Year in Rock 2012 Nominee: Alt-J

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ALT-J
Fitzpleasure
From: An Awesome Wave
Released: September 18

As odd and occasionally pretentious as Alt-J's debut album can be, there's something to be said for its stubborn accessibility. Take standout track Fitzpleasure; it takes elements of folk, rock and damn-near dubstep, smashes them together and dares you not to nod your head. An Awesome Wave is full of weird and wonderful moments like this; as they hash out some of their more indulgent moments and hone their songwriting chops, they should be a band to watch out for... which is saying something considering they just won the 2012 Mercury Prize for the UK's best album.

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