Alt-J: The Dream review – a stroll around the curiosity shop
The ambitious British indie crooners embrace an American sound while confronting crypto and Covid on their enjoyable fourth album
November 2021
Alt-J: ‘Feeling unsafe is something that’s quite foreign for men’
The British band’s singer, Joe Newman, on how the trauma that followed the murder of a friend’s sister led to their songs about dark subjects
October 2018
Alt-J review – woozy harmonies and fibre-optic fantasies
The trio’s finicky electronic pop can feel like sonic morphine, but they can pack a polite punch when they bring out their bluesy side
July 2018
Ranked
Every Mercury prize-winning album – ranked!
Latitude festival – teenage fans bring energy to middle-class kingdom
January 2018
********, ∆, †‡† ... the most unpronounceable band names ever
Whether it’s a marketing gimmick or a way to stop anyone ever talking about your band, musicians are rejecting random nouns in favour of punctuation and ancient languages
September 2017
Five of the best… new gigs
Bon Iver and Ne-Yo: this week’s best UK pop and rock gigs
Justin Vernon returns to showcase his hyper-modern album 22, A Million, while the R&B star proves the enduring appeal of glossy hits and slick choreography
July 2017
Mercury prize 2017: Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and the xx feature on shortlist
Other nominees for prestigious award include Blossoms, Alt-J and J Hus, and there is room for curveballs such as the Big Moon and Dinosaur
June 2017
Five of the best… new gigs
The 1975, Alt-J and Paramore: this week’s best UK rock and pop gigs
Matty Healy and co take their magnetic pop on tour, Leeds indie trio kickstart the O2’s 10th birthday party and the emo-turned-synth-pop outfit are back
Alt-J: Relaxer review – a change of pace gives space to breathe
(Infectious)
Alt-J: Relaxer review – short, belligerent and odd
April 2017
This week's new tracks
Sparks’s Hippopotamus: the Mael brothers return with a piscine nightmare
Also this week: Rag’n’Bone Man is back with his cod-soul basics range and Iggy Azalea is still twerking, for some reason
August 2016
Thom Sonny Green: High Anxiety review – Alt-J’s unexpected talent
(Sudden/Infectious)
September 2015
Guardian Students
Learn from our mistakes: freshers' week regrets
Musicians, comedians, bloggers and an MP share what they’d do differently if they were starting uni all over again
August 2015
Leeds festival review – Metallica reign in the sun and Foals play a storming secret set
Mumford & Sons crowd-pleases, Kendrick Lamar delights with old-fashioned showmanship and punky Slaves salute their dear departed goldfish
May 2015
The week in Aussie arts
The week in arts: Judith Lucy, Alt-J on tour and Fremantle heritage festival
David Malouf talks about his novel-turned opera, Judith Lucy laughs through the tears, Alt-J tours the east coast, Fremantle gets festive
April 2015
Patti Smith, Pharrell Williams and more sign up for Glastonbury festival 2015
The festival has announced a list of 75 artists set to play, including performances from Mary J Blige, Florence and the Machine and Motörhead. But there’s still no news on who the Sunday-night headliner will be
March 2015
Alt-J review – Englishmen make a shot at the big time
Alt-J, Portishead and Noel Gallagher to headline Latitude
December 2014
This week's new tracks
Peaking Lights’ Everyone And Us, this week’s best new track
‘Everyone And Us proves that even in this season of sickly over-indulgence, less is more’
