E217 - Miki Berenyi from Lush - Top 5 Songs of 1986

1986 is undoubtedly one of the great years in music history, but one in which the chasm in alternative music grew. Especially for more established artists, 1986 represents the apex of the "BIG '80s" sound - glossy production, synth horns, Fairlights and DX-7s, gated snares, etc. Conversely, there was a new crop of guitar bands who eschewed these big budget sounds for concise, exuberant, noisy, scrappy pop music - brilliantly captured on NME's C86 cassette compilation.

Discussing the songs of 1986 with us (and whose presence is certainly one of our biggest thrills to date) is Miki Berenyi from Lush, Piroshka, and The Miki Berenyi Trio! During their initial run from 1987 - 1996, Lush were one of the essential British bands of the era, releasing three seminal early EPs (collected on Gala) and three crucial albums that showcase the breadth of the band's formidable talents: 1992's Spooky, 1994's Split, and 1996's Lovelife (all on 4AD). Miki's recently released memoir, Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me From Success, is one of the most compelling and searingly honest books we have read. Often traumatic, often hilarious, Fingers Crossed peels back the layers of the public figure you thought you knew from the British weeklies to reveal a complex and gifted storyteller.

The Miki Berenyi Trio is currently on a short tour of the US. Catch her if you can! The new track "Vertigo" is available on all streaming/digital platforms.

Plus, there's a lot of swearing in both Hungarian and English. This one is definitely NSFW, kids.

Special thanks to Paul Richison for the suggestion and introduction!

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