New (To Me) Music - March

Gayle Ramage
Mar 29
5 min read

Updated: May 23

It’s the end of March which means another round-up of new (to me) music I’ve been listening to this past month. March has been a bit of a busy month for me. First, I had the Paul Heaton gig at the beginning of the month, then I travelled down to London to see a play the following week (which I didn’t end up seeing because I fell ill) and then the week after that, for my day job, I had to travel down to Leeds for a few days to do a training course. I was a bit concerned I hadn’t really listened to much music. I’ve gone through a handful since but, as you’ll see, there’s one group I’ve been listening to a lot…

The Pretenders - Pretenders (1980)

This is an interesting album of two halves. Not just a reference to both sides of the original vinyl record, but I found the initial songs of the Pretenders’ debut album to be more punk than the rest of the tracklist. Track 7, Stop Your Sobbing (a Kinks original) heralds a more melodic, new wave sound in the rest of the album. As someone who is being drawn more and more to New Wave, I did enjoy the latter half of the album more.

Highlights: Precious - Kid - Stop Your Sobbing - Private Life - Brass In Pocket - Mystery Achievement

Mental As Anything - Fundamental (1985)

The problem with that often-unfair label “one-hit wonder” is that any band or artist who is given that tag may find the rest of their work dismissed by the general public whose only music knowledge might have come from weekly Top of The Pops episodes or the Official Charts on Radio 1.

When you think of the Australian pop-rock band, Mental As Anything, what probably springs to mind is their biggest hit, Live It Up. I was listening to that very song recently and figured it was about time I checked out what else they had to offer. So where better to go than the album their biggest hit features on?

While undoubtedly Live It Up is the standout track on the band’s fifth studio album, 1985’s Fundamental, I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun the album is to listen to. From the opener, You’re So Strong (a Top 11 single in Australia) to Bus Ride, the 11-track album is a strong one (no pun intended!).

Highlights: You’re So Strong - Live It Up - Surf & Mull & Sex & Fun - I Just Wanna Be Happy - Splashing

Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel (aka Peter Gabriel 1: Cars) (1977)

As with many of the artists featured in this New-To-Me Music series, Peter Gabriel is someone whose only work I know are the handful of singles that have broken into the mainstream over the years. So, the only song I was already familiar with from this debut album was the Top 13 UK hit, Solsbury Hill. He would go on to release three more albums, all with the exact same title as his debut. From the Best magazine (1978), Gabriel gave an explanation for this, comparing the albums being like a magazine that is released once a year, with the same title but a different photo on the front. It’s quite an experimental, eclectic album which I enjoyed more than I thought I would.

Highlights: Moribund The Burgermeister - Solsbury Hill - Modern Love - Excuse Me - Waiting For The Big One

And now three albums by XTC…

XTC - Drums and Wires (1979)

Being a Squeeze fan, I’ve noticed that in comments left under their YouTube videos, Swindon band XTC are often mentioned. After the umpteenth time seeing their name, I decided I’d better take a listen to their work, especially since EXTC - XTC’s Terry Chambers and Friends are playing locally soon. I told myself that if I listened to some of their music and liked what I heard, I'd get a ticket to the gig.

Dear reader, I got myself a ticket.

I’d already been aware of the 1979 song, Making Plans For Nigel, but never knew who it was by (the same goes for the sublime Senses Working Overtime). I’d also heard the name XTC before but somehow I had it in my head that their genre was heavy industrial/goth-type shenanigans which I’m not particularly into, so had given them a miss up until now. Oh, what I fool I’d been!

I’ve been marvelling in some of XTC’s back catalogue for the past week or so (I’ve not yet listened to half of their studio albums) and bloody hell, they’re rather good, aren’t they?! I don’t think they’ll dislodge Squeeze and The Beatles as my favourite bands, but they’re fast approaching my Top 10 (might even make Top 5 once I’ve completed their discography).

I had to give Drums and Wires two listens initially as I realised I wasn’t focusing properly on the songs during the first play-through which was unfair (that’s what happens when you listen to new music at work), but it’s a great album full of energy - Helicopter is delightfully bonkers, and what a closer Complicated Game is! Also, props to the designer of that colourful album cover!

Highlights: Helicopter - Day In Day Out - When You’re Near Me I Have Difficulty - Ten Feet Tall - Complicated Game

XTC - Nonsuch (1992)

Of course having enjoyed listening to Drums and Wires, I needed to hear more from this band. I could have gone back to their debut album, but having already heard and adored The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead on a playlist, I chose their 1992 album, Nonsuch. Definitely a departure from the post-punk sounds of Drums and Wires, but since there’s 13 years between the two, I’d be surprised if there wasn’t a change in sound.It's an enjoyably eclectic album, containing two absolutely beautiful songs in Rook and Wrapped in Grey.

Highlights: The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead - Dear Madam Barnum - Rook - The Smartest Monkeys - The Disappointed - Holly Up On Poppy - Crocodile - Then She Appeared - War Dance - Wrapped In Grey - The Ugly Underneath

XTC - English Settlement (1982)

We now jump back to 1982. Another song I already knew (and after multiple listens recently, absolutely love), Senses Working Overtime (I honestly thought it was a single from the mid ‘90s), features on this album, but just like Making Plans For Nigel, I didn’t realise it was by XTC. This is another fantastic set of songs from the band, which makes me even more eager to listen to more of their albums next month!

Highlights: Senses Working Overtime - English Roundabout - Down In The Cockpit - Melt The Guns - All of A Sudden (It’s Too Late) - No Thugs In Our House - Jason and The Argonauts - Ball and Chain

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