Alt-J

Quickly transitioning from indie darling to festival-headlining modern-rock juggernauts, the rise of quirky English act Alt-J is an unlikely success story. The group's latest release, Relaxer, strays from the pop-culture referencing electro anthems that filled its debut, stripping away the glitchy synthesizers in favor of string arrangements and slow-moving ballads overseen by frontman Joe Newman's nasally vocals. If you're a faithful Alt-J fan, you'll be in for a treat—the rest of us will just wait for a rendition of "Left Hand Free."