Denise Johnson #7 on UK Record Store Chart

Denise Johnson’s posthumous debut album ‘Where Does It Go’ entered the UK Record Store Chart at number 7. Limited vinyl and CDs were available only from Manchester’s Piccadilly Records and sold out immediately. https://www.piccadillyrecords.com/counter/product.php?pid=134933 

Digital/Streaming: on all platforms https://cdbaby.lnk.to/WhereDoesItGo 

UK Record Store Chart, Top 20:

1 – (new) Working Men’s Club – Working Men’s Club
2 – (new) Sufjan Stevens – The Ascension
3 – Idles – Ultra Mono
4 – Oasis – (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
5 – (new) The Stone Roses – The Remixes
6 – (new) Melanie C – Melanie C
7 – (new) Denise Johnson – Where Does It Go
8 – Thurston Moore – By The Fire
9 – (new) Queen & Adam Lambert – Live Around The World
10 – (new) Lana Del Rey – Violet Bent Backwards Over The Grass
11 – (new) Roisin Murphy – Roisin Machine
12 – (new) Hunna – I’d Rather Die Than Let You In
13 – (new) Pan Amsterdam – Ha Chu
14 – Michael Kiwanuka – KIWANUKA
15 – (new) Stone Foundation – Is Love Enough
16 – (new) Roger Waters – Us + Them
17 – Deftones – Ohms
18 – New Order – Power, Corruption & Lies
19 – (new) Jonsi – Shiver
20 – (new) The Jaded Hearts Club – You’ve Always Been Here

The Official Charts Company launched the UK Record Store Chart in 2012 to reflect the last decade’s drive to support independent music outlets and the concurrent surge in vinyl sales. It is compiled from the best selling albums at 100 of Britain’s leading independent music shops.

Tribute to Denise Johnson by renowned street artist Akse appears just before the release of her posthumous debut album.

French-born Graffiti Artist, Akse has painted a tribute to Denise Johnson in Hulme, Manchester just before the release of her posthumous album ‘Where Does It Go’ on Friday 2 October.

Denise’s family said: “We’re totally stunned into silence. Really cannot find words for how brilliant this is. We’re genuinely lost for words in the nicest sense”.


BBC producer and close friend of Denise, Natalie-Eve Williams tweeted: “Our girl is on the streets where she grew up. Cannot thank you enough @Akse_P19 for your kindness and generosity”.

Akse is a French-born Graffiti Artist of Vietnamese heritage, based in Manchester since 1997. Akse started painting in 1992 and is a member of the P19 Graffiti Crew. Over the last few years, Akse has focused on freehand High-Definition HD photo-realism graffiti portraits. His work around Manchester always commands people’s attention and often reflects the social, political and cultural mood of the city. His highly acclaimed work is featured in other cities including Liverpool and London.


‘Definitely Maybe’ is 25.


In 1994 ‘Definitely Maybe‘ by Oasis was released. It was an immediate critical and commercial success and became the fastest-selling UK debut in history at the time. It included the tracks ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star‘, ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol‘, ‘Shakermaker‘, ‘Live Forever‘ and ‘Slide Away‘. We [Red Alert Promotions] were there from the start.

I worked with Noel Gallagher before he was in Oasis. We toured together with the Inspiral Carpets; I was merch, and Noel was a roadie. It was an amazing time looking back; it was the height of Madchester.

I’d got to know Noel – and later Liam – when I worked at the music venue The Boardwalk,Oasis shared a rehearsal room in the basement with Sister Lovers. Other bands that rehearsed there were Inspiral Carpets, Happy Mondays, James, ACR, The Fall, Simply Red, and Nico! Generally, after these bands finished rehearsing they come upstairs for a drink and watch the bands that were playing at the venue. I witnessed early shows from Primal ScreamHoleSonic Youth, Manic Street PreachersVerveBob Mould, Rage Against The Machine, Big Black, The Charlatans, The Wedding Presentand many more.

Following the demise of ‘Madchester’, I started working with Alison and Sue at Red Alert Promotions, a record plugging company with a cool roster that included The Charlatans, KLF, Depeche Mode, Pulp, Suede, The Sugarcubes and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds... It was around this time our friend (and neighbour) Noel decided to join his brother’s band Rain which subsequently became Oasis.

Alison and I saw Oasis play many times in Manchester, including regular support slots at The Boardwalk and Tony Wilson‘s In The City music convention in September 1992 and 93. In ’92 they played The Venue to a handful of people including Gary Davies a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in ’93 they played Canal Bar (both venues are no longer there).

Earlier in May 1993, they played King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut thanks to Debbie from Sister Lovers. She knew Alan McGee and she invited them to play, the rest is history. Soon after Noel announced that Oasis were going to sign to Creation Records. Months later their record contract came through on the Red Alert fax machine. I remember the never-ending fax paper spewing out and folding it up. I put it into an A4 envelope for Noel to collect.

Naturally, Oasis were added to the Red Alert roster and we began promoting the now-classic singles from Definitely Maybe. As part of the campaign, we took Noel and Liam on a promo tour around UK radio stations for interviews. One of the early interviews was with Chris Moyles. He was working at a regional radio station, Signal Stoke. Chris recounts this and still has his CD with a Red Alert promo sticker. The band’s first radio session was for Craig Cash (The Royale Family); he presented a show on KFM in Stockport. Both went on to do very well.

Below is an early TV performance on Yorkshire TV. ‘Something For The Weekend’ was filmed at Leeds Warehouse. Oasis were introduced by Madame Jo Jo –  now Jo Jo on Capital Yorkshire. It looks great! Oasis played ‘Shakermaker’, ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’ and ‘Supersonic’ in front of an audience of around 200.

The next tv footage is from America in 2017. CBS News correspondent Anthony Mason visits Noel’s native Manchester. It’s the first time Noel has been back to the city-centre flat where it all started. In the early 90s India House was inhabited by people who predominately worked in music and the arts including record pluggers, roadies, techies, managers, journalists, photographers, graphic designers, fashion designers, filmmakers, artists, writers and Hacienda staff. You’d sometimes bump into members of The Stone Roses, The Smiths, New Order and the Pet Shop Boys after the Hacienda going to parties.

India House – like Manchester – has so much to answer for. It’s where Noel wrote the first two albums. Lyrics such as “As I live my life in the city, there’s no easy way out.” (Rock n Roll Star), “Your music’s shite it keeps me up all night, up all night.” (Married with Children) and “The sink is full of fishes, she’s got dirty dishes on the brain.” (Some Might Say) were written in that building between 1989 and 1994.

Photo: Michael Spencer Jones 1994

BETH ORTON LEADS WEEK-LONG MENTORING PROGRAMME FOR BRIGHTER SOUND

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Twice-Mercury Prize nominated, BRIT award winning singer-songwriter Beth Orton is to mentor a specially-selected group of thirteen up-and-coming female musicians, composers and vocalists from all over the UK.

The event, held at Manchester’s Band On The Wall in conjunction with Brighter Sound and Wall of Sounds, will bring together some of the UK’s most exciting young female talent to collaborate with one of the country’s most respected songwriters.

Beth said:

“I am thrilled to be asked to support and take part in this exciting and important project. Getting the chance to mentor — or simply the opportunity to stand as witness to — the diverse, and possibly unheard, talents of artists from all across the UK fills me with curiosity and some apprehension! 

“If I’m lucky I will get to share some of what has been passed along to me over the years. I am equally prepared to be humbled beyond recognition and cannot wait to be so!” 

After noticing that the vast majority of previous applicants were male, Wall of Sounds created this residency especially for female artists in order to spark discussion around women in the music industry and to support emerging female professionals.

Bethan Morgan-Williams, previous residency participant, considers the programme to be an incredibly important opportunity:

Wall of Sounds is the sort of opportunity that money can’t buy, that decides a career, turns on a light, ignites a creative candle – a candle that shines upon your face and lets the world know who you are. It’s the kind of opportunity that can give someone the boost they need for stepping on into the next generation of British music.”

Beth is perfect for this collaborative mentoring role, having worked with a host of notable musicians including William Orbit, The Chemical Brothers, Terry Callier, Dr. Robert and Ben Harper.

Her residency is an intensive five-day project which will produce new work and culminate in a unique showcase event on Friday 20th February.

Previous Brighter Sound residencies have been held by highly-acclaimed folk group The Unthanks, Grammy award-winners Snarky Puppy and DMC DJ of the Year award-winner, DJ Yoda.

 

MDNGHT SHOOT TO NUMBER 3 ON MUSIC WEEK’S UPFRONT CLUB CHART, BEHIND CALVIN HARRIS AND BREACH!

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Even more fantastic news for Manchester four-piece MDNGHT’s Breeze: it’s shot to Number 3 on the Music Week Upfront Club Chart!

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They’ve steadily climbed the chart in the last couple of weeks, and have now nudged up behind Calvin Harris feat. John Newman‘s Blame and Breach feat. Kelis‘ The Key – proving MDNGHT’s floor-filling, euphoric house-pop can mix it with the big hitters.

The response from club DJs has been outstanding, with a third of DJs giving the tune a score of 90-100%, and nearly half of them marking it 80-90%.

They’ve been getting huge positive responses from dancefloors too: they’ve played a series of huge gigs around the country, playing to enormous student audiences in Bath (below), London and more.

MDNGHT are a classy, talented group with a bunch of heavyweight songs – and it’s great to see word spread so fast and so enthusiastically!

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TIME.COM PREMIERES MDNGHT’S “BREEZE” VIDEO!

Following strong radio play support from BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra – and previous formidable online support from Idolator, Popjustice and The Guardian – MDNGHT have another huge feather to squeeze into their cap in the form of an international video exclusive on TIME Magazine‘s website.

Time enthusiastically noted Breeze’s, “flecks of guitar, piano stabs and wall-of-sound background vocals gathering around Jordan Lewin’s breathy falsetto,” confirming that the USA is just as receptive to MDNGHT’s “drifty, tropical dance music.”

The video to their previous single, Into The Night, snagged a whopping 140,000 views in the first week – and after TIME’s huge boost, the Breeze video is now also available to watch online via VEVO.

MDNGHT BILLED ALONGSIDE FOXES, MNEK, ANASTACIA AND ALL SAINTS AT MANCHESTER PRIDE!

Manchester Pride 2014

MDNGHT‘s heady and euphoric house-pop songs have been making waves for a while – and now their burgeoning reputation as an excellent live act is growing.

After a thrilling performance at the Big Weekend in Glasgow, the Manchester dance collective have been billed alongside some huge acts at the forthcoming Manchester Pride, on the 24th August.

MDNGHT’s fantastically sultry summer sounds will get the crowd partying on the same bill as multi-million-selling stars All Saints and Anastacia, other hot new acts MNEK and Foxes, and Eurovision winner Conchita.

Their brilliant new, end-of-summer, post-holiday single, Breeze, is getting praise from all quarters, including Time Out magazine, who love their “dreamy, funky house-pop”.

The huge Manchester Pride festival and parade is one of Europe’s longest-running and biggest LGBT events, attracting tens of thousands to the city every year.

THE TRAVELLING BAND RELEASE GLORIOUS NEW SINGLE; ANNOUNCE UK-WIDE TOUR

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ASKME -singles-button-smallIMPACT DATE: 14th September 2014
LABEL: Sideways Saloon


“The sounds they generate took me back to my musical roots… Marvellous music to savour and enjoy”

– Michael Eavis, Glastonbury Festival

The Travelling Band are the kind of group people long to be part of – the kind that stirs deep-set emotions in fans who would dance over hot coals to see this most remarkable of live bands.

Their new single, Passing Ships, is everything The Travelling Band are, and everything their fans adore: bittersweet stories planting little flags in the mind and claiming attention for days, woven in and out of melodies you’ll think you grew up with.

Recorded with a panache to thrill existing fans and tease new ones into exploring much further, Passing Ships is typically-euphoric, carefully-crafted, always-rousing: a hallmark of all the band’s music.

Passing Ships has already been met with breathless praise:

“The track blows by in the best possible way, leaving you a little breathless and wanting even more” – Indieshuffle
“A unique soundexpansive and poppy” – Earmilk

As usual, the band’s huge and loyal following demanded a UK-wide tour, and were of course rewarded with one – with yet more dates to be announced. The song is taken from their new LP, The Big Defreeze, which is released on the 25th August.

Passing Ships is a free download, and is for fans of beautiful, storytelling music like Calexico, Iron & Wine, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Frightened Rabbit and Elbow.

“They produce an inventive brand of guitar-­laden cosmic aesthetic and sprinkles of trademark Manchester’s musical lineage” Clash Magazine
“If you consider the term ‘Mancunian Americana’ to be an oxymoron… try listening to The Travelling Band. Brilliant” ­ Marc Riley, BBC 6Music
“Their harmonies are tight, guitar picking deft and tunes melodic” Q Magazine
“It all here, passionate yet delicate vocals, deep forceful drumming, jangly guitar, fluctuating stings, everything you could ask for from a song that oozes summer” – The 405

The Travelling Band live:

July
12th – Triumph Live Festival

August
8th – Cropredy Festival, Nr. Banbury
16th – Undressed Festival, Halle St. Peters, Manchester
23rd – Green Belt Festival, Northamptonshire
30th – Off The Tracks Festival, Derbyshire

September
7th – Sc4m Festival, The Railway, Winchester
12th – The Institute, Kelvedon, Essex
14th – Shrewsbury Fields Festival

October
2nd – Kendal, The Brewery
3rd – Leeds, Brudenell
8th – Liverpool, The Kazimier
9th – Edinburgh, Voodoo Room
10th – Glasgow, Broadcast
11th – Letham, Letham Hall
22nd – London, The Lexington
24th – Oxford, Arts Bar (Bullindon Arms)
25th – Bristol, The Louisiana

November
28th – Hurst Green, Village Hall

The Travelling Band online:

thetravellingband.co.uk
facebook.com/thetravellingband
twitter.com/travellingband
youtube.com/thetravellingband

THE MINX TO RELEASE THEIR BRILLIANT POWER-POP SINGLE
 “NO FRIENDS”

the Minx

ASKME -singles-button-small

IMPACT DATE15th September 2014
LABELQueen Street Records

 

Real rebel rockers! Johnny Marr, The Smiths
The best new band in Manchester! John Robb, Louder Than War

“Why so serious?” Guitar music doesn’t have to be po-faced; and The Minx’s happy-go-lucky sense of fun makes them spiritual successors to carefree power-poppers Supergrass – and, as pointed out by Steve Lamacq – Buzzcocks and The Undertones.

 

No Friends is a direct descendant of The Undertones’ My Perfect Cousin – with a youthful spirit and the bounciest Hammond hook you’ll have heard in years.

The crowd favourite has been given a fresh lick of paint by award-winning producer Cenzo Townshend (Florence + The Machine, The Vaccines, Primal Scream, Franz Ferdinand) for this release.

Stars of a forthcoming documentary on underground music scenes by The Street‘s Mike Skinner (who enthused about them being “modern Skindom!”), and having appeared in Dr Marten’s TV ad campaign, The Minx’s music, look and exuberance go pleasingly against the grain.

The band continue to sell out every increasingly big show they headline, and are heading further afield to play more packed venues around the UK – including a show at the Brixton Windmill on 22nd August – confirmation of their rapid ascent.

The band‘s biggest headline gig yet, at Manchester’s Ruby Lounge, is on Saturday 23rd August.

The most exciting new band I’ve heard in years! Pete Jobson, I Am Kloot

I listened to The Minx … decided I liked it and bought it! – Mike Davies, BBC Radio 1

Who are The Minx? Andy Evans (Drums), Chris Haddon (Vox/Guitar), Paul Robinson (Guitar), Steven Stuttard (Bass) & Kieran McIntyre (Keys)

THE MINX live:

27th July – Tramlines Festival, Sheffield
22nd August – Brixton Windmill, London (Headline Show)
23rd August – The Ruby Lounge, Manchester (Headline Show)
30th August – The Rocking Chair, Sheffield (Headline Show)
19th September – Ramsbottom Festival (Headlining second stage)
20th September – The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge (Headline Show)

theminx.co.uk
facebook.com/theminxband
twitter.com/TheMinxBand 

Photo: Dean Chalkley

MUK RECORDS’ CLEAN SWEEP ON BBC INTRODUCING MANCHESTER!

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Yet more confirmation that the waves being made by Manchester’s MUK Records are having a bigger impact and wider reach; as four of their incredibly diverse signings were played on BBC Introducing Manchester by BBC 6 Music’s Elizabeth Alker.

Berlin BerlinMUK’s purveyors of euphoric, stadium-sized pop were also in the studio – talking extensively before playing a fabulously glossy live cover version of Furniture’s cult classic Brilliant Mind, which Elizabeth described as sounding “absolutely wonderful – spectacular!”

She was no less impressed by the other MUK artists on the playlist: identifying Red Sky Noise‘s eclectic and powerful sound as “dance-y, jazzy, soulful… an absolute joy… ones to keep an eye on!” – and favourably compared singer Mica’s vocals to Emili Sandé.

Meanwhile, MDNGHT‘s ability to deftly recreate the feel of a sultry summer night’s party in their music was spotted – “perfect for a Saturday night,” whilst Bird To Beast‘s growing musical renown was just as clear: “lovely and pastoral – they know how to do harmonies!”

  • BERLIN BERLIN’s Brilliant Mind cover is the B-side to their fabulous new single, Be Here – Impact Date 17th November.
  • MDNGHT will be performing at this year’s Manchester Pride.
  • Red Sky Noise‘s video for their huge, soulful Only You has soared to over 20,000 views on Youtube.
  • Bird To Beast are touring extensively all summer and have just released the poignant video to Catacombs.

Photo: Matt Visser