Because You (Angrily) Demanded It: 30 Tracks of All-New Manchester Music!
You shouted at 90degrees’ Joe Madden, and he listened. Here, then, is an all-killer, no-filler playlist of 2017 MCR hotness.
So it’s, uh, fair to say that my recent blog post on Manchester’s nostalgia ‘problem’ whipped up some strong emotions. The post has clocked up thousands of views and provoked hundreds of social-media debates, with half of you more-or-less agreeing with me, and the other half organising yourselves to angrily march on the 90degrees offices wielding pitchforks, maracas and Mock Turtles 12-inches.
One of the many – many – criticisms levelled against the piece is that it doesn’t offer any viable alternative to endlessly revisiting the Manchester music of yesteryear; that there’s no point trying to move on from Stone Roses, Oasis, New Order etc when there are no contemporary Manchester artists worth getting excited about.
Setting aside the fact that there’s no legal requirement for you to solely consume music made within a 25-mile radius of your house, I’d argue that there are local acts worthy of your attention. To (hopefully) prove that point, I’ve collated this 30-track playlist of modern Manchester music, taking in everything from livid grime to woozy house; from psychedelic rock to laser-sharp drum’n’bass. If you can’t find something you like on here, you might as well give up on modern music altogether.
And no, none of this lot are going to be ‘the next Oasis’ or ‘the next Smiths’ – but that’s kind of the point.
Enjoy – and don’t forget to call me a “clueless twat” in the comments!
Joe Madden is head copywriter at 90degrees, an independent creative communications agency based in Manchester
