In a rare show of public unity, Morrissey today threw his support behind Johnny Marr after the guitarist ‘forbid’ conservative U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron from liking The Smiths — although in typical fashion, Moz used the occasion to pen a 1,200-word screed against animal cruelty that also takes shots at Prince William and ‘his fiasco (fiancée) Kate Middleton,’ Bryan Ferry and David Beckham.

Highlights of tonight’s episode of ‘Dark Wave’ on Sirius XM’s 1st Wave include more deep Depeche Mode album cuts, a double dose of The House of Love and a triple serving of The Smiths.

Out on tour in support of their chart-topping third album ‘The Suburbs,’ indie-rock breakthrough act Arcade Fire whipped up a special treat for fans at their Mexico City concert on Oct. 13: a cover of ‘Still Ill,’ the classic track from The Smiths’ 1984 self-titled debut album.

The folks at 24 Hour Service Station, who are putting out Peter Hook’s Freebass project here in the U.S., will provide three lucky Slicing Up Eyeballs readers with a copy of the band’s debut CD, ‘It’s a Beautiful Life.’

This week’s ‘Dark Wave’ on Sirius XM’s 1st Wave featured less-played selections from The Smiths (‘I Know It’s Over,’ ‘Barbarism Begins at Home’ and ‘Meat is Murder’), as well as a welcome dash of Die Warzau (‘Funkopolis’) and My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult (‘And This is What the Devil Does’).

Heavy on The Cure and The Smiths, tonight’s episode of “Dark Wave” on Sirius XM’s 1st Wave also featured lesser-played artists such as Acid Horse and Vicious Pink, plus an excellent one-two punch of Nitzer Ebb’s ‘Lightning Man’ and Martin Gore’s ‘Compulsion.’

Whether intending to launch on Johnny Marr’s birthday or not, the crew that brought us the extraordinary Recycle: Joy Division & New Order — The Factory Years blog picked an appropriate date to kick off its next sonic restoration project: The Smiths: Extra Track (and a tacky badge).