I’ve decided to start keeping a monthly music diary, more for my own purposes than anything else, so I can remember what has been going on in my musical world. It’ll include a playlist of the songs I’ve been enjoying this month, as well as my reflections on my, and the wider, musical world.

July was dominated, musically speaking, by the Oasis reunion and the death of Ozzy Osbourne. For what it’s worth, I saw both acts once, both headlining festivals. Neither performance has lingered long in my mind, although in Ozzy’s case the amount of alcohol consumed by a teenage me at Ozzfest 1998 may have something to do with it. Ozzy was certainly a hard man to dislike, which is not something you can say about the Gallaghers, and Sabbath put on a much better show than Oasis did. I’m glad Ozzy got to go out with one final big show, and I guess I’m also glad that the Oasis fans are getting to enjoy the reunion, even if I have no desire to be there myself.

No live music for me once again this month, as the only show I was booked to see was cancelled. Am really starting to miss it now, so roll on Manchester Psych Fest in August.

My favourite two musical discoveries of the month are very different, one new, one old. Mal Devisa’s ‘Skyline Arms – Reach Out’ is the best new song I’ve heard all year, an instant classic that manages to be somehow both anthemic and intimate. It seems almost unfair that anyone can write a song this good. The other is Gavin Bryars’ ‘Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet’. I was vaguely aware of this song from when a rerecorded version featuring Tom Waits was nominated for the Mercury Prize back in the early 90s, but the young me was not ready for an experimental orchestral piece based around a looped vocal from a tramp. I’m very ready now though, my tastes having moved to accomodate the more outre over the years, and it may just be one of the most beautiful pieces of music I’ve ever heard.

Bryars’s song is from 1975, as are a lot of other tracks on my playlist this month, as I’ve been participating in a ‘World Cup of 1975 songs’ on BlueSky. I still wouldn’t say it is my favourite musical era, but I have been introduced to a handful of excellent songs by the likes of Fela Kuti, The Green Arrows, Bazuka, Ted Lucas and Billy Paul (whose ‘Let The Dollar Circulate’ is both excellent and surprisingly economically literate).

BlueSky has also been useful for introducing me to older artists I wasn’t previously aware of, like mewithoutYou and Komeit, as well as bringing me deeper into the world of Brian Wilson following his death in June.

I’ve also had a proper listen to Kneecap for the first time, as their persecution made me wonder what the fuss is all about. I find them better in short bursts, but their best songs are genuinely thrilling. In newer music, I have enjoyed Cameron Winter & Caroline, as well as the collaboration between Jade & Confidence Man, even if it seems precision engineered to appeal to middle aged pop fans like me.

As usual, you can find my musical diary playlist for the month on TuneMyMusic, which enables you to convert it to your streaming service of choice. Enjoy!

https://www.tunemymusic.com/transfer?fdest=share