alt-J : NPR

Moses Sumney's Aromanticism was one of Bob's favorite albums this year. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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All Songs Considered

Bob Boilen's Top 10 Albums Of 2017

December 14, 2017 • Five out of these 10 records are debuts — a statistic that fits perfectly in the spirit of finding new music to fall in love with this year.

alt-J Make A Breathtaking Short Film For 'Pleader'

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All Songs TV

alt-J Make A Breathtaking Short Film For 'Pleader'

November 15, 2017 • This is not your regular music video – it's a six-minute, miniature epic inspired by "Pleader," the closing cut on alt-J's album Relaxer.

Watch alt-J Perform 'In Cold Blood' Live In The Studio

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Brian Lowe/KCRW

Favorite Sessions

Watch alt-J Perform 'In Cold Blood' Live In The Studio

August 31, 2017 • The band performs a track from its latest album, Relaxer, live in the studio for KCRW.

Mads Perch

All Songs Considered

Guest DJ: alt-J

June 6, 2017 • The trio joins host Bob Boilen to share some of the songs they love by other artists, including music from Radiohead, Metronomy and Death Grips.

alt-J Guest DJ

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Hear alt-J Play 'Relaxer' Songs Live On World Cafe

alt-J's new album, Relaxer, is out now. Gabriel Green/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Gabriel Green/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Hear alt-J Play 'Relaxer' Songs Live On World Cafe

XPN

June 2, 2017 • The band's sound is hard to pin down: It's somewhere between folk and electronica, the words sometimes poetry, sometimes prose.

alt-J on World Cafe

31:46

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Alt-J (left to right: Thom Green, Gus Unger-Hamilton, and Joe Newman) release Relaxer, their third studio album, on June 2. Courtesy of artist hide caption

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All Songs Considered

alt-J's 'Relaxer,' Track By Track

June 2, 2017 • alt-J's new album, Relaxer, is thick with literary allusions and steeped in folk traditions. To get deeper into these inspirations and influences, the trio walks us through the album, song by song.

alt-J Talk Chasing Excitement And Magic On A Confident New Album

alt-J's new album, Relaxer, is out June 2. Mads Perch/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Mads Perch/Courtesy of the artist

Music Interviews

alt-J Talk Chasing Excitement And Magic On A Confident New Album

May 30, 2017 • Gus Unger-Hamilton and Joe Newman tell Ari Shapiro about their songwriting process, how alt-J put its spin on a classic folk song and how the band has progressed over the years.

alt-J Talk Chasing Excitement And Magic On A Confident New Album

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Transcript

Alt-J's New Song '3WW' Points Toward A Smoothed-Out Sound

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All Songs Considered

Alt-J's New Song '3WW' Points Toward A Smoothed-Out Sound

March 6, 2017 • The rock band teams with Wolf Alice singer Ellie Worsell for a West African-inspired song of love.

Poll Results: Listeners Pick Their Favorite Albums Of 2014

Clockwise from upper left: Spoon, Sharon Van Etten, St. Vincent, Future Islands, Flying Lotus. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Best Music Of The Year

Poll Results: Listeners Pick Their Favorite Albums Of 2014

December 17, 2014 • The results are in! St. Vincent's self-titled album was by far the most popular record in our listener poll for the best music of 2014. On this week's show, we count down the Top 25.

Poll Results: Listeners Pick Their Favorite Albums Of 2014

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Favorite Sessions

alt-J, 'Bloodflood Pt. II' (Live)

KEXP

October 20, 2014 • Watch the eclectic English rock band perform "Bloodflood Pt. II" from its new second album, This Is All Yours, live from a Seattle studio.

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Brittany Salerno/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

alt-J On World Cafe

XPN

September 23, 2014 • Hear songs from the Mercury Prize-winning British band's new album, This Is All Yours.

alt-J On World Cafe

25:46

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First Listen Live: Alt-J, 'This Is All Yours'

alt-J performed songs from This Is All Yours, live at (Le) Poisson Rouge in New York on Sept. 2. Ebru Yildiz for NPR hide caption

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Ebru Yildiz for NPR

Front Row

First Listen Live: Alt-J, 'This Is All Yours'

WFUV

September 2, 2014 • Watch alt-J perform songs from its as-yet-unreleased new album, This Is All Yours in the band's first concert without departed bassist/guitarist Gwil Sainsbury.

Audio-Only Stream

Alt-J Will Debut New Album Live In New York

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All Songs Considered

Alt-J Will Debut New Album Live In New York

August 27, 2014 • NPR Music and WFUV present the quirky, intoxicating English rock band alt-J live in concert on Sept. 2, performing songs from its new, unreleased album, This Is All Yours.

Song Premiere: alt-J, 'Hunger Of The Pine'

alt-J, from left: Thom Green, Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton. Gabriel Green/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Gabriel Green/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Song Premiere: alt-J, 'Hunger Of The Pine'

June 18, 2014 • The Mercury Prize-winning band will return in September with a new album, This Is All Yours. The first song from that album, "Hunger of the Pine," is as adventurous as ever.

Alt-J lead vocalist Joe Newman gives his unique voice a break during the band's show at NPR Music's SXSW showcase at Stubb's in Austin. Adam Kissick for NPR hide caption

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Adam Kissick for NPR

SXSW Music Festival

Alt-J, Live In Concert

March 14, 2013 • The Mercury Prize-winning band from Cambridge, England, capped NPR Music's SXSW showcase in Austin. Watch them dig deep into their one and only album, An Awesome Wave, in front of a packed house.

Alt-J, Live In Concert: SXSW 2013

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Alt-J: An 'Awesome Wave' Of Eccentric Rock

Britain's Alt-J performs live at opbmusic's studios in Portland, Ore. Inger Klekacz/opbmusic.org hide caption

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Favorite Sessions

Alt-J: An 'Awesome Wave' Of Eccentric Rock

opbmusic.org

January 8, 2013 • The Mercury Prize-winning British band is behind All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen's favorite album of 2012, An Awesome Wave. Watch the group perform its biggest hit live at opbmusic's studios.

World Cafe: David Dye's 10 Favorite Songs Of 2012

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World Cafe

World Cafe: David Dye's 10 Favorite Songs Of 2012

XPN

January 1, 2013 • David Dye has been hosting WXPN's World Cafe for more than 20 years. With new artists performing in the show's studios every day, Dye gets to witness firsthand the best music each year has to offer. Here are his picks for 2012's finest.

World Cafe Host David Dye Picks His 10 Favorite Songs Of 2012

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Stephanie d'Otreppe/ NPR

Best Music Of 2012

NPR Music's 50 Favorite Albums Of 2012

December 22, 2012 • The albums that sum up our year span genres and borders. From Astro to Wadada Leo Smith, Fiona Apple to Frank Ocean, here are 50 albums that made 2012 great.

ILLuminate (featuring Kendrick Lamar)

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Tiny Desk

Alt-J: Tiny Desk Concert

December 17, 2012 • The Mercury Prize-winning band plays angular, poetic music that takes unexpected turns, shifting gears when you least expect it. Seeing Alt-J live in the NPR Music offices reveals a few of its mysteries, making a group that can be difficult on first listen a bit easier to digest.

Alt-J: Tiny Desk Concert

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Jory Cordy

World Cafe

Alt-J On World Cafe

XPN

December 10, 2012 • The band, which takes its name from the mathematical symbol for change, just released its debut.

Alt-J On World Cafe

19:59

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Best Music Of 2012

The Year In Music, 2012

December 5, 2012 • On this episode of All Songs Considered, hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton are joined by Ann Powers and Stephen Thompson to talk about the year's biggest surprises, best new artists and more.

Discussion: The Year In Music, 2012

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Heavy Rotation: 5 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing

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Heavy Rotation

Heavy Rotation: 5 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing

June 18, 2012 • Hear five tunes that have quickly become staples on the left-hand side of the radio dial. Download music from Metric, Lianne La Havas and three more up-and-coming artists.