For decades Manchester has provided us with some of the world’s most loved music. From legends like The Smiths, Oasis and The Stone Roses to Joy Division, Happy Mondays and New Order – through to the modern-day heroes like Blossoms and Spring King. Manchester's well of musical talent never runs dry.
With a musical catalogue not to be messed with, we're pretty proud to be based in England’s music capital, Manchester. Here’s a playlist we've curated featuring some of the cities anthems, as well as some new undiscovered gems.
The Classics.
She Bangs The Drums - The Stone Roses.
"She Bangs the Drums" is a true contender for the definitive track by The Stone Roses. Listening to "She Bangs", it’s hard not to see why a generation fell hard for the band. It’s the sound of that brief but beautiful moment when the teen years become young adulthood. “The past was yours but the future’s mine / You’re all out of time” were lines utterly justified by the song.
Panic - The Smiths.
"Panic" was a song recorded in 1986 by The Smiths in reaction to Wham!’s, "I'm Your Man," which was a recurring pop song on the radio at the time. Guitarist Johnny Marr and lead singer Morrissey responded by writing "Panic" saying, "What the f*ck has this got to do with people's lives?" The repetition of ‘hang the DJ’ and the lyric, ‘burn down the disco’ intrigued listeners, making this song extremely popular. NME placed "Panic" at number 21 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever in 2007.
Supersonic - Oasis.
"Supersonic" is the debut single by the English rock band Oasis. Written by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher, it was released on 11th April 1994 as Oasis' debut single, and later appeared on their debut album Definitely Maybe in August 1994. From the opening drumbeat and moody guitar arpeggio, “Supersonic” is another terrific mix of youthful posturing.
New favourites.
Shade - IAMDBB.
"Shade" is a statement of intent from a 21-year old singer and songwriter that offers a jazz infused vocal over a raw groove. The song itself is drenched in personality and bold enough to stand apart against other new tracks of today. Raised in Manchester, IAMDDB was brought up with a musician father and an environment of creatives and instruments. She started making music in 2015, but a six-month stint in Africa "doing jazz" gave her the focus to hone her voice and sound.
Hey You - False Advertising.
Rising DIY garage punks False Advertising are rightly turning heads with their unique blend of feral grunge and slacker rock. In the band’s own words:
