Kate Burke: This month I’ve mostly been listening to M Ward, post release of his latest album Supernatural Thing. For me, I adore Ward’s collabs which always bring a different layer to his sound – ‘too young to die’ with First Aid Kit gives me chills.
On the flip side, I also just realised that “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me” is actually a lyric from Taylor Swift’s ‘Anti-Hero’ and not simply a phrase one of my friends uses to describe her antics after one wine too many on a girls’ night out. It led me nicely into a little meander through Swift’s back catalogue, including the recent release of Speak Now – Taylor’s Version. Because I was in peak music-snob mode when it originally came out in 2010, I missed out on this easy listening gem first time round, and the famed song ‘Dear John’, rumoured to be about her relationship with John Mayer. Worth a listen just to appreciate that particular punch in the balls first hand.
Will Collins: I think ‘Sole Obsession’ by Nation of Language actually came out a few months ago, but it’s only just appeared on my radar. I’m glad it has done though, as it ticks a lot of musical boxes for me! Harking back to the 80s heyday of British synthpop without sounding derivative, it’s a beautiful song that shows just how warm and emotive synths can be. Somehow, it manages to walk the tightrope between melancholy and optimism. Cool restraint on the verses (both musically and in the vocal delivery) gives way to euphoria on the chorus as the synths wash over the listener. That chorus is utterly insistent and has been stuck in my head since I first heard it. Little details also give the song texture, like the Peter Hook-esque bass flourishes. Overall, it’s a shimmery, summery tune that deserves to be played loud on your stereo.
Rick Larson: San Francisco used to have a cracking scene as far as incubating cool bands. There is no shortage of think pieces recently about the dying of San Francisco, all a bit too alarmist, but containing germs of hard truth. One thing I had already considered dead or dying was that special homegrown music scene, marginalized to near extinction by feloniously high rents and shrinking spaces for art. Imperial Teen, the Bay Area turns its lonely eyes to you.
Pardoner is a band from San Francisco and is, for me at least, and hopefully you, a discovery worthy of celebration. Its new album Peace Loving People riffs off ‘classic’ sounds like the hippie jive of Santa Cruz’s Camper Van Beethoven, the sardonic but sweet punk of Berkeley’s The Mr. T Experience, and the slacker vibes of the kings, Stockton’s Pavement. The entire album is fantastic, but I can’t stop listening to ‘Get Inside!’ moving into ‘Dreaming’s Free’, two songs in a combined four minutes that push all my buttons. It is the perfect summer soundtrack album for a Northern Californian or anyone NorCal curious.
Sofia Hansen: The month of July saw The 1975 headline their biggest show to date in North London’s Finsbury Park. Making their signature theatrical-style entrance to the stage, the opening lyrics to the set “This will get bigger if you know what I mean” from their recent Being Funny In A Foreign Language, reflect this momentous and career-defining show for the band.
Experimental and completely unpredictable, the two-hour long setlist is a roller-coaster of emotions, from cult classics such as satirical “Love Me”, to crowd-pleasing synth-backed “Looking For Somebody To Love”, and emotional “All I Need To Hear”, sung by Tim Healy, which saw frontman Matty Healy break down in tears. With only bangers in sight, Finsbury Park saw the band favouring lesser-known cuts “Medicine” and “I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)” pleasing hard-core fans who attended the gig, celebrating every nook and cranny of the band’s discography. Healy’s ability to wind up and mesmerise the crowd is no joke, which Finsbury Park becomes testament of, all whilst smoking a cigarette and downing a bottle of red wine. In true cryptic fashion, the show ended with “Consumption”, a bit which showcases Healy doing push-ups in front of a television showing political figures, to eating raw meat, leaving fans screaming and applauding. What a way to end a show, right? Somehow, this goes to show that The 1975 is still at their very best.
James Spearing: Bluedot, our first full weekend camping festival experience since 2018, was undoubtedly the highlight of July. There’s plenty to talk about from the festival but I’ll stick with a top three for music – all acts I’ve never seen perform live before: Dry Cleaning were on top form on the main stage despite the rain, Elkka played a stunning late night set and I finally, FINALLY got to see Róisín Murphy live. She was worth the wait with tune after tune, keeping things fresh with remixes and new arrangements, nifty camerawork and a warehouse full of costumes. What a performance.
Meanwhile, the summer holiday season is upon us. This means I’m listening out for Holiday Banger Of The Year. And it’s none other than Kylie surprising me with a strong contender. To maintain some sort of PB credibility I won’t pick the original, but instead the HAAi remix of ‘Padam Padam’. Get me to a trashy club on a sunny island.
Sam Atkins: I had a long hard think about any albums that had truly stood out to me during July, but mostly drew a blank. Instead this month has been defined by Eras Tour fever. Talk about tickets to Taylor Swift’s almost ridiculous worldwide stadium tour have taken over my feed on every social media app so it’s no surprise I’ve been swept up in it alongside the release of her latest re-recording Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).
While much of the re-recorded album lacked some of the magic of the original Speak Now for me, new song I Can See You might be one of Taylor’s best singles in a long time. I’ve found myself listening to endless playlists, albums and records by Taylor Swift this month, so it’s surely the only answer to best of the month that makes sense to me.
Fran Slater: In a year that has been short on new discoveries so far, it’s good to finally get to festival season. As always, I’ve spent a lot of time digging into the lineups of those I’m going to (Deer Shed and Float Along) and have found myself some stunners.
Panic Shack and Sprints are too punky treats I’ll be making sure to see. Maruja and City Parking have bags of energy. And given most of the festivals I attend are pretty light on hip-hop, I’m looking forward to seeing the NiNE 8 Collective.
But the highlight of all of them this month has been Gently Tender. They, at times, remind me of Elbow before they turned shit – at others, of what The National could be if they injected some of their early energy into their newer sound. Two great vocalists, cracking energy, and plenty of power. Check out ‘Sunlight in Motion’ and ‘True Colours’ as a starting point.
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