New (to me) Music - June
- Gayle Ramage
- Jun 28
- 5 min read
With the focus of the month of June taken up by the excellent XTC Fan Festival in Swindon, I wasn’t listening to many other bands and artists, but I did manage to hear a few new (to me) albums.
Klark Kent - Klark Kent (1980)
Despite becoming a casual fan of The Police back in the late 90s, I’d forgotten that Stewart Copeland had released a solo album during the height of the band’s success. Having not listened to their albums in years, I did remember one track written/sung by Copeland, On Any Other Day, taken from the Regatta de Blanc album. I didn’t think the song was amazing, but for a light-hearted, throwaway bop, it was okay, but I was curious if the tracks from Copeland’s debut album, under the pseudonym Klark Kent, would be in a similar vein.
Having given the album a listen, it’s not bad. Nothing earth-shattering or amazing. Just a clutch of upbeat, post-punk ditties which admittedly would get you up on the dance floor for a boogie. There’s eight songs on the tracklist and of the two I added as highlights I think, musically, Away From Home, is the better of the two.
Highlights: Don’t Care - Away From Home
Pulp - More (2025)
I’ve heard a couple of Pulp albums over the years but I was never a devotee of them during their Britpop heyday - mostly due to lack of money to purchase the increasingly expensive CD albums. Earlier this year, they released a teaser single, Spike Island for their upcoming album, More, which I absolutely love. So when the album itself was released earlier this month, I knew I had to give it a listen. Although I’ve highlighted several songs from the 11-track album, Got To Have Love, is definitely the standout, and it was swirling around in my head long after I finished listening to the entire thing.
Highlights: Spike Island - Grown Ups - Slow Jam - My Sex - Got To Have Love - Partial Eclipse
The Junipers - Imaginary Friends (2024)
I’d heard of psychedelic pop band, The Junipers, via social media and realised I was already following one of the band members so I thought it was about time I gave a listen to one of their albums. I chose their most recent release, Imaginary Friends, from 2024, with its brightly-coloured album cover. Although the band are classed as psychedelia, I would say the album has a broader ‘60s sound. While You Preside is probably the rockiest number on the album and the standout.
Highlights: The Swarthy Smith - She Looked Up At The Stars - Annie Almond - While You Preside - Mary In The Rain - My Imaginary Friend - Red Song
The Vapors - Magnets (1981)
The Vapors, another band whose name has become familiar to me via other bands I’ve been listening to this year. Their biggest hit, Turning Japanese, I was already aware of but I was curious as to what their general sound was like so put on their 1981 album, Magnets. Well, I was pleased I did as I really enjoyed this album. Jimmie Jones is a great opener, and Spiders is a fun and curious track. Daylight Titans has a haunting sound to it which I like.
Highlights: Jimmie Jones - Spiders - Isolated Case - Civic Hall - Daylight Titans - Can’t Talk Anymore
Andy Partridge - Fuzzy Warbles, Vol 6 (2004)
Around 2002, XTC frontman Andy Partridge started releasing collections of demos, unreleased tracks, and other rarities, titled Fuzzy Warbles. There are currently eight volumes, plus a bonus disc titled Hinges. I bought the entire set back in April and have been making my way through each disc since then. Volume 6 kicks off memorably with The Laugh Track which does what it says on the tin. If you ever wanted to hear Partridge laugh uncontrollably at something, just stick this on. It is part of a longer, secret recording during the Nonsuch sessions. Elsewhere, there are unused tracks from the movie, James and The Giant Peach, a less-jazz sounding Man Who Sailed Around His Soul demo, some Dukes of Stratosphear demos, as well as two demos of Across The Antheap, one from the Skylarking sessions, the other from the Oranges and Lemons sessions (the final version is on the latter album). It’s interesting to hear the difference between the two demos.
Highlights: The Laugh Track - I Can’t Tell What Truth Is Anymore - Tiny Circus of Life - Shaking Skin House - Prince of Orange
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)
During one of the rock choir sessions I attend, Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd was put forward as a song for the choir to practise. This seemed a popular choice going by the reaction from my fellow singers. I wasn’t hugely familiar with the song - I knew the guitar riff and the line “So, so you wish you were here” and that was it. So I thought I’d become better acquainted with it, and at the same time listen to the album it’s taken from. Prog Rock is an interesting term. It’s a phrase I’ve heard quite a bit since becoming an XTC fan, but I did wonder what the definition was. I read somewhere it’s “music you can’t really dance to”, but having given this album a listen, I’d call it “soundtrack music” instead. Imagine scenes from a movie while the music is playing. There’s only five tracks on this album, though the opener and closer are Parts 1-5 and Parts 6-9, respectively, and both last over 10 minutes each. While I enjoyed listening to the entire album, I’d have to say the standout and highlight of the album, for me personally, is the title track.
Highlights: Wish You Were Here
Billy Nomates - Metalhorse (2025)
I heard the name Billy Nomates for the first time a couple of years ago when she was getting attacked online for playing backing tracks during an appearance at Glastonbury. Not knowing what genre(s) of music her work came under, I saw that she had a new album out and gave it a listen to find out. I’d say it’s electro-rock. She has a nice sound to her voice, and I like the unexpected shifts in some of the songs. Not sure if the album is strong enough for me to take a listen to her other work, but never say never.
Highlights: Metalhorse - Nothin Worth Winnin - Dark Horse Friend - Life’s Unfair - Comedic Timing - Moon Explodes
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