Alt-J: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
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- Опубліковано 16 гру 2012
- There's mystery in the music of Alt-J: The band's songs are wrapped in enigmatic textures, with swift shifts in arrangements inside every song and an oddness to the drums. Mere glimpses of lyrics are discernible, even after listening over and over - and if you can decipher the words, the meanings don't necessarily follow immediately. Still, those words reside at the core of Alt-J, and they're cinematic and stunning and sometimes brutal.
Seeing Alt-J live in concert - or here at the Tiny Desk - reveals a few of those mysteries, making a band that can be difficult on first listen a bit easier to digest. For one, seeing Joe Newman sing makes his words less oblique; for another, that curious rhythm at the foundation of the songs reveals not a hint of cymbals. And, though the drums are stripped down more than ever at the Tiny Desk, they still provide the essence of an original sound. Thom Green plays mostly with a mounted tambourine and cowbell for the sorts of things a hi-hat would accomplish - that tick tick sound, with the snap of the sound coming from a small-bodied 10" snare called a popcorn snare. The sparseness that happens in the absence of crashing cymbals leaves a lot of space in the music.
Alt-J is from Leeds, England - home to another of my favorite art-rock bands, Gang of Four. Both play angular, poetic music that takes unexpected turns, shifting gears when you least expect it. Alt-J made my favorite album of 2012, An Awesome Wave, and if you're new to the group, the understated sound may get lost on you at first. But listen to the words and study how the songs evolve: No one else is making music like this. This is an original, innovative band with a brilliant present and a brighter future. --BOB BOILEN
Set List
"Tessellate"
"Something Good"
"Matilda"
Credits
Producer: Bob Boilen; Editor: Denise DeBelius; Audio Engineers: Kevin Wait, Suraya Mohamed; Videographers: Denise DeBelius, Christopher Parks, Ryan Smith; photo by Lauren Rock/NPR
I really wish Tiny Desk concerts were like 45 minutes to an hour long. I want more of this.
+Jack Wishneski Yeah especially the oddisee one was over too soon for my taste.
+Jack Wishneski but then it wouldn't be tiny anymore ^^
me too
the desk is what's tiny. not the videos, ha.
Jack Wishneski They just did a second tiny desk sooo ;)
2024 still listening 👇🏼
Yeppp
real one
Shut up
Let's goooo ❤
I can't believe they sound this good live. It's a mark of how good they are as musicians - no need for special effects, the magic's all there in the fabric of the basics - the voice, the beat, the sweet melody, the togetherness.
same, im amazed they sound this good live!
They play really well, but there's a string out of tune towards the end of Mathilda. It's crazy.
I agree with that
I think that gus is really a better‐ versed, all around musician, but they were so young in this its still an amazing performance.
See them live .. OMG... best iv ever seen
"Three guns one goes off, ones empty, ones not quick enough" This is the definition of a love triangle.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
I think it could be a metaphor for lots of things.
I'm trying to understand it lol. Not artistic enough to understand all these metaphors
Let's tesselate
@@snoozyq9576 it's a reference to a spaghetti western movie
I like Alt-J because they always sound like they just woke up.
hahahah true tho
they look like it too lol
dude, you have not seen wasted people much:)
Like those beautiful Sunday mornings when you awake to the warmth of another pressed up against you while the winds softly billowing thru the curtains...
I listen to them when I wake up lol
This is the first time I've heard them play something live, and I had no idea that was his legit, natural voice. It sounds so surreal and I love it
It's more like a consistent character role of an actor. This is his singing character and he chooses never to sing out of character.
Similar in a way to Dave Mathews, the creation part and less the actual sound. In an interview Dave he talked about how he created his singing voice.
This guys voice should officially declared one of the wonders of the universe. I mean its magically hypnotic.
If you want more of this kind of voice, there's a whole library of Adam Sandler movies you can watch.
MrGlew you are my new hero! That was hilarious!
MrGlew funniest thing ive read all week
Andy Simmons At least Joe Newman uses his voice for good and not evil.
Andy Simmons So sad when men get emotional and don't know how to take a joke.
I'm glad I finally found a video where I can actually see this man's voice coming out of his mouth. It's so beautiful- every note, every inflection is mesmerizing.
Less than 16 more months and it’ll be 10 years since the masterpiece called An Awesome Wave was released. Man I still can’t put my head around that. It’s been almost a freaking decade
Pretty cool how an artist can incorporate Whale speak into their songs. Pure Talent
:-D
You've obviously never listened to Dave Matthews
@@VeggiesOutFront there's no man with more luck then the man who has never had to listen to Dave Matthews...... or nickleback
I like alt j but this is still very accurate 😂😂
@@wutm8565 listen to the Dave Mathews tiny desk and you may change your mind
When the video is almost over I hit Alt-J a lot to bring it back to the beginning ;)
+first6digits THIS. Needs to be top comment.
hahaha awesome
Holey moley, what'd you just show me, Digits.
Lol
I find myself returning to this video quite often and I still get chills every time.
There is just something so magical about Alt-J. Something Good is simply an amazing song.
Es mi favorita❤
Poor guys at NPR have to laugh everytime people make the joke about playing in an office
LMAO
yeah, sucks to get to work in an office with free concerts all the time ;-)
there are many magical NPR tiny desk sets. You want to make the artist as natural as possible so they express their best.
Lol every job has that. In customer service when you ask "Need anything else?" They always say "The winning lottery numbers HhAaHHhaa!!"
His voice is like a gem! So precise and technical but totally flow at the same time
"And she neeeeds yoooouu this is from Matiwwwdaaa"
For real though, I loved this
Dat Cat mind blown i read your message word perfect as he sang it perfectly it was so strange. Never heard the sing before. Just scrolling as it played
it's been SEVEN YEARS since this masterpiece?????????
.
.
.
Just stumbled onto NPR's TDCs with Mac Miller's concert and realized I have ten years of catching up to this BEAUTIFUL channel. If you're still reading this, I wish you all the joy I experience whenever I open any of their Tiny Desk Concerts.
Have you discovered Colours channel yet? 😊
8 years now...
You're not alone....just discovered them myself.
look for tame impala's one...
I also got on a Tiny Desk binge starting with Mac Miller.
listening in 2022, very very good sound, congratulations to the whole team
23 babyyyy
My defeat sleeps top to toe with her success.
If anybody has not seen the movie Leon, I highly suggest you watch it right now.
This video sums up why I listen to Alt-J...they're music is unlike any other thing I've heard before. Not to mention they're each SO talented ∆
0:00 - TESSEL∆TE
3:40 - SOMETHING GOOD
8:32 - M∆TILD∆
Thanks!
I don’t need this ! I hear them in order .
Chris Lucero and
Ba Lee Dat I honestly don’t remember saying that wtf 😂😂😂
@@suciolifts1940 It's surreal when you find your own comments and you're like "yeah i could conceive saying that.. but did i seriously say that a month ago? there's no way that's right, i dont remember it at all"
"listen to the words and study how the songs evolve: No one else is making music like this." Exactly! Listening to the whole album as a performance is a journey through their innovative and creative craftiness like no other.
"Hey Boss, can't come in today, I have Ebola." "Are you sure? Alt-J is playing in the office today." "I'll be there in 10."
Lol XD that would totally be me XD
so much bro.
Lol and I read this comment while corona was happening
@@justrelax129 same...
Reading comments in the time of Covid🙄”I’ll still be there in 10.”
I really like how raw and organic his voice sounds in this recording. I have the cd and this sounds as good or better than it.
his vocal resonance is like listening to the ocean with the patter of pebbles and footsteps. his tonal voice is its own kind of invasion. love that he's wearing an Amoeba shirt!
these guys are so fresh and organic. no other music quite like this. I don't understand the negative criticism, I have listened to An Awesome Wave probably over a hundred times now and its still like I have only just discovered decent modern music
One of the best full albums of all time
Doesn’t ever get old…beautiful stories
Guys working in this office floor got to be the luckiest employees on earth! I'd work there for free.
I agree! Maybe they have internship opportunities?
lexy alvarado Why thank you. I'm going to apply for this!!
Not to discourage you from applying, but they must be very selective. Benjamin Booker was turned down, but lucky for him he recently toured with Jack White and has been getting noticed a bit. Good luck to you if you apply, definitely would be a neat occupation.
Chakib Tsouli I know right!
+Chakib Tsouli exactly!! I would even pay them to work there :D
For some reason I *really* love the way the phrase "one's not quick enough" is spoken instead of sung at 1:53. It's the one reason why live performances are my favorite versions of Tessellate.
Perfect for this quarantine I love this band.
I would not expect them to sound so genuine live
this version of Matilda is amazing.
i love this version of Matilda!
ooooooooooh member this version of Matilda !?
I MEMBER !! IT WAS AWESOME !!
First I was like 'these guys wrote this song what the' then I was like WAIT
Disco Stu you mean "remember"?
It’s much slower, which really changes its feel, in a good way.
I was just recently introduced to Alt J and their mesmerizing music. When I saw videos of them performing live, I was in a trance. It was almost as if I became part of the music, just as they seem to BE music when they perform. I absolutely love these guys!
I think the amount of times I have watched this is unhealthy
Nicole Nelson It's never unhealthy with Alt-J.
Nicole Nelson Same here.
Nicole Nelson It's so good!
HAHAHAHAH same here m8
Nicole Nelson love its impossible to unhealthily watch alt j.......i mean look at mean id punch a baby just to hear them live but im still a good persom
This performance of Matilda is exceptional and significant.. It's quite good.
and without bass, just exeptional
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PUAKush I just watched the movie "The Professional" and I think it's what inspired the song. In the movie the dude hands the antagonist something (won't spoil it) and says, "This is for Matilda". I about shit.
Justin Schiavone same actually omfg
Justin Schiavone This is from Matilda, and yea it was inspired by the movie from what I've read. Ehh, movie is old enough, they are GRENADE PINS and BOOM goes the bad guy...and the good guy
Don't you think, his voice suits perfectly to the quiet, whispering rythm this band has?
*****
well tough because Alt-J couldnt be what it is any other way
Black Amphiprion ***** JamieMiss1 listen to the mumford and sons cover of tesselate. it's beautiful and just slightly different enough to still be true to ∆.
I agree, it makes the band different, and I personally love it.
Dylan Morris mumford are just hangers on imo.....nothing they have done has touched me like alt-J or laura marling.....dont get me wrong I dont mind them, but I've never heard anything unique by them.
He was literally using his knee as apart of his drums. That’s so Dope
Why did i just discovered tiny desk now!!!God im such a fan now..you couldn't have better performance than this..Really get a strong connection whit the artist whit that type of concept.Thanks NPR.
I absolutely agree, every time you listen to Alt-J, they grow on you more and more. This album is now ranked as one of my favorites of 2012 as well.
Wow! my faith in great music restored. I absolutely love this band. can't wait to see them in concert one day.
I can't get over how beautiful alt j's music is
Good god I got IMMEDIATE Life is Strange flashbacks when "Something Good" started playing. Great song and great sound overall!
One of my favourite bands of all time!
How old are you?
One of my favourite bands of all time * 2
Miles the Macanese one of mine too! Or you know....ever.
I like your covers.
Has this guys voice ever been better than this recording??
Fuck yeah ∆
my head fell off at the grouplove show
funny
WHATCHU LAUGHIN AT FUNNY BITCH
Joe Newman is the most perfect man ever. I love his adorable raspy voice and five note range lol.
Live on concert or at a Tiny Desk live version, this band wraps us all in the music&lyrics.. amazing..
Something good was much better than just good. These guys are inspirational.
Forever finding beautiful videos like this of Alt-J that ive never seen before!
Props to the folks who mixed and engineered this. The mix is extraordinary!!!
His songs are to be admired, listened to, and loved...they are so good. it's magic.
Y'know why I think I find this band so fascinating? It's not just that their music is amazing...it's that I can't figure out which artists they're inspired by. They have such a unique sound that I've never heard before.
∆, nuff said.
Remind me somewhat of Lumineers, but more indie inspired than folk ygm
I hear Cat Stevens influences but otherwise nothing else springs to mind- which is good.
it's amazing how good these guys were then, and still are now. It's been an awesome wave to ride along, thanks for so many good tunes and times guys
So brilliant. I've been saying this for years but I really, really want to see them LIVE!
God, I love Alt-J.
He makes playing that guitar pretty effortless while producing an amazing sound. Always loved these guys.
I just had an eargasm
They look tired from touring and they are still great. I'm so excited to see where this band takes their sound and future.
I absolutely love Alt-J. My four-year-old son is a huge fan as well. Exceptional and unique music.
Saw them in Berlin. Love this band - can't wait for next album.
This summer!
the songs sound great in this very simple acoustic format. lovely!
Gorgeous. All of it.
I love that they quote Johnny Flynn in Matilda, such a cool hat tip.
Wonderful music. I have always liked this guys, and I am happy to see them figure out the space and put on such a genuine display of humble, yet skillful and beautiful artistry.
finally! i was waiting for NPR to get onto alt-j, they're amazing! They sound great live as well as in this tiny desk concert series!
Dude this band is sick. The very definition of it. I've been bedridden for days listening to it.
Joe Newman’s voice is surreal.
Coming back to this one ❤️
THEY SOUND SO AMAZING ESPECIALLY LIVE I CAN'T GET OVER IT I LOVE THEM SO MUCH :(
even if he messes up on his pitch.. it WORKS.. fuck i love this band
Holy smokes. I cannot believe I’ve missed this for six years. Thankful this human gave us the gift of his voice. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
If you lost the last two seconds press "ALT+J".
I really need a Bastille Tiny Desk Concert, please.
Thanks to Pandora, this band has been on rotation the last 10 years, along with their beautiful melodies and strange alien hypnotic tunes, but i never knew until now that their name was Alt-J. Pure nostalgic emotions.
I love this version of Matilda so much. I frequently find this video and listen to it rather than listen to the Spotify version 😭
can't stop playing this. i've listened to the album a few times now, and i'm going to go ahead and see it's gonna go down as one of my favorites ever. I cannot wait for more of these guys....
This is breathtaking! Im blown away by these 4 gentlemen
tesselate has the sickest bass line. im going to learn it
wildly underrated track
Christmas Day 2021. Still one of my favorite Tiny Desks.
Never heard of them....now I'm mesmerized
Thanks ⚘️
This is just beautiful. Joe Newman almost sounds like a gypsy or something but man, it just works. These aren't even my favorite Alt-J songs and they sound magnificent. Can't stop listening.
Saw them live on this past weekend. OMG, it was that amazing!!!
These guys blew my mind on a trip....his voice and the music built visual shapes...was one of the most beautiful trips I've experienced during my journey 😍
Just in love for your songs guys! thank ya so much for this awesome wave! :D :D
2:38 The timing with the singer and the guy in the back was beautiful
I SEE THE FRONT BOTTOMS IN THE BACKGROUND AAAAA
hell yeah!
oh thank god someone else is freaking out over it
I can not get enough of these guys. Such an awesome sound.
I could listen to this version of Tessellate for the rest of my life and I still wouldn't get tired of listening to it.😍😍😍😍
This is freaking great. They are so good live.
I want to work in this office !!!!
i really wish this was longer. i could watch Joe for forever ♥
This brought me to tears! It was so beautiful and honest!
My god, only but 4 members and you fill the neg space completely, you sound exactly as on the album.. chillest killers ever #ultrafanswoon
Splee J wouldn’t be negative space if it was full.
I fucking love how eccentric his voice is
I love Ur face :p
Can't wait to see these guys in Kansas City... Again!!! So great live. Love love love
YES. So stoked when I saw this in my subscription feed. Thank you, NPR.
that awkward fist bump attempt at 3:18
Jeremy B lmaooooo
That voice is amazing
I sit in my chair, deep thinking in how it's possible 300+ people dislike these 13 minutes of pure love.
MelDeusssss pq só conheci esse canal agora? PERFEITOOOOO! Amo Alt-J.
These guys are amazing live