'Manchester Music Then and Now: Music Worth Fighting For' features the likes of Blossoms, New Order and Shaun Ryder
Our writer loves a micro-genre – from nu-rave to his own invention, 'crank wave' – so we sent him to investigate
These artists made memorable first statements with their debut albums
The Heaton Park show will include support from Hot Chip and Working Men's Club
'Believe In Magic' will feature contributions from Manic Street Preachers, Beth Orton and Doves
NME's Radar Roundup is your weekly reminder of the rule-breaking rising artists you can't afford to ignore right now. Go on, get stuck in...
They'll both take place on Thursday evening
Inspired by bleak winters in Yorkshire, the band tear lumpy chunks out of the surrounding hills on their brilliant debut album
A world away from their early work, the Todmorden group find chaos in the every day on their superb debut
The inaugural event is set to take place at the Sheffield University Students' Union