Ay up, you lot. It’s us again, back to give you another list of some of the best new music we’ve been listening to, be it little-known tunes from new and upcoming artists in Greater Manchester or the biggest releases from ever-rising names around the region.
We launched this new monthly series at the start of 2024 and will be serving up suggestions for all you Manc musos regularly throughout the year and beyond, so you best get in on the ground floor so as to as not to miss a single shout.
But let’s not faff about any longer, shall we?
Time to get stuck into five Manchester artists we’ve had on repeat throughout February — and it’s a leap year, so we’ve had an extra day of listening to make our picks.
Manc bands we’ve been listening to over the past month
1. Hello Cosmos
First off, we’ve got Hello Cosmos: a Manchester-based creative consisting of a four-piece at their core and other session musicians like Elara, a wonderful saxophone player and vocalist who is well worth looking into in her own right.
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Founded by From The Fields director, Ben Robinson — the events organisers behind Kendal Calling and bluedot — their style is a seriously wild mix of alternative electronic and pop-punk. Think Yard Act if they had more synths, sax, keys, violins and had a Christopher Eccelstone sound-alike on vocals.
Our standout tunes to start with have to be their ‘FUSE’ from their debut Dream Harder, ‘Loud Is Beautiful’ (which pretty much encapsulates the full range of their sound in one track) and ‘Metaverse’ — there’s also a great twist on it by Catu Diosis and that goes for the whole Hard Dirt (Remixed) album too.
We also got to see them live at Stockport’s new Live at St Mary’s gig series and it was quite the experience.
2. OMA
Next up is an instrumental outfit and touring band called OMA, who have played on stage with the likes of American rapper Isaiah Rashad as well as Japanese hip-hop artists and producer Shing02, and they just might be some of the coolest cats on socials right now.
Going more and more viral on TikTok every week with their live takes on hip-hop classics by Dr Dre, Nas, MF DOOM, Lauryn Hill, 2Pac and countless others, we can’t accurately describe just how much we want to be in a room and headbob to their addictive recreations of iconic beats from down the years.
Every clip is an absolute earworm and you simply can’t listen to any of them just once. They don’t have any signature tracks of their own but it only takes one video to get hooked. I mean, honestly, just listen to them — and bonus points if you can figure out where they’re playing:
In at number three, although we couldn’t possibly put this is any particular ranked order, is local indie-pop group Hi Sienna — a bunch of best mates based out of Chorlton who make great stuff and they’re absolutely wonderful.
With every member taking time out of work to make their music dream happen, they sum up their sound perfectly in their tagline: unsigned, unmanaged and unbelievably good. Too right. We also recently had the pleasure of chatting with them as part of the new series of Stream GM’s Spill The Sound.
It’s nothing but positive vibes and non-stop fun listening to these lot and if we had to pick our favourites, they would be ‘Enter Disco’, ‘Be A Man’ and the soon to be released ‘Pickleback’ which we got a cheeky glimpse of over at The Yard recently. It’s a belter.
The penultimate stop on this month’s list is the mighty Maruja, who are bringing both funk and punk roots to their alternative rock scene here in Greater Manchester and we can’t get enough.
Playing White Hotel and New Century this April as their profile keeps growing around the city centre and beyond, we reckon it won’t be long before you see their name everywhere — not that our incredible fandom and heavy bias are getting away with us or anything…
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Seriously though, they sound both familiar and unique enough if you’re this kind of stuff and genres that naturally overlap. We’d recommend kicking off with ‘Tao’, arguably their most popular tune ‘The Tinker’ second and then their latest single, ‘The Invisible Man’.
Last but by no means least is Cassia. They’re technically from down the Macclesfield but they’ve been plying their trade here in 0161 since they first began and we just hope they remember us and all our great proving grounds when they well and truly blow up. And trust us, they will.
Mixing tropical and Caribbean sounds with irresistible indie sonics and vocals, we just feel all nice and happy whenever we listen to them – almost as if we were on holiday. We also got to chat with these guys recently too and they were equally delightful.
If it’s your first time listening to them, you can’t go wrong with ‘Right There’, their new tune with KAWALA, ‘Circular Motion’, and a key part of our Summer 2022 soundtrack, ‘Drifting’. So, sooo good.
And that’s it for this month’s list and, believe us, it was a toughy as there were plenty of other local bands and artists that we could have picked, but we’re sure they’ll pop up on here soon enough.
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As always, be sure to keep your eyes over on The Manc Audio so you don’t miss a single bit of music news this year.
Oh yeah, and if you didn’t read last month’s selections of Manchester artists that you need to get on, you know what to do:
Featured Image — Cassia/Hello Cosmos (press image)/Hi Sienna (via IG)
Audio
JD to host exclusive Josh Baker set at massive World Cup watch party in Manchester
Danny Jones
JD x JB: The well-known British and Manchester-founded sports fashion brand is teaming up with local artist Josh Baker for an exclusive pop-up set at a massive World Cup screening in the city centre tonight.
The two Manchester icons are teaming up at an otherwise sold-out Castlefield Bowl, getting the matchday vibes going ahead of the England vs Argentina game this evening.
With all eyes on the semi-final, keeping nerves steady will be a tall task, but Baker will be helping play his part in getting the energy up ahead of kick-off.
No matter what happens with the scoreline, it’s set to be a proper party atmosphere beforehand.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Da0FDI3tp3I/?hl=en
Fresh off the plane from his White Isle residency over in Ibiza, the 30-year-old Manc musician will be taking to the stage from 6:15pm at none other than Castlefield Bowl, where nearly 9,000 people will be watching the big game.
In case you missed it, after wrapping up Sounds of the City ’26, the Bowl is now being taken over for Road to Victory’s outdoor fan zone.
Doors will be open from 5:30pm ahead of the 8pm kick-off, and you’ll want to get down there with plenty of time to make sure you get a good view of the action – and by that, we mean both the game and Josh’s exciting set.
Better still, not only are those at the venue in for a night of amazing music and incredible vibes, but they’ll be cheering on Thomas Tuchel’s men straight after, in a crucial clash that could see England reach a second consecutive final in the last two major tournaments.
There’ll be plenty of entertainment before, during and after the breaks.
We will, of course, be keeping our fingers crossed for you and the boys tonight; the only thing we’re certain of is that the man himself will deliver on the night.
We had the honour of chatting with JB ahead of the BRITs back in February, and he’s only looking to bigger and better things this year.
For those looking to go along for this special one-off, once again, tickets to the event are already sold out, so your only chance is to sign up for the waiting list HERE. Fingers crossed for you and a result at full-time!
Last but not least, keep your eyes peeled on the JD Sports Instagram page and their other socials for all other updates ahead of the huge night. We can feel it: it’s coming home…
Featured Images — Press shots (supplied via JD Sports)
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A local Manc musician is taking on a Three Peaks challenge whilst carrying a full drum kit
Danny Jones
A local musician dubbed ‘The Manchester Drummer’ is set to face an incredible twist on the National Three Peaks Challenge this summer, as he’s set to carry a full drum kit the ENTIRE way.
This makes our weekly stairmaster workout look like a walk in the park.
Aaron Youd, a.k.a. ‘TMD’ is set to take on the incredible feat next month in the name of mental health, especially among men.
Having sadly seen half a dozen loved ones and peers take their own lives over the last three decades, he’s putting himself through the wringer to show that mountains are there to be climbed, and chip away at those still surviving stigmas, one step at a time.
Set to ascend Snowdon, Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike – Great Britain’s trio of tallest summits – all whilst carrying his trusty drum kit, he’ll be putting himself through 23 miles of walking and over 10,000 feet/3,000 metres of elevation all told.
When we first came across his story, we assumed he meant the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge (still staggering at more than 5,200 ft), but it turns out he does nothing by half measures.
Having spent the best part of 27 years touring and performing across the UK and Europe, Aaron’s personal connection to mental health awareness and wellbeing has only deepened over that time, choosing to represent another native charity this August.
Mandem Meetup, who also have a strong base across Greater Manchester, hold completely free group walks, along with talking events, hikes and other activities, like Dungeons and Dragons games, homeless outreach work, even gym sessions with fellow Manc community hero Javeno McLean.
Speaking ahead of starting his incredible journey, Aaron said: “This challenge is about much more than endurance. It’s about raising awareness for mental health, encouraging people to speak openly, and raising as much money as possible for a cause that affects so many lives every day.
Credit: Supplied
“I’ve lost six friends and colleagues to suicide, and I know how important it is that people feel able to talk and ask for support. At each peak, I’ll be performing with the drums to spread the message that no one should struggle alone.
“Every step, every climb, and every beat played is dedicated to raising awareness and making a positive difference.”
As well as embarking on his voyage on behalf of Mandem Meetup, Aaron is also now working with a big brand soon to make a splash here in the region (nudge nudge, wink wink) who are helping back him on his challenge.
Following a chance encounter here in the city centre, he happened to meet Professor David Russell, who came across him busking, but also just happens to be the CEO of the upcoming Therme Manchester.
The £500 spa and resort set to open over in Trafford may still be a way off, currently scheduled for late 2028, but as part of their promotion ahead of establishing a base here in the North West, the talented percussionist was invited to be part of the official groundbreaking ceremony last September.
As for Aaron, he signs off by adding: “Music has always been my outlet and my way of connecting with people. If this challenge encourages even one person to open up about how they’re feeling or seek help, then every difficult step will be worth it.”
We wish him all the best and good luck with this superhuman and inspiring fundraising activity, not that he needs it – we have every faith he’s going to smash it.
Whilst you’re here, we’re hoping the grassroots music community can also come together to support another locally-based artist who could do with some help.
Danny Jones -
29th February 2024 
