Take Five with The Alternate Side: Django Django

The Mercury Prize, the apotheosis of Britain's prestige music awards, was handed out yesterday in London to Alt-J, but also among the twelve shortlisted nominees was Django Django—the percussively-driven Edinburgh-born quartet that released its critically-acclaimed eponymous debut earlier this year.

A dance-ready rock collage of influences, zigzagging from reggae and West African rhythms ("Waveforms") to sparkling, '60s-folk style harmonies ("Firewater") to experimentally jagged perambulations ("Silver Rays"), Django Django's first album gleefully defies postmodern genre pigeonholing. Produced by the band's drummer, David Mclean (the brother of filmmaker/musician John Mclean, former member of the sadly departed Beta Band), Django Django took well over three years for the art school alums and chums — including vocalist/guitarist Vincent Neff, bassist/vocalist Jimmy Dixon and Tommy Grace on synths — to record.

Django Django played a rescheduled sold-out show at London's Heaven last week (another rescheduled sold-out show, bumped because of the Mercury Prize ceremony, is slated for November 12), and launch a European tour on November 15. Django Django's album, released in the UK in January on Because, is finally available in the States via Ribbon Music,

A few weeks ago, Django Django visited The Alternate Side for an exuberant session which airs today at 11 a.m. EDT on 91.5 WNYE, and also online. If you've never seen the band live before, you're in for a treat. Check out more in-studio videos at The Alternate Side.