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Hey! Manchester recently found itself on the mailing list for the Single Cell Collective and decided not to unsubscribe. How often does a new label launch in Manchester? Well probably fairly often – but this one looked good visually and promised Six Rivers, a whole compilation of local artists, as its debut release.
Below, we pick out our favourite tracks from among the 18 featured, and we speak to Jonathan Atkinson, one of the collective members.
First question is an obvious one: who’s behind Single Cell?
A growing band of over 18 artists and musicians. Most of us are from Manchester, and most of them from Hulme. We’re a pretty fluid bunch with people collaborating, writing, producing and playing on each other’s tracks. Among that there are a few standout bands including You and Boo, Caulbearers, Mel Uye Parker and Brocken Bow.
Anthony Richardson, a Withington-based comedian, got in touch last week. He wanted to tell us about Paint My Album, a project he and friend Diarmuid White set up in July 2008. They’re trying to get people to submit 2,000 classic album covers redrawn in Microsoft Paint by 23 December this year.
My favourites are covers that are so amateurish they could have been drawn by a five year old. I was never very good at art at school, and this group isn’t about perfection. Some of the covers are brilliant, amazing in fact, but that’s only half of what this challenge is about. One of the members, Mark Brown from Leicester, did a cover of Nirvana’s Nevermind so bad it made people cry. I loved it…
The pair also do some very funny Paint My Album videos. The latest episode features their Gay Crab-handed Neighbour, local writer Chris Killen and redone covers of Elvis Costello and Oasis album covers.
They’ve had around 700 submitted so far, but with roughly 30 being added each week there’s a chance they might fall just short of the target. They’re therefore asking music-lovers to contribute to the project – so join their Facebook group and start Painting!
Bit quiet this week, with just the six shows for you to consider…
Tomorrow, Monday, Islington Mill in Salford plays host to a Golden Lab gig, featuring former Manchester resident Chris Corsano. The New England drummer has played with the likes of Jandek, Six Organs of Admittance, Thurston Moore and Mick Flower to name a few, and he’s toured with Björk. He’s joined by the Hunter Gracchus, Plum Slate, CKDH and Beach Fuzz. More info and tickets.
On Tuesday you have two choices. Emmy the Great’s here to promote First Love, her debut album, and plays at the Ruby Lounge with God’s Little Eskimo. Meanwhile, further into the Northern Quarter, punk, er, shoegazers Titus Andronicus are at Night & Day Cafe. Little Death and Citizens also play.
And also on Tuesday, Canadian collective Woodpigeonare joined by the Miserable Rich and the Winter Journey for a Red Deer Club night at the Deaf Institute – more info and tickets for that one here.
Wednesday was going to be a big night for Hey! Manchester, with Gang Gang Dance and Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip at the Roadhouse – but sadly the whole tour was cancelled after a fire in Amsterdam melted their equipment. Hopefully they’ll be back with newly sampled samples later in the year. American folksters Vetiver (who sometimes count Devendra Banhart among their number) will play on Wednesday, at Dulcimer in Chorlton – but that’s well and truly sold out.
Then nothing happens until Saturday when the ever-popular, 10-year-old Club Brenda takes over the Deaf Institute. Locals Magic Arm and the 1,2,3,4s both play – with the former appearing as a full band to celebrate the release of new EP, Bootsy Bootsy. More info.
We like music zine The Line of Best Fit. It covers great artists (Fever Ray, M Ward, Sonic Youth and Grizzly Bear currently feature on the homepage), and it just feels nice and wholesome.
The lead story right now is by the city’s own Tom Whyman: Pop Scene Manchester is a round up of his favourite bands – and thankfully there’s not a Madchester revivalist in sight. Here’s who’s covered:
It’s a good mix: one or two you may have seen, a couple you might at least know by name, and some fresh names too! Check out the piece for interviews and audio samples.
We first fell in love with Casiotone for the Painfully Alone in 2002, discovering the odd 56-bitrate mp3 (the web equivalent of an old cassette tape) and splashing out on the second album, Pocket Symphonies for Lonesome Subway Cars, soon after.
Owen Ashworth’s lo-fi recordings (initially on answering machines) and commitment to the humble Casiotone keyboard inspired and mesmerised in equal measures, and fitted perfectly alongside East River Pipe, who we were also pretty obsessed with at the time.
Jump forward an album (the equally excellent Twinkle Echo), and CFTPA emerged in 2006 with Etiquette, a radically different prospect, more polished and pleasing to the ears but still as lyrically endearing and musically unique as ever. In the next few months CFTPA release two albums: Vs. Children – the follow-up to Etiquette – and Advance Base Battery Life, a compilation of singles. Here’s a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Streets of Philadelphia (featuring brother Gordon) from the latter, and a q&a with Owen about Morrissey, hecklers, failing health, samplers, soundtracking and his upcoming visit to Manchester.
We were listening to Toby, Take a Bow and chuckling along to the Smiths references the other day. What do you think of Morrissey’s solo stuff?
I’ve never owned any of the Morrissey solo records, but I’ve enjoyed listening to them in other people’s cars or dorm rooms or whatever. Musically, I don’t enjoy the solo stuff as much as I love that enchanted sound of actual Smiths, but lyrically, I find Morrissey is almost always on point. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: one of the greatest challenges I face as a songwriter is the harsh reality that most of the songs I’d ever want to write were already written by Morrissey.
And how do you rate Manchester bands generally?
Manchester does not need me to remind it that there are a zillion great bands from Manchester. You win, okay? There is something in the pollen or the water that makes you really good at bands while the rest of us struggle to not sound terrible. You don’t need to rub our noses in it, guys. We surrender.
We first fell in love with