December's here. As usual, town is full of Christmas Market shoppers, day-trippers, and mulled-wine sippers.
There's also an extra flavour of football fans out and about, given the out-of-season World Cup we're having. It means the city is bouncing.
Sadly, for music lover, it also means we've got fewer gigs on. But even though many venues are choosing to show Three Lions games over getting an act in - an honourable move in itself - we've still found some cracking grassroots gigs to go to this month.
Read more: Light trails taking place across Greater Manchester for Christmas 2022
We've got indie pop in Nation of Language, folk with Skinny Lister, and jazz-cum-hip-hop legends BADBADNOTGOOD all hitting the stages of the city in the next 31 days.
So, as it's the season of giving, here are nine top picks for you to see this December. Merry Christmas, Manchester.
Nation of Language - Gorilla - December 1
American new wave indie pop band Nation of Language first formed in Brooklyn, New York in 2016. Lead vocalist Richard Devaney sounds a bit like Orlando Weeks of The Maccabees at times, while some of the trio's songs are similar to The National in structure.
So what makes them stand out from these superstars? Well, for starters they're super synthy. The band, born from Devaney "fooling around" on a keyboard, released several singles since 2016 before releasing their debut album Introduction, Presence in May 2020.
Since 2018, Devaney has also been the lead vocalist for Machinegum, a side project created by the Strokes' drummer, Fabrizio Moretti. The band release their second full-length album in November 2021 – and somehow this sophomore album is even synthier.
The group will be gracing the Gorilla stage as part of a ten-night tour of the UK and Ireland. Expect a sensory experience.
Shygirl - Albert Hall - December 2
Blane Muise, better known as Shygirl , released her debut album in September. It’s been a long time coming, too, as she’s been releasing singles since 2016.
That album, Nymph , is some of the best art-pop to come out of the UK in recent years. A body of work which is full of emotion and doesn’t pull any punches — listen to it and you’ll quickly understand what we mean — it even topped the UK dance charts on release.
But it’s not a groovy dance album — there are far more layers to it, and her Albert Hall show is set to be one of the most interesting in the city this month.
Idle Hours - YES Basement - December 3
This quartet are bouncing into Yes hauling a nice little collection of tracks. Their debut EP The Fourth Wall , released in August, turned out to be a mini hit parade - four tracks succinctly setting out the Idle Hours stall.
Wordy lyricism that runs the risk of overcomplication is tempered by tight, spangly riffs to hook you in. The result is an indie pop, post-punk treasure chest, all coming to a crescendo on lead single Souvenirs - an exciting song flecked with an alt 80s production magic that will undoubtedly lasso me, along with plenty others, onto a welcoming dancefloor.
To boot, the Idle Hours gang all met while studying in Manchester and call this city their musical home. This gig promises to be one of those all-too-rare opportunities to get behind an emerging band right out of the gate and on their own turf.
Mykki Blanco - YES Basement - December 6
This Californian rapper might be better known for her contributions on some pretty interesting collaborations in the rap, hip-hop, alternative scenes. Mykki Blanco's leant her talents to the likes of Basement Jaxx, Teyana Taylor and the infamous Kanye West.
But more interesting still are the artists she's putting on her own records. Her EP Spring/Summer 2014 sees a rocket-fuelled outing with Princess Nokia; 2021's Broken Hearts & Beauty Sleep includes the dulcet tones of Blood Orange's Dev Hynes and the silky vocals of Jamila Woods.
For October 2022 album Stay Close to Music , Mykki has only gone and featured one Michael Stipe (best known as the leader of R.E.M., for the uninitiated out there). As a trans and HIV-positive artist herself, Mykki made waves for saying she wanted to become an investigative journalist focusing on LGBTQ+ issues, making the collaboration with 90s queer icon Stipe feel all the more like a natural union.
It's bound to be one of the most interesting gigs this month, from a musician at the centre of a kaleidoscopes of genres and global conversations.
Cobain Jones - Castle Hotel - December 7
Hailing from Stalybridge, 21-year-old multi-instrumentalist Cobain Jones will be playing The Castle Hotel in Manchester's Northern Quarter. He's supported the likes of Paul Weller and has had high praise from Tim Burgess, but this headline show is probably his biggest yet.
Having previously had a record deal, he is now working as an independent artist. Last month, he released his 'comeback' single Realistic Dreams off an EP which was produced by James Dean Bradfield of the Manic Street Preachers.
Outside of music, the solo artist raises awareness for Autism, having been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome since the age of 4. He's now got a backing band together, so a three-piece is expected on stage for what promises to be a special night for this local lad.
Skinny Lister - Gorilla - December 8
Skinny Lister’s show at Gorilla will come towards the end of a huge European tour that's seen the folk five-piece take in three nations already. But fears of a lethargic set should be unfounded.
That’s because Skinny Lister’s fifth album — Embers — is one which is built on friendship. Dan Heptinstall from the group says it’s ‘a celebration of the here and now but with a healthy dose of nostalgia’.
And that combination, in the intimacy of a railway arch, might just make for a really special evening.
BADBADNOTGOOD - Albert Hall - December 10
Jumping between jazz and hip hop, BADBADNOTGOOD prove to be the perfect marriage between the genres. Over the years, the Canadian instrumental ensemble have worked with the likes of Frank Ocean, Ghostface Killah and Samuel T. Herring from Future Islands.
Their latest album Talk Memory takes the band back to their instrumental beginnings. The tickets for this show at Manchester's Albert Hall went on sale over a year ago, before the band's sixth LP was released.
But their gigs are a guaranteed good night, so no wonder it sold out! Expect an exceptionally talented trio of musicians who never take themselves too seriously – and a lot of fun.
Bill Ryder-Jones - YES Pink Room - December 11
If the name Bill Ryder-Jones sounds familiar to you, I wouldn’t be surprised. The Merseyside singer-songwriter has had an illustrious music career, first as the co-founder and guitarist of The Coral, and now as a solo artist.
Ryder-Jones combines slow-core indie rhythms with intimate lyrics and vocals to match, as demonstrated in emotive track Mither. It’s been a while since the musician has put out new music, with a trio of singles released in 2020 and 2021. But he unveiled LP Yawn in 2018 and a year later he released Yawny Yawn - an acoustic rework of the original album. Both received critical acclaim.
He's also recorded guitar for The Last Shadow Puppets and Arctic Monkeys and has produced albums for other indie artists. Seeing this multi-talented musician live is sure to be a night to remember, as Ryder-Jones takes on a gig not far from home at YES this month.
Crywank - Band On The Wall - December 15
After a two-year hiatus, anti-folk heroes Crywank return to Manchester for the homecoming show of their farewell tour. Starting in 2009 as a solo project, the band was born when Jay Clayton learnt two chords and wrote two songs, having never played guitar before.
Soon after, the Manchester-based band's first album James is Going To Die Soon became a cult favourite on the internet. Joined by percussionist Dan Watson in 2012, the duo's 'sad-but-fun' sound has been heard all over the world and streamed 100m times.
The American folk punk inspired band announced they would be breaking up in July 2020 following a world tour which was cut short five continents in due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Two years on, and after an impromptu solo album prompted by a house fire at Jay's flat, Crywank are back in the city where it all started, performing live at Band on the Wall.
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