How we’re already halfway through August is pretty ridiculous. But now that “summer” is in full swing – albeit minus the sun –our calendars are jam-packed with post-lockdown gigs and events.
So, we’re continuing to soundtrack your week again wherever you might be headed, with a little bit of everything on our New Manchester Music playlist.
We have our list of highlights from the playlist right here and it’s another great selection of new releases – even if we do say so ourselves.
On the list this week is another summery number, a band tipped for big things and a thought-provoking look into men’s mental health.
To listen to them all plus loads more new stuff, head to our Spotify playlist here.
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Macious – Jazz
We’re loving Macious’s latest disco-infused house drop ‘Jazz’ – and we can confirm we’ve had it on repeat.
Not only does it feature catchy old school piano keys and a melodious trumpet sample that wouldn’t be out of place at the poolside in Ibiza, but the uplifting basslines are bound to put you in a good mood.
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Macious produced this track at a house party some years ago now. But sadly it’s been sitting on a hard drive all this time. We’re glad it’s finally getting its debut this week.
The song is actually named after a taxi driver called Jazz who Macious met at the party. Apparently, Jazz’s energy matched that of the track’s and was vibing with it on the night. So, of course Macious had to name it after him.
And if that’s not another reason to give it a listen, I don’t know what is.
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Idle Hours – Made Flesh
A new discovery for us just this week was Manchester band Idle Hours – and they happened to drop a new track on Wednesday which was perfect timing.
The band emerged from the ashes of 2020 with an established and confident sound, taking influences from garage-rock.
Their new one, ‘Made Flesh’, has some really cool guitar melodies. It’s been stuck in our heads since we first listened to it.
Also, they’ve got a headline gig at Manchester’s legendary Castle Hotel this weekend as well, so head down if you’re about and show them some support.
Yawn – Simple Sensations
‘Simple Sensations’ is the debut single from synth-pop trio Yawn.
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Supposedly inspired by BBC’s Normal People, the track navigates the tricky journey from teens to adulthood. Its slow pace and smooth vocals resemble the long old slog of growing up.
Emerging in the height of lockdown in April 2020, the lads are still very much living the ‘new normal’. They’re recording everything at home in front of their laptops, amidst Zoom meetings.
Perhaps even the band name is reference to these boring and tiresome times we’re living in? Either way, there’s nothing boring about Yawn’s debut. It’s soft and easy-listening with twinkly keys that are pretty dreamy.
Superlative – Can I Be Excused?
Rapper and producer, Superlative, has dropped a new track from his forthcoming EP ‘Can I Be Excused’ this week.
The seven-track collection which is out next Friday taps into the vulnerabilities of a man that appears to have it together. It touches on mental health and personality traits, too, and highlights some common misconceptions about what it means to be ‘a man’.
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The bottom-line being that Superlative wants to challenge the association between rappers and the streets.
Its title track, ‘Can I Be Excused’ is a sort of audio diary. It’s emotive and tense in places. The instrumental is based on a half-time walking bass that changes every eight bars to create a notion of going round in circles. We imagine this is designed to emphasise the EP’s key themes.
This one’s only out on YouTube on Friday 13 August, but is on streaming services from next Friday. So, you’ll have to listen to this one here for now.
StreamGM and The Manc have teamed up to show some some serious love and support to the region’s renowned theatres, nightclubs, and live-music venues with the launch of SeeGM – a digital campaign to shine a bright spotlight on many of the amazing events, club nights, gigs and shows in our region.
Major international girl group tipped for reunion tour after teasers at big UK arenas
Danny Jones
A major international girl band appear to be gearing up for a big reunion tour following a number of teasers popping up at some of the largest arenas around the country – including here in Manchester.
In case you haven’t already guessed it from the thumbnail, we’ll give you another hint: there used to be six of them, though it remains to be seen how many will be returning…
Yes, the once-huge all-female pop group, The Pussycat Dolls, looks set to reunite once again, though the full lineup and exact nature of the shows are yet to be fully verified.
They were a big chart-topping act throughout the noughties, and some of the famous faces are still doing bits in around showbiz today; they’ve been away for a long time, but Co-op Live and more have just fans getting ready to “loosen up their buttons”.
Sharing the big digital advert splashed at the top of the venue on Wednesday, 11 March, Co-op couldn’t have made it any easier for fans to guess.
Choosing one of the most obvious lyrics turned puns and asking Mancs, “Don’t Cha Wish you knew who we’re announcing tomorrow (Thurs, 12 Mar)”, it didn’t take any time at all for people to figure it out.
With the comments across social media platforms now filled with people sharing gifs of their old performances and dance routines, or simply sharing their general excitement, the hype train is already well and truly on the way.
The O2 in London also appear to be readying their announcement, though Co-op Live will have the luxury of being the biggest venue on the list at a capacity of 23,500.
And then, as if things weren’t already blatant enough, the Pussycat Dolls’ official page has also shared a short clip ahead of the inevitable reveal featuring the words, “PCD Forever”, along with pointing them towards a website listed under the same name.
Now, the last time they performed was not long before the pandemic, with most of the original lineup performing on The X Factor, releasing their first new song in over a decade, ‘React’, which was supposed to signal the start of a reunion.
However, the planned comeback tour was ultimately cancelled in January 2022, and we hadn’t heard much else since – until now. Fans are crossing fingers that they get at least a trio of Nicole Sherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Carmit Bachar, Kimberly Wyatt, and Jessica Sutta, but we’ll find out very soon.
They’re not the only big female artist set for a big Manc date this year – and, fortunately, this one’s already been confirmed.
Gig Review | The ‘West End Girl’ heads up North – Lily Allen at Aviva Studios in Manchester
Lonnie Bowes
Last night at Aviva Studios, the home of Factory International, Lily Allen performed the first of two intimate theatre shows in Manchester – here’s our review…
As part of her ‘West End Girl Tour’, Allen is performing in more considered spaces up and down the country alongside the bigger sold-out venues you might normally expect.
It’s a refreshing change of pace. Seeing a pop star slow things down and lean fully into theatre, something that perfectly aligns with the drama that’s surrounded her in recent years.
Supporting the show was a special ‘Dallas Minor Trio’: an orchestral string group that elegantly warmed up the crowd, taking on instrumental Allen classics, including ‘F**K You’ and ‘LDN’ to set the tone nicely, with a screen behind them as the patient Manchester crowd settled in and enjoyed an early singalong.
When the lights dimmed, Allen emerged through the curtains and opened with the tour’s namesake, ‘West End Girl’. From the moment she stepped onto the stage, she asserted herself firmly in the space – a set designed to resemble her own small apartment.
This is when the real show began. As Allen moved through the performance, the set behind her transformed from song to song, adding to the theatrical feel of the evening.
During ‘Madeline’, she appeared armed with a feather duster, fully committing to the domestic setting, while for ‘Relapse’, she dramatically spills the contents of her handbag across Factory International‘s adjustable floor.
Anyone who has listened to Allen’s recent material will know she’s been keeping all the receipts on her ex (can’t remember his name).
Credit: Henry Redcliffe (supplied via Factory International)
Elsewhere in the set, Allen delivered standout performances of ‘Pussy Palace’, ‘Nonmonogamummy’ and ‘Beg for Me’, songs that leaned fully into the confessional tone of the evening.
Each track landed with a mix of sharp humour and raw honesty, with Allen balancing moments of biting lyricism with the kind of self-aware storytelling that has long defined her songwriting.
By the end of the night, the performance felt less like a traditional pop concert and more like a piece of confessional theatre.
In the intimate surroundings of the Aviva Studios space, Lily Allen proved that sometimes scaling things down can make a story feel much bigger – and that her ability to turn personal chaos into compelling performance remains as sharp as ever.
Hannah Starkie -
13th August 2021 
