Congratulations to Jayne Compton (second right above) and Max Moran (left), joint winners of the music category at last night’s Best of Manchester Awards. Max is someone we didn’t realise we’d heard about – but besides running ThisTownSounds.com, it turns out he runs the Hot Club night, which has brought the likes of Micachu and the Shapes, Metronomy and Good Shoes etc to Manchester.

Two of the city’s most interesting bands played at Urbis either side of the award presentation: Gnod and Young British Artists. One of the Gnod members said he felt like a museum piece playing to the art crowd – nevertheless, both are well worth checking out.

In other news, we’re putting Efterklang and Bowerbirds on later in the year! The former will be performing at a Hey! Halloween special at the Deaf Institute on Saturday 31 October, while the latter playing at Dulcimer the following night – more information here.

And we’re delighted to confirm that Switchflicker Records’ Magic Arm will be supporting Final Fantasy at the RNCM next month!

We never did read the NME with any regularity, preferring Melody Maker’s more hands-on approach to music back in the day (in this case, that day being circa 1996). But today we’ve been catching up with its latest Manchester-centric coverage.

First up, there was an opinion piece a month ago about how ‘Manchester’s Music Scene Is Dying‘ – sparking much debate both on NME.com and elsewhere. Turns out the writer, Alistair Beech, is very much pro-Manchester and intended the piece as a sort of rallying call rather than an obituary-in-waiting. Looks like it was a case of heavy-handed/over-worked sub-editors and people reading headlines and jumping to conclusions, but there’s some interesting reading in there nonetheless.

Then even more recently, the same author compiled a roundup of the best bands coming out of Manchester right now. Dutch Uncles, Airship, May68, Lost Knives, Modernaire and Hey! Manchester alumni Run Toto Run all feature. Read more here – if your eye sight is up to it.

The 2009 shortlist for the now-annual Best of Manchester Awards was announced earlier this week, and makes for music category makes for interesting reading:

Jayne Compton has been shortlisted for a diverse portfolio that includes long-running experimental club night, Club Brenda, ‘a genuinely uncompromising underground art happening’, according to Compton that blends live music, art and performance. Compton has also been shortlisted for her Switchflicker Records label (which launched the Ting Tings with That’s Not My Name) and an upcoming Arts Council book, Strange Trees.

Natalie Curtis was shortlisted for a photography portfolio that includes portraits of bands such as Doves, the Paris Riots and Silversun Pickups. Her quiet documentary style has lead to a series of startlingly warm and intimate shots – and was singled out by the judges for its freshness and direct approach.

Max Moran has been shortlisted for a portfolio that includes the video-based music blog, ThisTownSounds.com. Running since 2007, the blog has premiered White Lies’ first ever filmed interview, as well as early performances from the likes of Florence & The Machine. Moran has also been recognised for his sell-out club night, Hot Club, its laid back sister session, Hat Club and, more recently, Moran’s burgeoning record label, Hit Club.

The music judges also awarded special commendations to Paddy Steer, an ‘unsung hero’ according to one of our panel, for his contribution to the Manchester music scene over the past 25 years; and to classical composer Joe Duddell who has curated (and conducts) the Elbow and Hallé Orchestra performances that form the centrepiece of this year’s Manchester International Festival.

Hey! Manchester is well aware of Jayne and Paddy’s work (check out this excellent video from his recent album launch), but ThisTownSounds.com in particular is a great new discovery for us – check it out.

Good tip-off in CityLife last Friday: Club North, the venue under Affleck’s Palace, has been temporarily transformed into Blink.

Opening a couple of days ago, this new ‘pop up bar’ has scheduled 10 weeks of event – from a preview night featuring local band Delphic to a Calvin Harris DJ set on Saturday just gone. Other nights feature a DJ set by Late of the Pier, plus ‘twisted trannie night MirrorMirror’s extravagant summer ball’, as CityLife so eloquently puts it.

It adds that the overall aim is to create a series of ‘one-off events, big sounds, memorable nights out, in a temporary space with a rough-round-the-edges charm’.

Then, in two months time, the bar’s owners will shut up shop and re-open it in October as the Blackdog Ballroom, complete with slate floors, wood panelling and so on. It sounds like Manchester looks set to gain a New York-inspired venue that’s open a very convenient 16 hours per day.

At least that’s what someone is claiming on the ILoveManchesterMusic forum. Here’s one response (by Selina from Lamb & Wolf) to the suggestion:

I don’t know anything about this, but aren’t weekend gigs at roadhouse early doors anyway? So if the 1990s are playing the blur gig could be happening afterwards? (unless they have a clubnight on)

But… tickets for a show like that probably wouldn’t be available to just anyone. Blur have always played tiny shows like this even at the height of their popularity and people were always informed of them via the fanclub.

Faktion is scheduled to happen after the gig, so this seems highly unlikely – but everyone loves a good rumour.