Pylon | Photo by Brian Shanley
“Dark Wave,” hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Matt Sebastian, explores the darker side of classic ’80s alternative, including vintage goth, post-punk and industrial. The shows airs at 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Eastern every Sunday on Sirius XM satellite radio’s 1st Wave (Channel 33).
The most recent two episodes are also available to subscribers to stream via the Sirius XM app.
Got a request? Requests will be considered for future episodes as long as they fit the show’s format and fall generally within the 1st Wave era — and provided the host doesn’t harbor an intense dislike of the song. If there’s something you’d like to hear, drop it in the comments below.
HOUR 1
The Cult, “The Snake” (Love)
Pylon, “Gravity” (Gyrate)
Concrete Blonde, “God is a Bullet” (Concrete Blonde)
Love and Rockets, “Inside the Outside” (Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven)
Cult Hero, “I’m a Cult Hero” (I’m a Cult Hero)
Killing Joke, “Love Like Blood” (Night Time)
The Damned, “Melody Lee” (Machine Gun Etiquette)
The Psychedelic Furs, “India” (The Psychedelic Furs)
Gang of Four, “We Live As We Dream, Alone” (Songs of the Free)
Ministry, “All Day Remix” (Twitch)
Front 242, “Im Rhythmus Bleiben” (Front By Front)
Meat Beat Manifesto, “Asbestos Lead Asbestos” (Asbestos Lead Asbestos)
Bigod 20, “On the Run” (Remix Edit) (On the Run)
HOUR 2
The Cure, “A Strange Day” (Pornography)
Skeletal Family, “She Cries Alone” (Eternal)
Falling Stairs, “Gone” (Life Is a Kick Trial: 1988-1993)
The Chameleons, “Soul in Isolation” (Strange Times)
Alien Sex Fiend, “Ain’t Got Time To Bleed” (Curse)
Fad Gadget, “One Man’s Meat” (Gag)
Depeche Mode, “Waiting For the Night” (Violator)
Clan of Xymox, “This World” (Hidden Faces)
Swervedriver, “Juggernaut Rides” (Son of Mustang Ford EP)
Slowdive, “Some Velvet Morning” (Souvlaki: Expanded)
Luna, “Bewitched” (Bewitched)
My Bloody Valentine, “Soon” (Loveless)
HOUR 3
Skinny Puppy, “Antagonism” (Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse)
Front Line Assembly, “The Blade” (Tactical Neural Implant)
Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Lunar Camel” (Kaleidoscope)
Joy Division, “Wilderness” (Unknown Pleasures)
The Sisters of Mercy, “Something Fast” (Vision Thing)
The Jesus and Mary Chain, “Head On” (Automatic)
Attrition, “Beast of Burden (Take a Walk)” (The Attrition of Reason)
Die Krupps, “Iron Man” (KMFDM Mix) (Industrial Madness)
Bauhaus, “Dark Entries” (Live) (This Is for When… Live At Hammersmith Palais, 9th November 1981)
Sad Lovers and Giants, “Far From the Sea” (Epic Garden Music)
For Against, “Echelons” (Echelons)
Agent Orange, “Bite the Hand That Feeds, Pt. 1” (This Is the Voice)
Circle Jerks, “Wild in the Streets” (Wild in the Streets)
Nitzer Ebb, “Smear Body” (That Total Age)
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (8/17/25)
- Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (8/17/25)
- Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (8/3/25)
- Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (7/27/25)
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Great show tonight Matt, here’s my request:
Skinny Puppy – Glass Houses
Have a good week!
Man, hour one was incredible! Pylon getting some love was a welcome surprise; I very nearly requested “Cool” recently. That little burst of punk in the end of hour three was fun as well.
You always do an excellent job of mixing tracks that just flow together, which can’t be an easy feat.
Enjoy the long weekend ahead, everyone!
Hey Matt, so many great tracks tonight!
Blitz – Flowers & Fire
Great show –
❤️ The Chameleons!
A lot of fantastic music on this one. I saw The Chameleons live last month and they played Soul In Isolation, it was a great concert. I would like to request As High As You Can Go from them.
“Return” from the album “Kasmodiah” by Deine Lakaien. True Darkwave. Thank you.
Another great show! Just last week I intro’d my teenager to The Predator… and then you play Ain’t Got Time to Bleed… cosmic :)
I saw that Alice Donut and Steel Pole Bath Tub are playing a couple shows together in SF next year… So for a future Darkwave I’d like to request ‘Train to Miami’ by STBT. I think it might fit in ok!
Alice Donut! Yes!
I’d just like to say there’s nothing like hearing Circle Jerks and then you’re name at the end of the broadcast lol…it was epic! I happened to be driving home from taking Milky Way photos around 1 am. So thanks for the shout out it made my drive home that more special. Anywho some really great songs this week….The Cure, DM and the shoegaze set were favorites for me. Some possible suggestions for next time:
Sisters of Mercy – This Corrosion (2018 Remaster)
Curve – Signals and Alibis
Echo & The Bunnymen – Never Stop
Thanks again as always!!!! ｡◕‿◕｡
Matt,terrific sets as always and great mix up of genres too,chefs kiss….Circle Jerks & Agent Orange,then Nitzer Ebb,yer a Mad Man,lol!Always love to hear what Dark you bring!
Speaking of,here is what I brought to the table,All the Best as Always,much appreciated!
PENAL COLONY-Reconciled
JOY DIVISION-Colony
STUMP-Buffalo
M.
The Beautiful Dead – Killing Joke.
It’s back to work/school for me and I’m so grumpy…but streaming Dark Wave has been a bright spot this week. Thank you for playing my request for JAMC – it’s appreciated. The shoegaze block and Agent Orange/Circle Jerks/Nitzer Ebb tracks were standouts for me.
A request…not quite Dark Wave… but full of post punk energy/inspirations…
Elastica “Stutter”
Wishing everyone a wonderful week.
We’re already in our third week of school out here in the bay Nicole. Welcome back to the grind!
Elastica, wow, I’d almost forgotten about them. Justine Frischmann lives in Marin now, I think, and is a painter. Her artf is well worth checking out. That first Elastica album is great!
Yes, back to the grind! I hope your school year is off to a good start.
And that first Elastica album is a fun one from the 90’s (clearly influenced by Wire and The Stranglers).
Enjoyed this summer DW episode!
Here’s a request –
RevCo – You Often Forget
Thanks!
Great set list. Especially the Gang of Four, BiGod, and shoegaze chunk.
Have a great week. Thanks for the good playlist.
Hi Matt- Thanks for playing Meat Beat Manifesto, Bigod 20, and Die Krupps this week. I’ve been catching up on your past playlists and wanted to thank you for playing Consolidated, Noise Unit, and Lords of Acid.
Don’t forget about Sister Machine Gun, Die Warzau, and Young Gods.
The more Industrial the better!
I love your show! Thank you for the Pylon and Killing Joke. BiGod was totally cool. Is Crass too punk for the show? They were dark and chaotic anarchy. Love the song “Red high heels” as the dark side of domesticity if you can find it.
Seconded! Would love to hear some Crass on the program.
Really fun show! Pylon is always great to hear. You may be correct about A Strange Day being the best song off Pornography, but I think but The Figurehead and the title track give it a run for its money. Thanks for playing Swervedriver and the shoutout to kick off a sweet shoegaze block. You are the best! Kudos to the listener who requested Luna, Dean Wareham is a genius. And that six song closing sequence in hour 3 was just awesome.
Request for a future communion: “Hollywood” by Parade Ground
Have a great week Matt, cheers!
Here’s a dark one for your listeners: Virgina Astley’s 1983 “Love’s a Lonely Place to Be”
Check out the dark and brooding lyrics:
Years go by and all seems fine
Until one day you realize
You don’t know who you are anymore
I’ve got you here beside me
But love’s a lonely place to be
Friends no longer call around
We no longer smile
Matt, it was incredibly exciting to hear the Furs’ India on air, I think it is the first time ever for me to hear it not off a record or in concert!
I just saw the opening night of the Sparks tour in Atlanta. I know they are not a dark-wave band, but Siouxsie & Co. did an excellent cover of “This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us”. That would be a super request! Thanks! More shoe-gaze!!!