Video for Love Amongst Ruin's 'Lose Your Way'

Video just released for 'Lose Your Way' from Love Amongst Ruin, Perry's new band. Perry's on bass. (via Team Rock)

5 Cure songs in SUE's Top 100 Songs of 1981

The Cure placed 5 songs in the Slicing Up Eyeballs Top 100 Songs of 1981 poll. 'Primary' is #7, 'Charlotte Sometimes' is #17, 'All Cats Are Grey' is #50, 'Faith' is #67, 'Funeral Party' is #94.

Ben Gibbard talks about 'Disintegration'

Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service) talking to Buzzfeed:

"One of my favorite records ever was The Cure’s Disintegration, and I listened to it last week like it was a brand-new record. I first fell in love with that record when I was 14, and it just immediately transported me to, like, being 14 and all the things I was going through when I was listening to this record: where I was in my life, what my room looked like when we lived in Virginia, all this stuff. So I don’t know what these songs are about in Robert Smith’s life and frankly I don’t really care, because I have my own visual images that’ll always be connected to that record. So I think that’s what it is with people that sing along with our songs too. Not because we’re so special that people would do that, that’s just how it works with music."
(Thanks @colsonslife)

And Ben tells American Songwriter that Robert is one of his favorite songwriters:

"Robert Smith is a writer who made me want to write songs. Listening to The Cure at 13-14 years old, as an open-hearted, emotional teenager resonated with me in a really profound way. I was walking down to my studio today and put on Disintegration. I’ve been listening to Disintegration for 25 years, maybe even more than that, and I still put it on and get taken with it. The lyrics are heavy and very dark and emotional. It’s very much of him, and nobody can do that kind of lyric writing the way he can. So I love Robert Smith."

And more love for 'Disintegration' in this new review from XS Noize. (Thanks to Marina from TheCure Comunidad Argentina)

Update (04/08/15): Ben just keeps on praising The Cure.  This from Esquire:

"From the time I started listening to my own music—there's that period when you're an adolescent and early teen and you start to discover music on you own, whether it's from the radio or MTV—I immediately had this connection with the Cure. I know that's the same for Nick [Harmer] and Jason [McGerr], and I don't know if I can speak for Chris anymore, but I'll say Chris as well. Disintegration was the record that came out when I was 12 or 13, and as a young, very emotional preteen—my dad was in the Navy and we moved a lot—that record and songs like 'Pictures of You,' they really struck a chord with me. I just felt so connected to that music from such an early age. They're a band that as you grow older you might be embarrassed to admit you liked at one point or you have to say you liked them with a kind of smirk, as if certain bands are stepping stones to other bands. But that has value. I'm sure we're that band for some people. But for me the Cure are a band that I still listen to very often and there are still things in their music I have yet to discover. I'm still learning whenever I listen to them. They're still a huge influence on me."
(Thanks John P.)

Billy Corgan remembers his 1st Robert meeting

Original story (04/10/12): From KROQ: "Another moment from the past that Corgan remembers in great detail is when he first met Robert Smith backstage at a Cure concert in Tinley Park. “Robert tried to make out with me that night. And that’s not a joke,” Corgan said. “It was the first time I ever met Robert Smith and he tried to make out with me. I said I only like girls and he said, ‘That’s okay, I’m a girl’ and then he threw up practically all over my shoes. That’s a true story.” “So many stories. So little time,” the singer joked." (Thanks @HaloCure13)

Is this CoF or TMZ? : P Would really like to hear Robert's version of this story.

Update (04/07/15): And Billy is telling this story again. This time on That Metal Show, and Alternative Nation has the details:

"Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan discussed his weird meeting with The Cure frontman Robert Smith in a new episode of That Metal Show.

“The first time I met Robert Smith of The Cure, he was inebriated. He asked me to kiss him, and I said, ‘I don’t want to kiss you.’ He said, ‘Why not?’ I said, ‘Because you’re a man.’ He said, ‘That’s alright, I’m not a man.’ Then he threw up on my shoes."
(Thanks to Marina from TheCure Comunidad Argentina)

New version of 'Please' out March 30th

Update (03/31/15): You can stream the album at The Line of Best Fit.

Update (03/10/15):  Listen to the new version of 'Please' on the BBC Pete Tong show here. It starts at 2:07:30.(Thanks James and HolyItsaRaccoon)


"Premonition and Pitchfork have announced that Paul Hartnoll's new album, "8:58", to be released on March 30th, will feature Robert Smith. That album will include a reworking of the song "Please" that had already been released in 2007. It will also include a studio version of the cover version of A Forest by The Unthanks that you mentioned on CoF on Dec 20, 2013. Full track list here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8:58." (Thanks Olivier)

From the Biography section on the '8:58' website:

"Elsewhere there are intriguing, twilit collaborations with Northumbrian folk clan The Unthanks, sepulchral singer-songwriter Ed Harcourt, folk singer Lisa Knapp, and Robert Smith of The Cure — the latter on a newly-rediscovered and superior version of Paul’s 2007 single ‘Please’.

“There are plenty of beats,” he adds, “But I wanted to exercise my more compositional side too, and bring in a witchy, ‘Wicker Man’ aspect.”

Key to the latter — and echoing Paul’s collaboration with Robert Smith — is The Unthanks’ astonishing ensemble performance on a cover of ‘A Forest’, one of Paul’s all-time favourite songs from the early days of The Cure. He’d always wanted to work with The Unthanks. “When listening to their song ‘I Wish’, was struck with the idea that ‘A Forest’ would suit The Unthanks’ unnerving pastoral-gothic voices if slowed down.” Paul thought of funeral marches and Kraftwerk’s ‘Looking Glass’, and techno’s hidden pagan undertow. After all, why do both ravers and Morrismen wave sticks in the air and dance in the summertime...?

After building the track he traveled up to record their voices among the unique acoustics of The Unthanks’ “folk barn” near Newcastle, just before Christmas 2013. “Big stone house in the middle of nowhere, pot of tea with a proper tea cosy, lovely warm welcome... it was everything I could have wished for,” he remembers. “They sat on the floor and sang the song for me in really low voices — I was nearly in tears. And the studio was like a Victorian museum of musical curiosities with weird instruments on display and bunting everywhere. I loved every moment of it.” (Thanks Barry)

Robert's jukebox mix CD at Das Gift

In a Bar owned by People from Mogwai in Berlin. Brilliant jukebox with cds made from people they know. Pretty amazing pic.twitter.com/w9FMp8eQOq
— Colm McCrory (@maccatori) March 29, 2015

Some more info about it here and here.

Ryan Adams unleashes some "Cure vibes"

Ryan Adams talking about one of the b-sides on his new single 'Blue Light':

"I Lost My Mind is me on everything I think- a riff from a batch of good ones… the basic guitar part had been a riff for a long time that I was carving out on my Stratocaster, the old one, every time I picked up the guitar and I just decided to unleash some Cure vibes in the studio one night… Well it turns out CREED ain’t the only band me and Charlie have in common from back in the day… we also have The Cure ( esp Disintegration )… Guess that was both out real high school shit I (among other actual record store snob respected bands… dont get me started people )" (Thanks Brad)

'A Forest' and The Cure's quirky humor

An article at Spiegel Online about 'A Forest' and The Cure's quirky humor. (Thanks @godwinafaith)

Jason with JJ Burnel in 1988

Posted at ina.fr. (Thanks @guillaume_g_z)

Vince Clarke: "We wanted to be The Cure"

I don't think I ever posted this. Electronic Sound interview with Vince Clarke from Dec. 2013. (Thanks @bratmix)

There's no other Cure mention besides that brief one at the beginning, it's just nice to hear Vince say that. Also, a very good interview if you like Vince/Depeche Mode.

Interview & live clips from the Dream Tour

Interview with Robert, and performances of 'Fascination Street' & 'Want', from the Dream Tour stop at Livid Festival in Brisbane on Oct. 21st, 2000.

"It's become pretty common knowledge, really, that this is the last big tour we'll ever do."

Hahahahahahaha! Yeah, we had heard that one a few times before, Robert. :)

(Thanks to Marina from TheCure Comunidad Argentina)

Pearl's art exhibit extended 4 more days

THIS WEEK ONLY Receive a #special #bonus from the gallery when you purchase an #original #PearlThompson large canvas #painting. #Exhibition closes this week and is almost sold out. 📧 ellice@mrmusichead.com for more info.

A photo posted by Mr Musichead Gallery (@mr_musichead) on Mar 17, 2015 at 12:11pm PDT

Pearl's exhibit has been extended. Will now close on March 23rd, not the 19th.

Update (03/20/15):

From MrMusichead Gallery on Facebook - "So many people have asked us if we're having a closing reception for the Pearl Thompson exhibit "Through the Eyes of Birds". We had to! ANNOUNCING Closing Reception this Saturday, March 21st from 12-2 pm with treats from @donutfriend inspired by the exhibit of ‪#‎original‬ ‪#‎paintings‬. Don't miss your chance to see this beautiful show in person! http://ift.tt/1BUQZe7"

Note: Pearl will not be at the closing reception.

Cure Tribute in The Netherlands March 20th

Highly recommended Cure tributeshow by members of the famous Dutch band Bettie Serveert and Prof Nomad! @CraigatCoF http://t.co/jK6LHiVR6K
— Peter van Leeuwen (@Pjotrke) March 18, 2015

Jason in the April issue of Rhythm magazine

Great interview in this months @RhythmMagazine with The Cure's Jason Cooper! pic.twitter.com/eqOsSz4Jsn
— Natal Drums (@Nataldrums) March 9, 2015

"The Cure's Jason Cooper talks about his 20 years with one of alternative rock's most influential bands."

You can pick up a copy in UK stores or order worldwide here. (Thanks Aaron)

In the interview, Jason says his favorite Cure songs to play live are 'Faith' and 'Same Deep Water As You'. I knew there was a reason I liked him. :) Now if Robert would just let him play them more often. Can't post the whole thing, but here are a few excerpts:

(Thanks Andrea B.)

'Friday I'm in Love' shirt from Gianni Bini

"I saw this in Dillard's at Lakeside the other day. Surely Robert wouldn't approve of the copyright infringement! Ugh. Unless that label bought the rights." (Thanks Karen)

That's here in the New Orleans area, but if you like the shirt, might be worth a check of your local Dillard's. Also online.

Isaac Brock says The Cure have lost something

Isaac Brock from Modest Mouse talking to WSJ Speakeasy:

You guys have been a major label band for longer than you were an indie band at this point.

Look, I’m a huge Cure fan. I love the Cure. The scales being tipped to when they weren’t on a major label compared to when they were seems pretty meaningless. I had the good fortune of having them go before me and seeing their careers, musically at least, lose something. Like a novel written by a dead hand. There’s nothing quite there but it’s sort of still there. Which is why I’m willing to wait eight years before I put out a record. I just won’t do that to people who like my band. I like Modest Mouse. I’m our biggest fan. And enemy. I won’t waste people’s time by putting out a Modest Mouse record just because. That’s fair, right? Did you get to hear the new record?
(Thanks Sofia)

'Play Out' on Vimeo

As far as I know, you can't buy the 'Play Out' video anywhere, and I haven't heard anything about it being released again, so I guess it's okay to post this. Correct me if I'm wrong, and I'll remove it. (Thanks Ema and Sonic More Music)

Well that didn't last long. Here's hoping it's a sign that this will be getting released on DVD/Blu soon.

Jason on the new Marina & the Diamonds album

From The Line of Best Fit:

"Jason Cooper who drums in The Cure, he did all the percussion on the record. It's definitely got their influence in there."

The album, 'Froot', won't be released until April 6th, 2015, but the first video from it was released today. (Thanks @Ligia_Berg)

Update (03/15/15): 

Jason Cooper from The Cure recording drums on my demo of Savages…

A video posted by Marina and The Diamonds (@marinagrams) on Mar 15, 2015 at 1:37pm PDT

Pearl on working with Plant & Page

From Contact Music:

Former The Cure star Porl Thompson still can't believe he toured with Led Zeppelin icons Robert Plant and Jimmy Page 20 years ago.

The guitarist, who has changed his name to Pearl Thompson and turned his back on music to dedicate his life to painting, was stunned when Plant, a fan of The Cure, invited him to hit the road with him and Page on the back of their hit No Quarter album two decades ago.

He recalls, "I'd left The Cure to pursue my painting and then suddenly, out of the blue, I got a call from Robert Plant, which I thought was a hoax. He was really into The Cure, which I thought was interesting, and they invited me up to see if we all got along.

"It was an opportunity I couldn't really turn down. We did a Tv show together but it went so well that they just started talking about going out on a tour and they asked me if I wanted to do it with them. It was very freeing as I was really there just as a guitarist. But it was pretty daunting playing alongside Jimmy Page, especially when you consider that quite often there would be a change of set list and they'd throw in a song that nobody had rehearsed, which would be used the next night, so you'd have to go back and do your homework in you hotel room and then turn up and just play things like The Song Remains the Same.

"It was very difficult but challenging and exciting."

And Thompson insists there was no sign that Plant and Page were anything but great friends: "There wasn't any drama. It was a big set up. There were two orchestras and rehearsals were interesting."

Plant and Page have since fallen out over the singer's reluctance to reactivate Led Zeppelin after a one-off reunion in 2007. (Thanks @TheCureMexico)

Leyendas del Rock: The Cure

No news, but a nice article about The Cure at MonterreyRock.com. (Thanks @TheCureMexico)