Laughing Out Loud

Happy birthday to Lol Tolhurst, born 3rd February 1959.

Forever associated with The Cure, Lol has lit a creative fire of late, not least a collaborative album with Budgie and Jacknife Lee, but some impressive live performances and unexpected stage shares. For example,

I'd recommend watching the whole of Lol's gig with Gray in France from last April, a composite of two shows in Paris and Lille, but skip to 16:49 and you'll find Miki Berenyi join them on stage for A Strange Day, then the Miki Berenyi Trio in full for Stranger.

Lol also performed with David J and Robyn Hitchcock at the Musack Rock & Roll Carnival in Los Angeles last year, here with a version of Kundalini Express by Love & Rockets.

Unfortunately, the person filming this on their phone were positioned so that Lol remains hidden behind Robyn for most of the song!

Speaking of Los Angeles, aside from being Lol's home for the past three decades, it's also the title track of the 2023 by Lol, Budgie & Jacknife Lee, featuring James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem's unmistakeable vocals.

Los Angeles was also the opening song of Lol and Budgie's KEXP session in 2024. The session closed - as this post opened - with a shimmering version of A Forest by The Cure, Liam Hayden on bass, Lol and Budgie in their element.

Have a good one, Lol.

The Spaces Between Places Where Interesting Things Can Happen

Miki Berenyi Trio have a new song called Doldrum Days out and about, a lush (pun intended) six and a half minutes of shimmering guitars, pattering percussion and ethereal vocals that will have you grinning from ear to ear, whether from nostalgia or the joy of listening for the first time to something special.

As a huge fan of Lush from the outset - their first three 12" EPs were prized possessions - I somehow managed to let Miki's subsequent band Piroshka pass me by, but I've been enraptured by MB3's beautifully harmonious sound. 

It's a testament to the trio - Miki, Kevin 'Moose' McKillop and Oliver Cherer - that, having forged their partnership on the live circuit, the move to recording and releasing music has unlocked a creative burst of activity in the past twelve months. 

Doldrum Days comes hot on the heels of Miki Berenyi Trio's first album Tripla, which debuted in April. The album is full of reassuringly familiar sounds and sonic surprises, such as Gango, the penultimate song on Side One and an energetic tribute to Gang Of Four.

You can find Doldrum Days in all the usual places and catch Miki Berenyi Trio on their UK tour starting next month if you can.

Miki Berenyi Trio's debut vinyl release was the Covers EP, bravely tackling four songs by Miki's first band. Light From A Dead Star was originally the opening song of Lush's 1994 album Split.

MB3's version is a 'straight bat' cover (copyright Martin @ New Amusements) but this is no bad thing.

And it would be mean of me to namecheck Lush and not reactivate the Dubhed recreation of the mixtape that I created in July 1992, wouldn't it? 

Forty five minutes and fifteen songs pulled from the Scar, Mad Love, Sweetness And Light and For Love EPs, crammed onto one side of a C90 cassette.

Here you go!

An Array Of Audio

As a companion piece to yesterday's post, ten more new songs that have piqued my curiosity in the past week. 

And this is still only scratching the surface. I've missed out Rialto's unexpected comeback single, but don't worry, Martin and Rol have got amply it covered at New Amusements and My Top Ten respectively. And Swiss Adam wrote some beautiful words about the opening song last Friday at Bagging Area.

As with yesterday's post, the ten songs are listed alphabetically by artist. With one exception, you can click on the artist's name to buy their music. 

And please do, they're all very good.

1) "i'm in love...": Andy Bell ft. Dot Allison & Michael Rother (Cover of The Passions)
2) CHROMA 008 TANGZ: Bicep ft. Eliza

3) Climbing (Solomun Mix): Caribou

4) Summertime (Joe Morris Dusk On The Playa Mix): Cree

5) Black Sun (Jack Essek Revision): Dead Can Dance

6) A Day To Breathe: Julie Pavon

7) The Place I Call My Home: Mark Rae

8) 8th Deadly Sin: Miki Berenyi Trio

9) Shake Yo Bum Bum: Moony ft. DJ VonDiego

10) Druantia (City Lights Sessions): The WAEVE

I could easily offer up another ten tomorrow, but it's Friday so...