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
Fans are preparing to pay tribute to Mani from The Stone Roses ahead of his funeral service
Danny Jones
Stone Roses fans and Greater Manchester locals alike are getting ready to pay their respects to the late, great, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, following his tragic passing last month.
As well as details surrounding his funeral being announced earlier this week, the iconic Manc musician’s cause of death has also finally been revealed.
While Hatton’s service featured a high-profile cortège which started all the way from his hometown of Hyde, past multiple landmarks and ending at the Etihad Stadium, those local to Mani’s family home on the edge of Stockport are also being welcomed to help send him off.
It's the funeral of Mani of the Stone Roses on the 22nd. He lived locally. This poster is asking people to line the route of his funeral cortege to "show that he truly was adored". pic.twitter.com/X0DYHl10Hp
He had been struggling with emphysema for some time; he was declared dead at his home in the suburb of Heaton Moor, and is said to have died peacefully in his sleep.
As you can see from the posters put in various places around the area, residents wishing to pay their own tributes to Mani before his private funeral service at Manchester Cathedral are encouraged to line the long street leading down from St Paul’s and Heaton Moor United Church as he heads towards the city.
Departing Parsonage Road from 10am on Monday, 22 December, before turning right onto Heaton Moor Rd, then Wellington and eventually on to the Cathedral, you can expect plenty of people to show up.
One of those people will be his former bandmate and another influential guitarist, John Squire, who is one of many famous musical names to have honoured him in their own way over the last few weeks.
Other members of The Stone Roses, as well as Primal Scream (who he joined in 1996), are expected to join the close family and friends at the service itself.
Nevertheless, we have no doubt that plenty will be observing the funeral in their own way.
So, for those of you also looking to honour him, you know what to do; and to quote the poster itself, “together we can show this local legend and his family that he was truly adored.”
Boyzone to reunite for exclusive New Year’s Eve special on the BBC
Danny Jones
2025 has very much been the year of the comeback – be it Oasis, Britpop fashion in general, or short bobs and pixie cuts – so it’s only fitting that we round off the calendar with one last reunion, as throwback boyband Boyzone are set to feature on a TV special on the BBC this New Year’s Eve.
Turns out ‘All That I Need’ to make a year memorable is a load of 1990s nostalgia.
Now, obviously, despite plenty of other music names enjoying a second renaissance over the past 12 months or so, nothing is ever going to be quite as big as the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour.
However, if you asked us to guess which group from the era were also going to reunite this year back in January, there’s not a chance we would’ve said Boyzone.
Boyzone are telling us about coming back together for one final run in their most unforgettable concerts yet 🎤
After news first began circulating earlier this week, it has now been confirmed that musician turned presenter Ronan Keating will be getting back together with two of his former bandmates.
Joining the 48-year-old for ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’, ex-Boyzone members Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch are part of an exciting live music lineup.
Other names include actor and singer, Shona McGarty, who recently starred on season 25 of I’m A Celeb, as well as fellow 90s pop artist Louise Redknapp and singer-songwriter Calum Scott.
The exclusive reunion comes after the success of the recently aired Boyzone: No Matter What documentary show.
Spread across three parts on Sky, the docuseries (named after their hit song from 1998) looks back on the career and journey up the charts back in their heyday, all the way up to the present. After seemingly striking a chord with fans and the lads themselves, it looks like they’re not done after all…
Yes, not only is the festive TV special going to see three of the original members performing alongside each other again, but
Here’s hoping that turns into a springboard for something even bigger, and we get a Manchester arena show sometime soon.
As for the programme itself, ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’ will be broadcast on BBC One and made available on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
Hannah Starkie -
23rd July 2021 
