From RYM, the bands I own music by from Manchester:
The Fall
Buzz****s
The Stone Roses
Doves
The Chemical Brothers
Joy Division
New Order
Ian Brown
Lamb
The Future Sound of London
Oasis
The Smiths
Happy Mondays
Morrissey
Space Monkeys
Amplifier
Muslimgauze
compared to the pool:
Echo and the Bunnymen
The Zutons
The Wombats
The Beatles
Clinic
and The Wombats and Clinic are crap
Birmingham fares better than that:
Duran Duran
Judas Priest
Felt
Godflesh
Napalm Death
G.B.H.
Sacrilege
Rockers Hi-Fi
Editors
Magnum
Bill Ward
Black Sabbath
Electric Light Orchestra
Steel Pulse
And there is a bit of crap in there too!