Track Of The Day - Sarah Solovay - Rough Draft

Rough Draft is the lead track off a forthcoming EP from New York based Sarah Solovay since 2012's Superhuman. Having built up a growing reputation with that EP and its predecessor Gone, Sarah took time out to go to college and live life with the intention of returning to music with life experiences to write and sing about and Rough Draft is a pretty stunning comeback.

Fufanu / Pines - Manchester Gullivers - 14th February 2017

Iceland's Fufanu came to Manchester for the opening night of their UK tour in support of their recent second album Sports and entertained a Valentine's Night crowd with a high-energy enthusiastic performance and a natural charm that won over our hearts and minds. Support came from the impressive Pines.

Neon Waltz - Interview

Neon Waltz are back after what seemed like a quiet 2016 for a band that was on the lips of many music lovers as we went into the year. They're about to embark on a three-week UK tour including a show at Manchester's Night And Day so we had a word with them to discover just what they'd been up to and to get exciting news about their plans for 2017.

Dave Fidler - Poynton Acoustic Lounge - 12th February 2017

For a quiet Sunday night's entertainment we headed out to the Cheshire suburbs for a night with Dave Fidler at Poynton's Acoustic Lounge, a beautifully set up venue to cater for the music lovers out of town. Supported by brothers Rob on bass and Andy on cajon drum box, he played three sets of songs from his debut solo album I'm Not Here as well as a series of songs from the follow-up that he's in the process of recording and some covers to sate those in the audience that wanted to hear something they knew.

The Lucid Dream - Carlisle Source Collective - 11th February 2017

The Lucid Dream's hometown gig at The Source Collective sold out in minutes and felt like a coming together of kindred spirits from across the land to celebrate a band like no other. They made the eighty minutes they were on stage feel like a lifetime lost in a magical musical world of their making.

Cabbage - Liverpool EBGBs - 10th February 2017

On the day tickets for their headline show at The Ritz went on sale, Cabbage made the short journey up the East Lancs to play in a much more intimate venue in the basement of Liverpool's EBGB's, a venue ill-suited to the furore and chaos of their live set these days.

Jordan Allen - Living La Vida Bolton EP

Living La Vida Bolton is Jordan Allen's first release of 2017 as he prepares for his assault on the concert halls of the land starting with a support slot with The Sherlocks this month. The three songs on the EP are the moment where a boy becomes a man and his band step up and make their mark. All proceeds from the EP will be donated to The Brain Tumour Charity in memory of Jordan's Dad, Kevin, and his biggest fan.

Faux Pas - Manchester Dive NQ - 9th February 2017

Faux Pas came highly recommended to us by a good friend in Sheffield so we ventured out to Dive NQ for the latest instalment of the CTRL Club night to catch their debut Manchester show and we weren't disappointed by an energetic set from a band early in their career but one that's already brimming with confidence and armed with a set of big bold anthemic songs that holds them in good stead for the future.

Lunar - Manchester Castle Hotel - 8th February 2017

After a period of relative radio silence from Lunar as they wrestle with line-up changes and recruiting a new drummer, lead singer Sam and guitarist Luke ventured out for an acoustic set opening for Howie Payne on Wednesday night in The Castle.  Showcasing a couple of new songs as well as some of the songs that have made their name as one of the most exciting new bands in town, they demonstrated that there's another side to their craft with a well-received half-hour show.

Urban Theory / Mayflower - Manchester Dive NQ - 2nd February 2017

The latest in the series of CTRL club nights at Dive in Manchester's Northern Quarter saw one of our tips for 2017 Urban Theory team up with blog regulars Mayflower for a night of free music.

Track Of The Day : Stillia - Let Me In

St Helens four-piece Stillia have just released their debut single Let Me In after selling out its launch night at Manchester's newest venue Jimmy's in just a few days. They've teamed up with Jonny Vegas who has directed their forthcoming video for the song too.

Track Of The Day : Embers - Signs

After what seems like an eternity, Embers are back and their new single Signs reveals that they've not lost any of the graceful power that had us salivating at the prospect of what they could achieve when they launched their debut single Part Of The Echoes back in 2013.  Declaring on their Facebook page "We're going to hang around this time too. Promise."

Carnival Club / Crimsons / Kieran Dobson - Manchester Ruby Lounge - 4th February 2017

This Ruby Lounge show was Carnival Club's first ever headline show, but from the response they got from a packed crowd and the confident assured performance they gave that had a moshpit going wild from the very start, you wouldn't have been able to tell. As early as February they've already justified their spot in our Tips For 2017 and we suspect the rest of the year will get bigger and better. Support came from Crimsons and Kieran Dobson.

Déjà Vega - Manchester Aatma - 2nd February 2017

Thursday night saw fellow Manchester blog Music Is My Radar put on their latest night at Aatma. One of our favourites and most-written about bands Déjà Vega headlined the event with an hour-long set of old favourites and some new material that they've been busy away writing in the past few months.

Ist Ist / Sly Antics / Jekyll - Salford Sacred Trinity Church - 3rd February 2017

The holy surroundings of Salford's beautiful Sacred Trinity Church played host to possibly the most unholy trinity ever to darken its doors on Friday night as Ist Ist brought their steamrollering, all guns blazing live show to a sold out crowd with wing men Sly Antics and Jekyll preparing the ground for the onslaught.

The Head And The Heart / Cattle & Cane - Manchester Gorilla - 1st February 2017

The Head And The Heart returned to Manchester in support of their album Signs Of Light that came out at the back end of last year and delighted a packed Manchester crowd with songs from that album and their self-titled 2011 debut and 2013's Let's Be Still as well as a Tom Petty cover. Support came from Teesside's fellow six-piece Cattle & Cane who are readying the release of their second album Mirrors.

The Nightingales - Become Not Becoming EP

Become Not Becoming is the first new material from The Nightingales since 2015's Mind Of Matter and the six part EP continues in the rich vein that they mined on that record.

Richard Hawley / Juanita Stein - Hebden Bridge Trades Club - 28th January 2017

As part of Independent Venue Week, Richard Hawley played the first of two special acoustic nights accompanied only by his trusty guitarist Shez Sheridan and harmonica player Clive Mellor at Hebden Bridge Trades Club with support by Juanita Stein who is embarking on her debut album in the next few months.

Cabbage / The Goa Express / Avalanche Party - Hebden Bridge Trades Club - 26th January 2017

As part of Independent Venue Week, Cabbage headlined the latest of a series of gigs at our favourite independent venue, The Trades Club in Hebden Bridge in one of the last chances we're likely to get to see the most important new band in Britain in such intimate surroundings.  Support came from Avalanche Party and The Goa Express.

Dream Wife / Move - Manchester Night And Day - 24th January 2017

One of the most touted new bands around Dream Wife returned to Manchester to headline DIY's Hello 2017.  They more than lived up to the excited hysteria that's building around their live shows with a twelve song set from their debut EP and forthcoming album that took no prisoners yet was a whole load of fun with it. Support came from Manchester's Move.

Carnival Club / Kashmere / Crimsons - Manchester Soup Kitchen - 21st January 2017

Saturday afternoon and night saw the first Lucoo all-dayer in Soup Kitchen with eight bands on the bill. Due to other commitments we were only able to catch three in the early evening, but with Carnival Club, Kashmere and Crimsons, we struck lucky.

Track Of The Day : Ist Ist - Silence

Ist Ist are a band on an unstoppable rise. Already famed locally for their incendiary and often controversial live shows, the three-piece have just released the video to their new single Silence ahead of their now sold out show at Salford's Sacred Trinity Church on February 3rd. We exclusively tipped the song on Shell Zenner's Amazing Radio show a couple of weeks back, but now it's online in all its doom-laden glory.

The Strawberries / The Assist / Jordan Allen / April / Dantevilles / White Room - Manchester Night And Day (This Feeling Big In 2017) - 21st January 2017

This Feeling club nights have become a thing of urban legend in music circles, the night that all bands want to get on as a stepping stone to bigger things. To see in 2017, they've set up Big In nights to showcase new talent that they believe will make an impact this year and we caught up with six of the eight bands on the Manchester bill on Saturday night at the Night And Day.

Peaness / Cowtown - Manchester Soup Kitchen - 20th January 2017

A packed Friday night Soup Kitchen crowd were treated to two sets of contrasting brilliance from Chester three-piece Peaness and Leeds' Cowtown.

The Vryll Society / Francobollo / Purple Heart Parade - Manchester Deaf Institute - 19th January 2017

The Vryll Society made a triumphant return to Manchester on Thursday night following last year's dual headliner with Hidden Charms at Gorilla. Throwing off front man Mike's throat infection that could have pulled the gig, they deliver a spellbinding set supported ably by Sweden-via-London's Francobollo and Manchester's own Purple Heart Parade.

Track Of The Day : Rhine Valley - Tell The Truth

Tell The Truth is the debut song from the mysterious two piece Rhine Valley.  They describe themselves as "Melody & Riddims. Explosive heavyweights" and reveal nothing else other than their names on their Facebook page. But one listen to Tell The Truth and the two dark mysterious playful one and three quarter minute snippets on their Soundcloud page and it's very quickly clear that they're going to be a force to be reckoned with.

October Drift - Manchester Night And Day Cafe - 15th January 2017

It's one of life's mysteries why October Drift are not much bigger than they are. One of the most visually thrilling live bands around, never standing still for a minute, either lost in the music or seeking to engage with and in the crowd, they brought their ever increasingly powerful live show to Manchester's Night And Day on a cold January night and swept away the cobwebs of the post-Christmas gig slowdown.

Track Of The Day : Blaylock - Lighthouse

We don't know much about Blaylock other than Lighthouse is the debut single from the Manchester based artist. A piano based track, simple, plain and emotional, it lets the words and his voice do the bidding for it. It feels dramatic, heartfelt and genuine and hopefully the first work of a real talent.  It precedes an EP that's due out soon.