10. Alt-J An Awesome Wave
2012s indie success story for sure. Though the band began in 2007, in 2012 they seemed to come out of nowhere fully formed. However, it wasnt just suddenness that saw them stand out this year, it was the manner in which they arrived, or rather how their arrival was received.
An Awesome Wave is a brilliant debut album, but its an unusual one.
Alt-J have blended a multitude of genres and styles to create a sound that is unique and wholly their own. As sexy as it is cerebral, and as accessible as it is intricate. Its not run of the mill indie or standard chart fodder by any means, yet first album in and they were embraced so tightly and widely that this year saw the entirety of their rise from unknown obscurity to festival playing,
Mercury Prize winning indie (and mainstream) darlings compacted into its short 12 months. Seeing them play in a small, but rammed, festival tent in the summer I leant over to a friend and said these wont be small for long. I was right.
Key tracks Tesselate, Breezeblocks, Something Good, Fitzpleasure http://youtu.be/rVeMiVU77wo