As I said in Part 1, which you can see on this page, every year the Dead Albatross Music Awards runs in parallel with the Mercury Music Prize. It celebrates the lesser known gems that have been released over the last year that you may either loved or completed missed out on.
Here’s the second five bands from this years shortlist of twenty in alphabetical order.
You’ll find audio or video links by each band so check them out!
Floating Points – Elaenia (Pluto)
Floating Points’ Elaenia consists of Electro soundscapes with an open organic feel, the record is very jazzy in texture and feeling. One for sunny days and coffee cups outside. A grown up record for when you need to lie back and feel. The tracks are long and liquid.
Gaika – Security
This is powerful, Gaika gives us British hip hop with a twisted, broken electro backbone. Disorientating and very good. It sounds understated, as if he knows how hard this is and doesn’t have to shout. It’s weighty and rock solid.
Girl Band – Holding Hands With Jamie (Rough Trade)
Dublin based Girl Band have no girls in the band. They have a post punk angular spiky sound with massive slabs of guitar scattered across its surface. The vocals are aggressive and don’t give an inch
Golden Teacher – First Three EPs (Rough Trade)
Golden Teacher’s first three EPs handily packaged as one dollop of psychedelic drumming and sounds, chanting and repetitive music that sounds like a trip to me. I’m sure I can see traces as the record plays it’s wonderful mix of electro babble funk and groove. There are odd bright electronic grooves alongside weird drug soaked sounds. It won’t fail to make you dance as the world melts all around.
Gonzo – Dies Irae (Discrepant)
This album consists of two tracks; both around twenty minutes long. Scattered with vocal samples from what sounds like ordinary people with an odd little pattern of music flowing underneath the surface. It explores the themes of religion, sects, cults and judgement day. It’s stitched together like a quilt from forgotten scraps of material, beautiful but scattered.