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.
Fontaines D.C. announce massive return to Manchester on new European tour
Daisy Jackson
Fontaines D.C. have just announced their biggest headline tour to date, including a massive arena gig here in Manchester.
The wildly popular Irish rock band are set to play a whopping 20 arena shows across Europe and the UK this autumn.
The tour has been announced in celebration of their upcoming fifth studio album, Dopamine Chamber, which is set for release this October.
Fontaines D.C. will hit the road just five days after the album drops, kicking off their European tour in Lisbon on 21 October.
Then they’ll make their way over to the UK, with shows in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow, Birmingham and London.
Fans in their home country of Ireland are told to stay tuned for live news very soon.
As we speak, Fontaines D.C. are warming up to play one of the country’s biggest festivals, with headline slots at Reading & Leeds Festival.
They’ve already released Marianne, the first single from their new album, and frontman Grian Chatten says of the album: “The album itself is a dopamine chamber. You step inside and we test these different mind- or mood-altering pieces of music on you.”
The new record has been recorded between London, the English countryside, and Palermo, where Chatten recorded vocals in a makeshift booth built from mattresses and cushions.
He said: “There’s a poignant sense of us being on the brink of some other kind of form of humanity, or non-humanity.”
Tickets will go on general sale at 10am on Thursday 3 September, with pre-sale live from 10am on Tuesday 1 September.
You can access tickets for Fontaines D.C. in Manchester HERE.
Fans who pre-order Dopamine Chamber from the official store by 6pm on Monday 31 August will gain access to the UK pre-sale.
Fontaines D.C. UK tour dates in full
Friday 20 November – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
Saturday 21 November – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
Sunday 22 November – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Tuesday 24 November – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
Wednesday 25 November – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Independent Manchester band describes ‘absolutely massive’ moment The Cure wore their band tee on stage
Daisy Jackson
The Empty Page, a fiercely independent band in Manchester, have described the ‘insane’ moment they saw their band tee up on stage with The Cure.
The group have had a surreal run of attention from some of alternative music’s biggest names – but seeing The Cure’s Reeves Gabrels wearing their t-shirt in front of 25,000 people was something else entirely.
The Manchester band were among the thousands of people watching The Cure at Wythenshawe Park when the legendary group took to the stage – then frontwoman Kel Page noticed that something up there looked a bit familiar.
“You don’t notice at first, and then you start going ‘That looks like – hang on, that really looks like one of our t-shirts,” Kel said.
“Then you’re zooming in on your phone, and we just absolutely lost our heads.”
The shirt was indeed theirs, being worn on stage by The Cure’s Reeves Gabrels – turning an already huge Manchester show into an unforgettable moment for a fiercely independent local band.
“Honestly, we’ve experienced cool stuff, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt like that,” she said.
“I’m stood in a field with 25,000 people all looking at a screen, with a dude that I absolutely adore, wearing my band’s t-shirt. Endorsements don’t really come bigger than that. Literally bigger, because of the size of the screen.”
It’s a huge moment for The Empty Page, an alt-punk group formed in Manchester, who will play one of their biggest shows to date at Manchester Academy 3 next month.
The band is made up of Giz on guitar and Steve Kent on drums, with Kel Page as lead vocalist.
The Empty Page’s t-shirt on stage with The Cure. Credit: The Empty Page
Kel said: “The Cure are probably one of the most influential, brilliant bands of all time, and one of my favourite bands of all time. It’s just wild. I keep thinking it’s not real and I’m gonna wake up, because it’s such a weird thing to happen.”
The moment is the latest in what has been an extraordinary run of attention for the Manchester band.
“For something like this to happen is really cool, and it kind of comes after a long line of really cool things.”
A reel from The Empty Page was shared by Courtney Love, while Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson subsequently began sharing and commenting on their posts, as well as sending them messages of support. Then came Juliette Lewis.
When the actor and singer started sharing The Empty page’s music, Kel said: “This is f**king batsh*t. I cannot believe that THE Juliette Lewis is saying my band is good, this is absolutely crazy.”
“For Reeves from The Cure to wear our t-shirt on stage in Manchester is just insane,” she continued.
“That Manchester Cure gig is one of the hugest things to happen in Manchester for a while, especially for alternative gothy kind of punk/post-punk people.”
The Empty Page will play Manchester Academy 3 this September. Credit: The Empty Page
The Empty Page are a fiercely independent band, and have put on their own gigs, booked their own tours around the country and released their own albums on their own label. They don’t have the financial backing or industry infrastructure that many emerging artists rely on.
“We’re almost DIY to a fault,” Kel said. “We do everything ourselves. We don’t have big connections, we don’t have loads of money and rich famous parents, and we don’t have a record label or a manager or a social media company.”
Already, The Empty Page has noticed an uptick in sales on their t-shirts, with Kel saying it ‘feels like it’s becoming a bit of a cult merchandise item’.
But ultimately, the hope is that the attention leads people beyond the t-shirt and towards the music itself.
“I just hope it means that people will check us out, because we’re a really good band, and if you like The Cure there’s a chance you’ll like us.”
The Empty Page will play Manchester Academy 3 on 24 September, following a run of sold-out shows – tickets are on sale now HERE.
Hannah Starkie -
13th August 2021 
