Between that bewildering news bite and the bitter breakup of New Order, one has to wonder: Who the hell is making important music in Manchester these days? Well, The Whip, for starters. Just ask the Parisians who run Kitsuné Records—a taste-making label/lifestyle company that dropped The Whip's "Divebomb" 12-inch in 2007. Or anyone who's been swept up in the band's limb-loosening gigs over the past year, including a festival-conquering Glastonbury appearance and buzz-stirring shows at CMJ and SXSW.

 Sure enough, Mixmag has already linked The Whip to their Mancunian ancestors, calling them "the best example of dance and rock since Happy...