Two music enthusiasts determined to spread their love of Manchester musicians have released a vinyl compilation of the city’s established and up-and-coming bands.
J-Wo and Mango Chego launched Only Joking Records in April to produce the vinyl compilation after spotting what they believed was a gap in the market.
The vinyl ‘Manchester Standards’ features two sides, one devoted to seasoned bands and the other focused on emerging DIY garage rock bands such as Former Beliefs and Gnod.
J-Wo said: “Creating an anthology had been talked about by many in Manchester for years, but even though it costs a lot of money we decided to take a risk.
“It was a great feeling when the anthology was released. We were fortunate that many bands got behind it as rejections would have been a problem for us.
“There were ups and downs, but you live and learn and overall we are happy with it.”
Mango Chego added: “It was really exciting to see that all the hard work we put into it had paid off.”
“The sales have exceeded our expectations and we want people listen to it, hope that they think that the music sounds amazing and hope that they give bands exposure for their work.”
Their favourite artists are all on the album, with J-Wo having a soft spot for Gnod in particular.
And the duo have admitted their respect for the X-Factor, with J-Wo defending the talent show from its critics, who brand it as a money-making enterprise producing unoriginal singers to the detriment of real undiscovered talent who have not received the same level of exposure.
J-Wo said: “X-Factor is a great show. It serves its purpose of selecting the best singers, and while it might present a romantic view of them and give you their life story, it also has good entertainment value for viewers.”
They plan to release a second compilation by the end of November 2013 and a third one in spring 2014.
Manchester Standards can be purchased for £10.00 including free hand delivery by emailing onlyjokingrecords (at) gmail (dot) com or ordering online here.
Picture courtesy of Greag Neate via Flickr, with thanks.
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