Unsigned Guide's September Five

Unsigned Guide's rather lovely Michelle Lloyd takes us through her five must see gigs in Mancunia this month

Jimmy Coultas

Date published: 4th Sep 2013

Image: Black Lights

You might have blinked and missed it, but August is well and truly over. But whilst it technically signals the end of the summer, September does bring with it the start of a jam packed season of gigs. Everyone’s rid themselves of the last few speckles of mud and are back out on the circuit. But it’s not just the seasoned pro’s doing the rounds, there’s a whole heap of new talent hitting the road and it’s my duty to inform of you of five hidden musical gems cropping up in Manchester this month.

The Canal Festival Saturday 7th/Sunday 8th September – Brownsfield Mill

Five sublime local acts playing across the space of the weekend, all completely free. What’s not to like?

First on the bill are Thugs on Wolves who create heartfelt and sincere music, combining sparse use of instrumentation, tribal beats, electronic surges, and folksy harmonies. Beautifully constructed songs are underpinned via equally beautiful vocals, spinning stories which are at times dark and haunting, and at others light and soul-warming.

The soulful am emphatic Black Lights also head up Saturday’s bill with their soaring harmonies. Described as a Mancunian Jeff Buckley, lead singer McCool paints a divine picture with his honeyed voice. Red Deer Club’s duo Songs For Walter will also be making an appearance and performing tracks from their self titled EP; a memoir of one extraordinary fellow and his strangely wonderful world.

Horses On The Move will be bringing their technicolour country sounds into the mix on Sunday along with female trio Literature Thieves; a close knit group with tight harmonies and melodic simplicity.

O Emperor. Tuesday 10th September – The Castle

Despite Waterford’s O Emperor having been around since 2007 after meeting at secondary school and performing under a number of guises, their second album Vitreous is what really brought them to our attention. The album was self-recorded and produced in the band’s very own studio (Big Skin HQ) in Cork city and its artistic and brave nature exemplifies the DIY approach they took.

"Beautiful landscapes are destroyed with disparate, abrasive sounds" is how they’ve gone about describing it; their strength quite noticeably laying in their ability to offset the aggressive with the resplendent. With a hefty dose of synths and atmospherics, there’s a woozy psychedelic tinge to their sound and they’re sure to have you in a fluorescent daze. The Castle’s intimate surroundings lending themselves perfectly to the soft harmonies and howling distortion.

SHINIES Friday 20th September – Fallow Café

One way of guaranteeing yourself a few column inches and placing yourself firmly on the radar is releasing a video that sees you submerging children’s TV favourite Pat Sharp in petrol before setting fire to him….and that’s exactly what Manchester’s SHINIES did earlier this year.

Thankfully the attention was warranted as the music’s not half bad either. Lo-fi shoegaze, shattering drums and ear-popping guitars merge together in a haze of reverb. Recently released debut EP ‘Tangle’ (produced by Hookworms’ MJ and mastered by Test Icicles’ Rory Attwell) offers an urgent, driving sound with brutal guitars and belting cymbals.

Hooded Fang (with support from Temple Songs) Friday 20th September - Roadhouse

Canadian indie-rockers Hooded Fang return to Manchester with an intimate show at the Roadhouse. Their mind bending new album ‘Gravez’ saw them regale the stories of turbulent times on the road where fantasy meets reality.

Continuing with the off the cuff, lively, heavily fragmented guitar sound they introduced us to on debut ‘Tosta Mista’, their more recent offerings are skewed with curious, blurry pop punk lines.

Joining them on the bill will be Manchester’s newest hotshots Temple Songs with their brand of infectiously crafted psychedelic pop tunes. A formidable partnership indeed.

Turrentine Jones Saturday 21st September – FAC251

Describing themselves plainly as “the antithesis of contemporary music”, the trio tout themselves as a mixture of blues and sleaze. With an obvious affection for old skool 50’s/60’s R&B; electric guitars reverberate with a modest country tone whilst a Hammond organ gloriously drives the groove. Latest single ‘Della May’ serving as a perfect example of their jaunty, rousing tones.

Having picked up Best Blues and Best Male Act at the Exposure Music Awards last year, 2013 has already seen them sign a publishing deal with Rough Trade and secure a prestigious slot on the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury. During which they made headlines for becoming the third most shared act on the BBC site placed below festival headliners Mumford and Sons and Arctic Monkeys.