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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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?
ADVERTISEMENT
LayFullstop – Receipts
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
Have a listen to all the releases on our New Manchester Music Spotify playlist below.
Featured image: Ceeow – credit @sseannewtonn/IG
Music
Gary Neville ‘may or may not’ be actually joining The Reytons on tour
Danny Jones
In yet another absolutely random moment from the ever-ubiquitous Gary Neville, the former footballer turned businessman looks like he might be joining Yorkshire band The Reytons on their upcoming tour.
Believe it or not, we’re not having you on – not even a little bit.
Yes, as per an announcement from this week, Gary Neville looks set to be heading out on the road with Rotherham’s The Reytons as part of their ‘Right Back At It Tour’ next year.
As if the reveal was random and amusing enough as it is, the unsigned and unapologetic Northerners confirmed the news with a hilarious promotional video that we’ve now watched multiple times in disbelief that this actually looks like it happening.
Comments like that say it all: quality content and a genuinely funny way to unveil an already comical bit of music PR that goes on a long list of G Nev saying yes to pretty much anything. First Dragon’s Den and now a UK tour.
Although the full press release itself opens with the Manchester United legend, pundit and local entrepreneur declaring, “I’m in The Reytons”, it does also caveat this with the disclaimer: “*Gary Neville may or may not be actually joining The Reytons”.
We presume this means that the 49-year-old’s various media commitments and other projects mean there could see him pull out, but until they say otherwise, or the four-piece finds someone else to fill in for bassist Lee Holland and his broken arm, we’re taking this lineup change as read.
Oh yeah, this isn’t a random ‘DJ set’ or a quick repping-type gig to get the crowd warmed up act – by all accounts if this ends up happening he’ll be joining them on stage.
To be honest, we don’t know what to think; however, given that Neville has already played guitar live with The Charlatans and then went on to do a b2b set with Tim Burgess himself at Kendal Calling 2024, this really isn’t that surprising.
Set to play a run of nine gigs including London’s O2 Academy in Brixton, Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom and Aviva Studios – the now permanent home of Factory International – in Manchester on Saturday, 8 March, The Reytons are sure to get a warm reception.
After forming back in 2017 and years at slogging away, record deal or no, the band made it to number one in the Official UK Album Charts with What’s Rock And Roll? last year and played a sold-out hometown date at Clifton Park to 20,000 fans. It’s some journey they’ve gone on.
That one might be sold out but if you want to be in the crowd when the ex-England international and Monday Night Football star walks out on stage with a bass strapped around his neck, you can get ready to grab your tickets for their Manc gig when they go live this Friday (20 September) HERE.
No backing, no label, all Reytons – with a little bit of Gary Neville now too, apparently…
Legendary composer Hans Zimmer is coming to Manchester for his Co-op Live debut in 2025
Clementine Hall
Hans Zimmer, the multi-Oscar and Grammy-winning composer and music producer is bringing his brand-new European tour to Manchesternext year.
We all know the work of Hans Zimmer, and even if you think you don’t, you most definitely do.
The man behind the most significant film scores of the past 30 years, from Inception and Dunkirk, to Dune, The Dark Knight, No Time to Die and countless others, there’s simply no denying this legend has been the soundtrack to our cinematic lives for more than three decades now.
Hans Zimmer is now bringing his unprecedented show, ‘The Next Level’, to Manchester but for Co-op Live in another first for the state-of-the-art entertainment arena.
The Next Level promises a completely new show featuring groundbreaking electronic soundscapes and an incredible light production that will be a real feast for all the senses.
Manchester is just one of five dates split across November and December in the UK and Ireland, including Leeds, Glasgow, Dublin and London.
Speaking ahead of the tour, Zimmer said: “For me, every show is a new journey of discovery. With The Next Level, I want to surprise my fans and take them into a sound world like they’ve never experienced before.”
Kicking off the tour in Yorkshire, the new show represents Zimmer’s relentless drive to push artistic boundaries, explore new paths, and continuously evolve his sound.
Following a hugely successful European tour in 2023, when the 67-year-old played the AO Arena and hailed his Manchester date as “the best party in the world” before returning to play it again this past April. This next date it’s sure to be a show you don’t want to miss out on.
‘Hans Zimmer Live – The Next Level’ is taking place on Tuesday, 2 December 2025 with general admission going live on Thursday, 26 September 2024 from 1pm.
If you’re a Co-op member, you can also gain access to the pre-sale tickets from Tuesday (24 September) by signing up for the waiting list.