton, the keyboardist; and Thom Green, the drummer. Originally, the band was to be called Daljit Dhaliwal after the British TV presenter, but the boys quickly got over that and wanted to be called Films, however they later discovered there was already an American band called The Films. Finally, they settled with ∆, the inspiration derived from the Greek letter, delta, which is most commonly used in mathematics as a symbol for change.
Their debut album, An Awesome Wave, was released in 2012 and won the 2012 British Mercury Prize. The album was a great success showcasing tracks such as “Breezeblocks," ”Fitzpleasure,” and “Tesselate.” The album was a great hit and, even more so, were the music videos. It is as though their music videos tell a story independently from the song, giving the track a whole new layer of complexity that requires even more understanding and interpretation.
Many of their songs also try to tell a story. One of my favorites is “Taro,” which is about Gerda Taro, a war photojournalist in the late '40s, and her love interest, Robert Capa, who stepped on a land-mine in Indochina during the war and died. As dark as that may seem, the track alludes to dates, times and moments in the lives of the lovers and, much like a tribute to them, tells their story. It is this complexity of alt-j and their music that makes me not only enjoy their music stylistically, but also appreciate it lyrically.
More recently alt-j released their newest album, This Is All Yours. One of the more interesting things they have accomplished with this album is take the track, “Every Other Freckle,” and create two identical music videos for them except have one from the boy’s perspective and one from the girl’s.
This band is full of innovative ideas and their style of music is one of a kind. They are currently on tour and came to Los Angeles on Oct. 20 at the Greek Theater and Oct. 21 at the Fox Theater. Their live performances are known to be insanely good and this tour is no different. The light shows accompany their performances were just as spectacular as the sets themselves.
However, if you did miss them in LA, do not worry, your chance will come. My intuition tells me they may be at Coachella, but I am no reliable source, just a die-hard fan. Until next time, listen to their music and enjoy the lyrical stories they have to tell through their eclectic melodies.
