A monthly musical diary, so I can look back in future on what was going on in my musical world. Music i’ve enjoyed, gigs I’ve been to and general stuff in the musical world.

August is not typically a month dominated by music for me, as I’m usually spending time with my family over the school summer holidays. Which is very nice of course, but means I’m not spending as much time listening to new music or going to gigs. It’s also a busy time of year at work which doesn’t help.

I did manage to get to an unexpected gig, with a friend coming through with a late ticket to Jimmy Eat World/Rise Against/Get Up Kids at the Piece Hall in Halifax. I had quite an emo phase in the early to mid 2000s, but rarely nowadays listen to any of the bands I used to enjoy at that time. Jimmy Eat World are a rare exception to that rule, and it turned out to be a pretty good show.

Openers The Get Up Kids are exactly as I remember them from 25 years ago, an above average emo band with a handful of good songs. And whilst that sounds like, and is, damning them with faint praise, it still made them an excellent choice to open this particular gig. Rise Against are another band from the same era, but punkier with more of a Bad Religion type of thing going on. I had managed to avoid ever listening to them, but they put on an excelllent show. The singer was a cheesy motherfucker (complimentary), and what was quite a long set for a support band flew by without me getting bored or tired or wanting the main band to come on, which is an achievement in itself.

Jimmy Eat World were playing one of those full album shows, for the 25th anniversary of their album ‘Bleed American’. I wrote a bit about the problems of those a couple of months ago when I went to see Belle and Sebastian, and this was a clear example of their flaws. Bleed American is their most popular album, certainly, but not my personal favourite (that would be Clarity) and it is one of those albums which is frontloaded with all the best songs. During the second half of the set, the band and the audience seemed to lose energy and enthusiasm a bit. They should have been lifted by the encore, but that of course was made up of songs from other records, where The Middle, or Sweetness or A Praise Chorus usually would have been. Despite all this, I still enjoyed them and it was a very fun night out..

I discovered less new new music than usual this month, but I did spend a big part of the month taking part in the ‘World Cup of 1996’ on Bluesky which re-introduced me to some old favourites from that year (Stereolab, DJ Zinc, Throwing Muses)

As well as some new to me songs (Crush, Derek Bailey, Lisa Germano)

Of the small quantity of new songs I did discover, Phoebe Bridgers ‘Lost Boys’ is perhaps my favourite. I have enjoyed the odd song of hers in the past (eg ‘Kyoto), but this is the first I’ve loved. It’s melodically and lyrically delightful, but it’s the brass in the chorus that pushes it over the edge from good to great (as well as an excellent use of “one, two, three”)

It’s also good to have Laura Veirs back with a new album, Temple Songs, the first she has entirely written, recorded, played and produced herself. It’s as wonderful as ever, with a notable jazz influence that I haven’t picked up on in her work before. ‘Pulse’ is a fine example, but you should really listen to the whole record.

And finally, The Durutti Column are a band who, for whatever reason, have never really interested me. I may well have been missing out if this, from their recent record is anything to go by. Further investigations required I think.

Linked is my playlist of the month, on Apple Music, but you can use Tunemymusic.com to convert to a streaming service of your choice should you wish.