Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Matt Sebastian (4/19/26) This week’s “Dark Wave" featured music by Tones on Tail, This Mortal Coil, Joy Division, The Sugarcubes, The Armoury Show, Xmal Deutschland, Cindytalk, The March Violets and more.

Here's the playlist from tonight's "Dark Wave" on Sirius XM's 1st Wave

Original cassette copy of Pixies' "Doolittle" album — released 37 years ago today — procured at some point in 1989 through the Columbia House record and tape club, along with a dozen or so other cassettes, for a penny. Good times.

Happy Doolittle day to all who partake

The Hall of Fame Finally Got It Right on Joy Division/New Order The two innovative and influential U.K. bands are making it into the Hall of Fame after decades of rejection

"New Order are the first band from the Pretty in Pink soundtrack to make the Hall, which is a massive generational sea change. This can only mean good things for the Psychedelic Furs, Echo and the Bunnymen, INXS (nominated this year, but maybe next time), and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark"

Cover of Joy Division's 1979 album "Unknown Pleasures." The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will induct Joy Division and New Order this year.

Cover of New Order's 1983 album "Power, Corruption & Lies." The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will induct Joy Division and New Order this year.

Black-and-white promotional photograph of the band The Mission

Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (4/12/26) slicingupeyeballs.com/2026/04/12/dark-wave-playlist-april-12-2026

A shirtless and 78-year-old Iggy Pop performs at Coachella tonight. Image via festival's livestream.

Iggy Pop forever.

Black-and-white photograph of the band Bauhaus standing behind a piano

Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (4/5/26) slicingupeyeballs.com/2026/04/05/dark-wave-playlist-april-5-2026

Black-and-white promotional photo of the musical duo Strawberry Switchblade

Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (3/29/26) slicingupeyeballs.com/2026/03/29/dark-wave-playlist-march-29-2026

Black-and-white promotional photo of the musical act The Jesus and Mary Chain. Band member Jim Reid has the word "Jesus" written on his palm.

Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (3/15/26) slicingupeyeballs.com/2026/03/15/dark-wave-playlist-march-15-2026

Black-and-white promo photo of musical act The Creatures featuring Siouxsie Sioux and Budgie

Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (3/8/26) slicingupeyeballs.com/2026/03/08/dark-wave-playlist-march-8-2026

Video of a music dedication on Darkwave, the Sunday night vintage goth music show on SiriusXM's 1st Wave channel.

Deepest thanks to DJ Matt Sebastian of slicingupeyeballs.com for making it happen 💙

Mark Sousa
January 5, 1983
February 3, 2026

The two men hit it off right away, and as they walked drunkenly through the deserted streets of Osaka at 4:30 in the morning, Reitzell decided to ask Shields if he might be interested in contributing to a film score, if ever he found a suitable project. ‘Sure,’ Shields replied. His only prior experience with film music had been a $5,000 payday he’d shared with J Mascis to demo a version of the Mission Impossible 2 theme song. (In another win for mainstream American culture, Limp Bizkit got the gig instead.) Reitzell knew of Shields’s recent difficulties with Island and his inability to finish new solo work in the studio, but he seemed undeterred.

Cover of Andrew Perer’s “Turn My Head Into Sound: A History of Kevin Shields and My Bloody Valentine”

Somewhere there’s a recording of Kevin Shields and J Mascis doing the “Mission: Impossible” theme

Turnstile cover The Stone Roses' ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ for Like A Version YouTube video by triple j

Turnstile + The Stone Roses

Black-and-white promotional photo of the 4AD recording artists The Wolfgang Press

Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (2/22/26) slicingupeyeballs.com/2026/02/22/dark-wave-playlist-feb-22-2026

Black-and-white promotional photo of Wax Trax! Records recording artists Revolting Cocks

Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (2/15/26) slicingupeyeballs.com/2026/02/15/dark-wave-playlist-feb-15-2026

Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy and Friends play R.E.M.'s Lifes Rich Pageant at the Summit Music Hall in Denver on Feb. 11, 2026 Set 1: "Lifes Rich Pageant" 1. Begin the Begin 2. These Days 3. Fall on Me 4. Cuyahoga 5. Hyena 6. Underneath the Bunker 7. The Flowers of Guatemala 8. I Believe 9. What If We Give It Away? 10. Just a Touch 11. Swan Swan H 12. I Am Superman

Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy and Friends play R.E.M.'s Lifes Rich Pageant at the Summit Music Hall in Denver on Feb. 11, 2026 Set 2: 1. Lotus 2. Fretless 3. Me in Honey (With Michael Shannon's sister) 4. E-Bow the Letter (With Michael Shannon's other sister) 5. Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars) 6. Crush With Eyeliner 7. The Lifting 8. Burning Down 9. Fireplace 10. How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us 11. You Are the Everything 12. The Great Beyond

Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy and Friends play R.E.M.'s Lifes Rich Pageant at the Summit Music Hall in Denver on Feb. 11, 2026 Encore: 1. Pilgrimage 2. Camera 3. Star 69

Super fun show, esp w/ Michael Shannon’s sisters taking the Kate Pierson and Patti Smith parts. And to choose “Fireplace” as your one song off DOCUMENT? Crazy.

These guys did LIFES RICH PAGEANT right, plus a heap of deep cuts

Black-and-white promotional photo of the musical act Cabaret Voltaire

Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (2/8/26) slicingupeyeballs.com/2026/02/08/dark-wave-playlist-feb-8-2026

Not gonna lie. If there was a 24 hour Dark Wave channel on XM/Sirius, I'd probably listen to nothing else.

cc @mattsebastian.com

Beloved Indie Rock Musician, Inspiration for the Replacements’ Alt-Rock Anthem ‘Left of the Dial,’ Dies Lynn Blakey, who played in the bands Let's Active, Oh-OK and Tres Chicas, has died.

“On one level, ‘Left of the Dial’ celebrated the ’80s American indie scene and paid tribute to the tiny-watt college stations at the far end of the FM dial, where The Replacements got most of their airplay. But it was also a love song, an evocation of Paul Westerberg’s infatuation with Lynn Blakey”

Talk Talk’s Experiment ‘Spirit of Eden’ Was a Flop. And a Cult Favorite.

“It’s like a bunch of accidents put in a row” — Nigel Godrich on Talk Talk's 'Spirit of Eden'

Full-color promotional photo of the band The Fall sitting on rocks near a body of water

Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (2/1/26) slicingupeyeballs.com/2026/02/01/dark-wave-playlist-feb-1-2026

Yes, please

Black-and-white promotional photograph of the musical act Chris & Cosey

Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (1/25/26) slicingupeyeballs.com/2026/01/25/dark-wave-playlist-jan-25-2026

Rob Hirst was a force of nature, a born showman who led Midnight Oil from the back | Andrew Stafford Phenomenal drummer and percussionist was an equally accomplished songwriter who embodied the band’s bloody-minded spirit

Midnight Oil's Rob Hirst "was the heartbeat, a force of nature and born showman who led the band from the back. His kick drum was slightly ahead of the beat, while his snare was just a fraction behind, turning the band into a pump-action live juggernaut." RIP

Black-and-white promo photo of the musical act My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult posing with a motorcycle

Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (1/18/26) slicingupeyeballs.com/2026/01/18/dark-wave-playlist-jan-18-2026

Photo of tonight’s Double Jeopardy board with three XTC-related categories: “Making Plans for Nigel,” “Census Working Overtime” and “The Ecstasy of ‘X-T-C’”

Well played, “Jeopardy!”

Black-and-white promotional photo of the musical act Depeche Mode

Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (1/11/26) slicingupeyeballs.com/2026/01/11/dark-wave-playlist-jan-11-2026

"Wish"-era publicity photo of The Cure

Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (1/4/26) slicingupeyeballs.com/2026/01/04/dark-wave-playlist-jan-4-2026

Tonight! NYE! I’m hosting Party 360 on SiriusXM’s 1st Wave! 6 hours of Classic Alternative Gnu Wav & Punk PARTY MUSIC!

DJs like Richard Blade, Swedish Egil, Larry The Duck, Lori Majewski & Matt Sebastian will pop in to say Happy New(d) Year!

BYOB! 9pm eastern on 33!