Recent Dark Wave Playlists

Milestones: Andy Bell is 47 today; watch Erasure’s debut on ‘Top of the Pops’

Another day, another birthday: Today it’s Andy Bell’s, and the Erasure singer is 47. To mark the occasion, here’s video of Erasure making its debut on UK television institution ‘Top of the Pops’ nearly 25 years ago with its hit single ‘Sometimes.’

New releases: Morrissey, The Waterboys, The Fall, INXS, Durutti Column, Psychedelic Furs

New releases: Morrissey, The Waterboys, The Fall, INXS, Durutti Column, Psychedelic Furs

This week’s new releases include a new Morrissey best-of, Mike Scott’s piano demos for The Waterboys’ ‘This Is the Sea,’ a vintage INXS live album, and reissues of The Fall’s 1999 album ‘The Marshall Suite,’ The Durutti Column’s 1989 record ‘Vini Reilly’ and a new audiophile vinyl pressing of The Psychedelic Furs’ ‘Talk Talk Talk.’

Playlist: Sirius XM’s ‘Dark Wave,’ 4/24/11

The playlist from Sunday night’s ‘Dark Wave’ — the weekly Sunday night ‘darker side of alternative’ show on Sirius XM’s 1st Wave — features tracks by Clan of Xymox, Stranglers, Fad Gadget, The Smiths, Joy Division and more.

Milestones: David J turns 54 today; watch Love and Rockets as The Bubblemen

Milestones: David J turns 54 today; watch Love and Rockets as The Bubblemen

It’s Bauhaus/Love and Rockets bassist David J’s birthday today, and it seems a good as time as any to dig up the video from that one-off classic, The Bubblemen. So here they are, Love and Rockets dressed as giant bees. Dig it.

Audio: Morrissey on The Smiths, his upcoming memoir and British PM David Cameron

Audio: Morrissey on The Smiths, his upcoming memoir and British PM David Cameron

In a rare interview on British radio this week, Morrissey revealed that he’s in the process of editing a 660-page draft of his memoir, dismissed the idea of retirement by saying he’ll ‘die on stage’ and once again shot down any notion of a Smiths reunion (‘There really is no point at all’).

Video: Social Distortion stages 1930s bank heist in new ‘Machine Gun Blues’ film

The Social Distortion gang goes gangster in this new music video for ‘Machine Gun Blues,’ the lead-off single for the band’s 2011 album ‘Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes.’

Big Audio Dynamite reissuing 'No. 10, Upping St.,' returning to U.S. this summer

Big Audio Dynamite reissuing ‘No. 10, Upping St.,’ returning to U.S. this summer

The reunited Big Audio Dynamite will return to the U.S. this August and are moving forward with plans to reissue 1986’s ‘No. 10, Upping St.’ — possibly with unreleased material co-written by frontman Mick Jones and former Clash bandmate Joe Strummer.