Rapper, songwriter and record label owner of Manchester Music Group, MR. JONES seizes every single moment in his latest track titled ‘Brand New’ released Saturday (6th May) across all music platforms.
With melodic chants introducing the smooth joint, leading to a glitchy bassline, the Mancunion spitter drops fiery bars of pure preservative of treating each day full of brand new opportunities.
Mr Jones hit the ground running with his debut album, ‘Long Running’ and follow-up project, ‘No Time To Waste’, which collectively received way over a million streams. Arguably his best work to date, ‘Brand New’ serves as a teaser to his third album, coming out later this later. Check it out below…
On Valentine’s Day, Manchester’s rapper, songwriter and record label owner of Manchester Music Group, MR. JONES has dedicated his new single, ‘You’ to his significant other over a bed of heavenly tones that’s reminiscent of the golden hip-hop era of the late eighties/early nineties. The track features his label mate, Soul 31, who graces the chorus with his velvety smooth vocal performance.
Mr Jones hit the ground running with his debut album, ‘Long Running’ and follow-up project, ‘No Time To Waste’, which collectively received way over a million streams. Quickly becoming known for his witty bars and clever rhymes, this smooth wordsmith is currently working on his third album, coming out later this later.
Coming quickly off the back of their previous single ‘Bleak Moors’, Manchester punks TOKEO continue to explore the stark realities of life amongst Manchester’s forgotten mill towns on their single, ‘King of the Town’, the final track taken from their forthcoming debut album, ‘Class Traitor.’
A cathartic triumvirate of punk, rock and rap, the quintet have distanced themselves from much of their Manchester contemporaries through their angst-fuelled take on northern post-punk, preferring instead to shed light on the discrepancies faced by those growing up in areas ignored by wider government.
Indeed, these politics, and this anger are what allow TOKEO to stand apart from a local scene too often concerned with vintage leather jackets and virtue signalling to really care about the wider local area. And on ‘King of the Town’, this vitriol really boils over. A dystopic and tongue in cheek take on misplaced admiration, it’s a blisteringly scathing attack on small-town syndrome.
With each release harbouring more piss and vinegar than the last, it’s obvious that TOKEO are a band unimpressed with the current way the UK is heading, and we shouldn’t be too. At a time when the costs of living are soaring, and the UK government is nothing more than a self-spiralling shit show, the outlook is bleak, and while the band might not offer any respite from that, they certainly provide some much needed catharsis. Have a listen to ‘King of the Town’ below…
Manchester’s hip-hop collective ADS THE BARBARIAN have joined forces with London’s veteran producer REDD TUNES for the first EP of the year, ‘The Lone Ranger’.
Featuring members Fya Da Flame, DJ Hook Raida, DJ Cut and Slice, the three-track project features the smooth, retro vibes of hip-hop/boom bap, where the featured spitters take the spotlight to drop some serious bars on current affairs (namely the pandemic) and the hard knocks that life presents.
As well as teaming up with the Northern fierce crew, Redd Tunes have collaborated with various artists across the globe for the past 30 + years as a Britcore producer. If you’re not familiar with his work, here’s your chance to check it out here.
Before you head off to check out his catalogue, have a sample of Redd Tunes’ collab EP with Ads The Barbarian below…
Manchester based, animated four-piece, HI SIENNA, are leaning toward a unique sound in 2021 with latest single, ‘Hail Mary’, a juxtaposition between an angelic gospel-sounding melody and the raunchy exploration of lust and desire through it’s lyrics (think INXS). It’s an epic combination of twangy guitars, stadium-filling strings and harmonies that gift an uplifting, euphoric sound to the ear.
Formed in 2019, they bounced onto the scene, playing their first show as a headline at Manchester’s Deaf Institute, supported Scouting For Girls at the O2 Ritz and released their debut single, ‘Favourite’ Thing, in November that year. Their following releases have continued to be supported by the likes of Xs Manchester (record of the week), Amazing Radio (record of the week), BBC Introducing and even some famous faces such as Robert Carlyle and the legendary Dave Haslam!
These guys are worth a listen…check out ‘Hail Mary’ below…