In the week that COVID-19 restrictions have lifted and Manchester’s clubs and venues are beginning to buzz again, a flood of new music has arrived just in time!
With everything from indie-pop to jazz and soul, we’ve got a varied selection of tracks to share with you during the first edition of our brand-new weekly top 5 releases list.
So, in no particular order, find The Manc Audio’s pick of the bunch below – with a preview of our New Manchester Music playlist at the bottom.
Ceeow – Fadeaway
In this crazy world, hip-hop artist Ceeow manages to maintain a calm and collected mantra, producing music that encourages mindfulness and positive energy.
His latest track ‘FADEAWAY’ is an indication of how his mind works.
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It’s uplifting, melting together hip-hop, jazz and chillwave under soft spoken lyrics that instantly put you in a better mood.
And we could all do with a bit of that right now, right?
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LayFullstop – Receipts
LayFullstop is back with her first release of the year.
LayFullstop released her first track of 2021 this week, too.
‘Receipts’ layers her signature soulful vocals over jazz-style beats that are so easy to connect with and that’s what we love about Lay’s music. This one’s taken from her upcoming 12-track mixtape ‘STiR’ so there’s plenty more to come soon.
It follows the success of her Cherries EP and stunning Colors show of 2019. And fresh off the back of her Manchester International Festival performance, she’s ready to show us what she’s been working on.
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Green Wire – Looking Back
Indie-rock pop fusion newcomers Green Wire have dropped their debut single ‘Looking Back’ this week.
The track is intended to capture the pain and disappointment that creatives and the music industry have faced this past year-and-a-half and we’re pretty sure they’ve nailed it.
After first meeting at the Manchester BIMM institute, the lads decided to pool their musical skills and influences to form something new. And in early 2021, Green Wire was their new direction. They’re only just getting started, but could be ones to watch this year.
Foxglove – Birthday
Quirky band Foxglove have dropped another single this week.
Euphoric indie-pop four-piece Foxglove are back with new stuff.
‘Birthday’ is another example of how the band like to play around with ambient guitars and experiment with a spacey sound. The track is super lively and tells a story about growing up and learning life’s many lessons.
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Fronted by lead vocalist Abi White, the band are fun and full of energy – the perfect tonic to life right now.
Catch them at Open Beat’s showcase at Off The Square on 30 October alongside Kosomauts and Kestrel Palace. Tickets available here.
The Mouse Outfit – Limelight
‘Limelight’ is the new one from OneDa, Superlative and the rest of The Mouse Outfit crew.
The collective are known for their eclectic approach to making music, by teaming up with countless producers and musicians over the years to create something completely fresh each time.
This latest one sees a collab with five rappers from across the UK, including Liverpool rapper Koj whose accent comes through strong amidst his effortless flow.
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Have a listen to all the releases on our New Manchester Music Spotify playlist below.
Featured image: Ceeow – credit @sseannewtonn/IG
Music
Rochdale’s popular Feel Good Festival is set to return this summer
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Worried you might have missed your chance to attend a festival this year? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Rochdale Feel Good Festival is one of the longest-running and best-value festivals in Greater Manchester, and luckily for us, it’s returning again with a star-studded main stage line-up this August.
On Saturday 8 August, you’ll have the chance to see some big names bringing sing-along anthems to Rochdale, like two-time BRIT Award winner and pop/soul legend, Gabrielle, who has recently gained a whole host of younger fans during performances on ITV’s The Masked Singer eagerly awaiting this performance.
Other headliners include Northern Irish rock band, Ash, and Wigan-formed alternative rock band Starsailor, attracting fans from far and wide.
You can also expect sets from soul and funk pioneers, The Allergies, and Manchester indie artist, Alex Spencer – who first gained attention busking on the streets and has gone on to support One Direction star Louis Tomlinson across European arenas earlier this year.
This festival also proudly showcases upcoming artists too, and this year, two new Rochdale bands will play the biggest gig of their careers – K-ESTATE, who will be adding some house-pop, funk, and indie disco to the mix, alongside brand new rock band, Metro.
Rochdale’s popular Feel Good Festival is set to return later this summer / Credit: Supplied
Festival gates open at 12pm, so be sure to get down early as there’s plenty going on, including live music across indoor venues, a food and drink village with delicious street food, pop-ups, bars, and much more.
The bi-annual festival is organised by Rochdale Development Agency (RDA) on behalf of Rochdale Borough Council with sponsorship from local businesses, including Premier Kia, The Royal Toby Hotel, Hopwood Hall College, and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
This is a climate-conscious festival, so to minimise waste on the day, tickets include a reusable drink cup to be collected upon arrival at the festival site.
Rochdale Feel Good Festival 2026 takes place on Saturday 8 August, and tickets are available online for £35 each.
If you’re feeling like treating yourself, there’s a choice of two luxury VIP upgrade packages from only £90, which grants access to a private indoor bar, hot street food table service, indoor and outdoor seating, a viewing terrace, as well as toilets and rest areas.
Robyn: The Sexistential Tour – Co-op Live, Manchester | Review
Lonnie Bowes
There are pop stars, and then there is Robyn.
There’s something about the Co-op Live that still feels new, but last night it felt like it had been waiting for a show like this. The Swedish icon brought her long-awaited Sexistential Tour to Manchester, and from the first beat drop, the arena was hers.
Opening with a wall of robes, strobes and a euphoric rush of synths. Robyn didn’t so much arrive as materialise – already dancing, already fully committed. The production was immense; towering LED rigs, carefully crafted lighting, and a stage that somehow managed to feel intimate despite the sheer scale of the room. It was a proper spectacle.
Images: The Manc Group
The setlist drew from across her catalogue, weaving newer material around the bangers with real care. Honey felt celestial. With Every Heartbeat did what it always does. And when the opening bars of Dancing On My Own finally landed, the roar that met them was something else entirely – the kind that gives you goosebumps on the back of your neck. Even if you’ve heard the song a thousand times it still landed it like it was the first time.
What strikes you most about Robyn, though, isn’t the production or even the songs. It’s how real she seems up there. She throws herself into every lyric, dances like nobody’s watching, and radiates a kind of joy that feels hard-won rather than performed. In an era of very calculated pop, that matters.
The Sexistential Tour is exactly what it promises – big questions about love, loneliness, and what it means to just exist, set to some of the best pop music ever written.
Manchester, she owned us and I think we are all okay with that.
Hannah Starkie -
23rd July 2021 
