The Dead Albatross Music Awards 2016 – Part One

The Dead Albatross Awards 2016 – Part 1

Every year the Dead Albatross Music Awards runs in parallel with the Mercury Music Prize. Think of it as an alternative to the big labels and big money on offer in the latter. The Dead Albatross Awards celebrates twenty little heard and fantastic albums released in  the last year. Fighting Boredom are proud to be judges for the third year running and would like to give you a snapshot of the nominated bands before the winner is announced on the 23rd of October.

Here’s the first five bands with music from this years shortlist.

You’ll find audio or video links by each band so check them out!

Anxiety – Anxiety (La Vida Es Un Mus)

Glasgow’s Anxiety give us a collection of aggressive disconcerting music that sound like the result of splicing the genes from the Dead Kennedys, Butthole Surfers, No Wave – specifically Sonic Youth and the immense hardcore of Minor Threat into one huge pulsating blob and then sticking the resulting mess into a time machine to find an Earth covered in concrete and slowly crumbling.

 Bruxa Maria – Human Condition (Extreme Ultimate)

This is nasty, antagonistic and raw. It’s music for that moment that you want to punch the wall, it’s powerful and almost falling apart lurching forward like a drunken rottweiler. The sound goes from fast to grinding slow but never placid. Anyone old enough to remember the great Silverfish or their ilk will relate to this instantly. A great record

Dog Chocolate – Snack Fans (Upset the Rhythm)

Snack Fans is discordant and off key, all over the place and sounds almost idiotic. It’s funny and easy to listen to, not to say that it’s a comedy record but there’s a huge sense of humour. They are described as ‘sounding like a crowded room’ and that fits very well. The fuzz drenched high guitars hark to eighties indie as does the daft feel of the record. I imagine they would be brilliant live and will keep an eye out for them coming near me. 

Ela Orleans –  Circles of Upper and Lower Hell (Night School)

Ela Orleans has produced a gorgeous, perfectly formed wonderful sounding album. It’s unsettling and disturbing with a true dark centre but the sound is complex, layered and very atmospheric. An emotional record, it really pulls you under it’s slow flowing surface.

Family Atlantica – Cosmic Unity (Soundway)

This is a full on mind squiggling Soul funk carnival attack, with a vocal that grabs you by the hips and makes you shimmy around the room. Upbeat and as funky as a coconut full of rum with a pink umbrella and flamingo hanging out of it. Fantastic, makes you grin and dance.

The Dead Albatross Music Awards website is www.deadalbatross.com.

All words by Adrian Bloxham.