Bumbershoot

Even before the release of their debut single, favorable comparisons came quickly for the British quartet alt-J, with their music described as “Nick Drake meets gangsta rap,” and likened to In Rainbows-era Radiohead. Veering wildly from psychedelic avant-pop to skeletal folktronica, alt-J's sound highlights understated beauty one minute and epic oddities the next, tackling everything from bullfighting to the heroic life of 1930s war photographer Gerda Taro. Winning the coveted British Mercury Prize in 2012 and appearing on the soundtrack to the Oscar-winning film Silver Linings Playbook propelled alt-J’s career to new heights, helping them gain a wide international following.