Excited about some new music in Big Sonic Heaven this week. We played two tracks from the much-anticipated album “Birding” from dreampop three-piece Deary, which was released this week. We also heard the new single from She’s Green, “Paper Thin,” from their upcoming EP, “Swallowtail,” which is due in July.

Plus, the latest from The Julies, Dead Can Dance, Searows, and Miki Berenyi Trio, along with your favorite shoegaze, dream pop, and post-punk.

• “Elysium, Honor Him, Now We Are Free” – Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard
• “Doot Doot” – The Fauns
• “In Violet” – Searows
• “Baby’s Breath” – deary
• “Love’s Easy Tears” – Cocteau Twins
• “I Think I Knew” – The Church
• “A Night Like This” – The Cure
• “Low December Sun” – Air Formation
• “Paper Thin” – She’s Green
• “Sweetness And Light” – Lush
• “I’m So Tired” – Deserta
• “Out Of Sight” – Hooverphonic
• “Nobody Loves You More” – Kim Deal
• “Neon Afterlife” – The Julies
• “All Mine” – Portishead
• “Island Of One” – Miki Berenyi Trio
• “Run” – New Order
• “Orange of the Westering Sun” – The Innocence Mission
• “Primal” – Slowdive
• “Smile” – deary
• “Everywhere” – Cranes
• “New You” – My Bloody Valentine
• “Fine Friend” – Pale Saints
• “Stranglehold” – The Churchhill Garden
• “Hazlewood” – Toothpaste
• “Halo” – Depeche Mode
• “Thin Circle” – Bug Teeth
• “Success Has Made A Failure of Our Home” – Sinéad O’Connor
• “Vanity (feat. Rachel Goswell)” – Drab Majesty
• “Coldsweat” – Sugarcubes
• “Our Day Will Come” – Dead Can Dance
• “The Worst Taste In Music” – The Radio Dept.

Tonight in Big Sonic Heaven, we featured a new “60s-breezy” track from Miki Berenyi Trio, a new-ish song from Future Islands, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a rarities compilation album, and a dreamy collaboration between Hammock and The Flaming Lips, along with several other new releases.

In keeping with the recent trend of music benefiting charitable causes, we played My Bloody Valentine​ in recognition of Robert Smith’s series of curated shows at Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust. These performances, which took place from March 23-29, featured My Bloody Valentine, Elbow, Mogwai, The Joy Formidable, Placebo, and Garbage. You can find clips of these performances online. The Teenage Cancer Trust provides specialized care and support for young people within the NHS.

Finally, ​we shared some details about the limited-edition Rough Trade release of Cocteau Twins’ “Head Over Heels“​ album on pearl vinyl. It includes an insert with interesting commentary from Robin Guthrie about the making of the album. It is a great read if you have the chance to check it out.

Of course, also your favorite classic shoegaze, dreampop, and postpunk.

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above. 

• “Closedown” – The Cure
• “Birdseye” – Babehoven
• “Burrow” – AtticOmatic
• “Brighter” – Slowdive
• “Chemicals Make You Small (feat. The Flaming Lips)” – Hammock
• “Every Little Counts” – New Order
• “Poor Sweet Mary Millington” – The False Dawns
• “Musette and Drums” – Cocteau Twins
• “Sail” – Future Islands
• “Paris And Rome” – Cranes
• “Pagan Poetry” – Björk
• “Lights Out” – Roller Derby
• “Alfie” – deary
• “Pearl” – Chapterhouse
• “Our Day Will Come” – Dead Can Dance
• “Black Celebration” – Depeche Mode
• “Just Drive” – Postiljonen
• “Renaissance Affair” – Hooverphonic
• “Myth” – Beach House
• “Free, Free” – Ladytron
• “Fallin’ In Love” – Lush
• “No More Kissing In The Rain” – Trentemøller
• “We Have All the Time In the World” – My Bloody Valentine
• “Clusters” – Emma Anderson
• “Michael” – Beachy Head
• “Here And Now” – Ride
• “Island Of One” – Miki Berenyi Trio
• “Broken (Bedroom Version)” – The Haunted Youth
• “Black Boys On Mopeds” – Sinéad O’Connor
• “Fences” – Yndling
• “The Night Is Quiet” – Nonsense Rats
• “Dark Western” – Au Revoir Borealis
• “Sonnet” – The Verve

This episode of Big Sonic Heaven featured three tracks with proceeds going toward helping people in war-stricken areas. First up, an unexpected new release from Dead Can Dance, their first new single in five years, “Our Day Will Come.” For every purchase of “Our Day Will Come,” Dead Can Dance will donate 50% of the proceeds to MAP (Medical Aid for Palestinians).

MAP does incredible work to provide medical care, food, and nutritional aid to the Palestinian people. The new single also came with an announcement that all of their future music will only be released on Bandcamp, a platform that bans AI music. Their statement is below:

“We have decided to no longer support streaming platforms that continue to exploit artists and promote AI generated music. In future we will sell our music directly to the public via Bandcamp, a platform that continues to support independent artists and which has commendably banned all forms of AI generated music, a technology that threatens the very life and soul of our profession.”

We also took the new Depeche Mode and Beth Gibbons War Child Records Help(2) tracks for another spin. Proceeds help to protect, educate, and stand up for the rights of children living through conflict around the world.

In other new music, we heard the latest from Deary, ACTORS, Art School Girlfriend, Plastic Milk, and more. 

Plus, we celebrated 30 years of Stereolab’s album, “Emperor Tomato Ketchup!” Yay!

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above. 

• “You Do Something To Me” – Sinéad O’Connor
• “All That We Had Is Lost” – Postiljonen
• “Alma” – deary
• “Love Less” – New Order
• “Vertigo” – Miki Berenyi Trio
• “Our Day Will Come” – Dead Can Dance
• “Railwayed” – Kitchens of Distinction
• “Primitive Painters” – Felt
• “Universal Soldier” – Depeche Mode & War Child Records
• “Les Yper -Sound” – Stereolab
• “Sugar Phantom Blackout” – Bluhm
• “Torture” – The Cure
• “Other Things” – Ringo Deathstarr
• “Almost Transparent” – Art School Girlfriend
• “It’s Enough Now” – Mandalay
• “A Return” – The Tear Garden
• “Overcome” – Tricky
• “chained to a cloud” – Slowdive
• “Thursday” – Asobi Seksu
• “CTRL” – ACTORS
• “Heart and Soul” – Joy Division
• “Deep Ocean Vast Sea” – Peter Murphy
• “The Robot Girl Psychiatrist” – The False Dawns
• “Punish Me With Kisses” – The Glove
• “Kiss Of Snow (feat. Krissy Vanderwoude)” – LongingSky
• “Vapour Trail” – Ride
• “Sunday Morning” – Beth Gibbons & War Child Records
• “Carolyn’s Fingers” – Cocteau Twins
• “Into You” – The Haunted Youth
• “Klettur” – Sigur Rós
• “Sticky Halo” – Plastic Milk
• “I Tried” – Shoestrings
• “Kiss a Girl In Black” – Fleeting Joys

Tonight, Big Sonic Heaven featured tracks by Depeche Mode and Beth Gibbons from the “War Child Records Help(2)” charity compilation. “Every purchase, stream, and share of ‘HELP(2)’ supports War Child UK to raise critical funds for children living through the unthinkable.”

Head over to their Bandcamp to buy a track or the full record to support this important cause. 

We also heard a new single from Detroit dreampop duo Bluhm, a new English-French art-pop duo called Nonsense Rats, and more, plus your favorite Big Sonic classics.

Don’t forget that every show is available for replay for two weeks at wdet.org. Thanks for listening!

• “Trust” – The Cure
• “Phosphorous” – Lamb
• “Alfie” – Deary
• “Cherry-Coloured Funk” – Cocteau Twins
• “Universal Soldier” – Depeche Mode & War Child Records
• “Scarlet” – Lush
• “String Theory” – Lanterns On The Lake
• “Violently Happy” – Björk
• “The Night Is Quiet” – Nonsense Rats
• “Don’t Fade Away” – Dead Can Dance
• “South Coast” – Throwing Muses
• “Tears” – The Chameleons
• “Fear Everything” – Bathe Alone
• “Before” – The Giraffe Told Me in My Dream
• “The Ghost In You” – Siouxsie & The Banshees
• “Sunday Morning” – Beth Gibbons & War Child Records
• “2Wicky” – Hooverphonic
• “Running Away” – Washed Out
• “Come Together” – Primal Scream
• “No Longer Making Time” – Slowdive
• “Burrow” – AtticOmatic
• “Song To The Siren” – This Mortal Coil
• “Pink Funeral” – Beach House
• “Reel Around The Fountain” – The Smiths
• “Faît Accompli” – Curve
• “The Lake (Cinematic)” – Fever Ray
• “Like Suicide” – ACTORS
• “Here’s To All The Ones” – Hunter As a Horse
• “You Look So Fine” – Garbage
• “Sugar Phantom Blackout” – Bluhm
• “Anger is an Acid (with IAMX)” – cEvin Key
• “Such A Shame” – Talk Talk

Tonight, we heard some stellar new tracks, including Fever Ray’s “The Lake (Cinematic)” from the upcoming movie, “The Bride!” It’s pretty darn cool! Plus, She’s Green is back with a new release, a great new track from Apparat, and Deary hits another home run with their song, “Alfie.” 

We also discussed a few important opportunities to vote for your favorite bands and radio hosts. Jeff Buckley and New Order/Joy Division are nominated to be inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cast your vote here.

Also, Detroit’s Dreampop duo Bluhm is nominated for Detroit’s best local act. Cast your vote for them and WDET’s own Ryan Patrick Hooper for radio host, and Jerome Vaughn and Pat Batcheller for radio news or sports reporter.

Listen to the full episode above, on-demand for two weeks at wdet.org.

• “The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove” – Dead Can Dance
• “Clusters” – Emma Anderson
• “Blush” – The Secret French Postcards
• “Icing Sugar” – The Cure
• “Alfie” – Deary
• “Inhaler” – Hooverphonic
• “Double Dream” – Bluhm
• “Rubber Ring” – The Smiths
• “Only Hinting” – Clinic Stars
• “Blew It” – Liquorice
• “Mettle” – She’s Green
• “Morning Theft” – Jeff Buckley
• “skin in the game” – Slowdive
• “Hum Of Maybe” – Apparat
• “Everywhere” – Cranes
• “The Lake (Cinematic)” – Fever Ray
• “Atmosphere” – Joy Division
• “Gold” – Sigur Ros
• “Cry In The Wind” – Clan Of Xymox
• “Coast is Clear” – Curve
• “Cave” – Future Islands
• “Obviously” – A Shoreline Dream
• “Octopus” – Starrgazy
• “Crushed” – Cocteau Twins
• “Sapphire Door” – Soft Blue Shimmer
• “Burrow” – AtticOmatic
• “Paradise” – New Order
• “Poison Berry” – Night Swimming
• “Wop-a-Din-Din” – Red House Painters
• “Fly to the Ceiling (feat. Rosa Rocca)” – Theis Thaws, Tricky
• “Harold and Cindy Hospital” – Severed Heads
• “Blackhole” – Basement Revolver
• “Leave Them All Behind” – Ride
• “Burst” – Snowcuffs

There’s been a lot of new music in Big Sonic Heaven over the last few weeks. This time around, we featured “Underground,” a new track by Inner Magic, the new band of former Chromatics and Smashing Pumpkins members, Adam Miller and Jeff Schroeder, respectively.

We heard the new single “Doing Laps” from Polly MacKay’s project called Art School Girlfriend, along with new tracks from Searows, Whitelands, AtticOmatic, Softcult, Good Day Father, and more. 

Chapterhouse is kicking off their North American Tour in May, where they’ll be performing their debut album, “Whirlpool,” in its entirety, with the Toronto show featuring another Big Sonic Heaven favorite, She’s Green. This is their first North American tour since 2010. We listened to “Pearl” to celebrate the announcement! Plus, a slew of your favorite Big Sonic Heaven classics!

Don’t forget that every show is available for replay for two weeks at wdet.org. Thanks for listening!

• “Lorelei” – Cocteau Twins
• “We Would Meet in Center City” – The Innocence Mission
• “Garden” – Maria Somerville
• “Duel” – Propaganda
• “Doing Laps” – Art School Girlfriend
• “Sooner Than You Think” – New Order
• “Goodbye” – Cigarettes for Breakfast
• “Soon” – My Bloody Valentine
• “Queen of Nothing” – Softcult
• “A Means to An End” – Joy Division
• “A Return” – The Tear Garden
• “Nothing” – Depeche Mode
• “8th Deadly Sin” – Miki Berenyi Trio
• “Brighter” – Slowdive
• “Golden Daze” – Whitelands
• “The Sulphur Man” – Doves
• “Underground (feat Ruth Radelet)” – Inner Magic
• “Lovelife” – Lush
• “All that We’ll Ever Be” – Mint Julep
• “Isobel” – Björk
• “Dirt” – Searows
• “All Night Long” – Peter Murphy
• “Jerusalem” – Sinead O’ Connor
• “Hljómalind” – Sigur Rós
• “Lewin” – AtticOmatic
• “Ballerina Out of Control” – The Ocean Blue
• “The Great Unknown” – Ivy
• “Sonic Amadea” – Good Day Father
• “Pearl” – Chapterhouse
• “Dreamweavers” – Trentemøller
• “Take Forever” – Japanese Popstars (feat Robert Smith)
• “Seabird” – Deary
• “Out of Sight” – Hooverphonic

Big Sonic Heaven celebrated a few milestones: The Cure’s re-release of the 1986 New Vocal Version of “Boys Don’t Cry” earned platinum status, with sales and streams exceeding one million. Plus, their album “Bloodflowers” turned 26!

The film “Pretty In Pink,” where New Order graced the soundtrack turns 40, and let’s not forget the Rough Trade pearl-vinyl re-release of Cocteau Twins’ “Head Over Heels” as the label celebrates 50 years!

A lot of brand-new music this week coming from Stereolab, ACTORS, Plastic Milk, Searows, Ninon, Good Day Father, which is Tanya Donelly’s new band, and more!

Check out the playlist below. The show is available on demand at WDET.org for two weeks.

• “Drink Before the War” – Sinéad O’Connor
• “Sleepsong” – Deary
• “Burrow” – AtticOmatic
• “Screw” – The Cure
• “Sonic Amadea” – Good Day Father
• “Safari” – The Breeders
• “Heaven” – CASTLEBEAT
• “October Love Song” – Chris And Cosey
• “Blush” – The Secret French Postcards
• “Cloud Land” – Stereolab
• “Leave Me Alone” – New Order
• “Verdi Cries” – 10,000 Maniacs
• “Snow Heart” – Lucy La Dusk
• “Naive” – Softcult
• “Texture” – Catherine Wheel
• “Transatlantic” – Basement Revolver
• “CTRL” – ACTORS
• “Evelyn” – Xymox
• “Goodbye Vista” – Deserta
• “Looking Glass Girl” – The Glove
• “Sloppy Heart” – Frazier Chorus
• “Gilded Shadow” – Olive Kimoto
• “Ornaments of Gold” – Siouxsie & The Banshees
• “Until We Meet Again” – Lisa Gerrard & Marcello De Francisci
• “Thoughtforms” – Lush
• “Crystals (feat. Benjamin Gibbard)” – Sea Lemon
• “In Violet” – Searows
• “Ripple” – The Church
• “Wax Tongue” – Plastic Milk
• “When Mama Was Moth” – Cocteau Twins
• “Kisses” – Slowdive
• “Army Of Me” – Björk
• “Leave on your light” – NINON
• “Stare Into Light” – Velour 100
• “Cry” – The Sundays
• “Ascension” – There’s Talk

This episode of Big Sonic Heaven featured the latest from Nation of Language, Morrissey, Hatchie, Stereolab, and another track from Whitelands new album “Sunlight Echoes.”

We also heard a couple of great Alex Chilton and Cole Porter covers by This Mortal Coil and Sinead O’Connor, respectively, and, of course, a whole bunch of shoegaze, dreampop, and post-punk classics.

See the playlist below and hear this episode on demand for two weeks at wdet.org or via the WDET app.

• “In A Lonely Place” – New Order
• “Purple” – She’s green
• “Silhouette” – Nation of Language
• “Last Night” – Lush
• “I Am No God, an Effigy” – Whitelands
• “Life in Mono” – Mono
• “Want You” – Deary
• “Kangaroo” – This Mortal Coil
• “This Is Not a Drill” – Lanterns on the Lake
• “Make-up is a lie” – Morrissey
• “Crystal Wrists” – Peter Murphy
• “You Do Something to Me” – Sinead O’ Connor
• “In A Manner Of Speaking” – Martin L. Gore
• “Give up the Ghost” – Minor Victories
• “Apart” – The Cure
• “Little Galaxy” – Silk Daisys
• “Crank” – Catherine Wheel
• “Flowing” – Cigarettes for Breakfast
• “Musette And Drums” – Cocteau Twins
• “Familiar” – Piroshka
• “Come Alive” – Nitzer Ebb
• “Carousel” – Hatchie
• “Ace of Hz” – Ladytron
• “Magic Doors” – Portishead
• “Consequence.” – The Notwist
• “Fed Up With Your Job” – Stereolab
• “Up the Down Escalator” – The Chameleons
• “Here Is The House” – Depeche Mode
• “Warmth” – Glazyhaze
• “San Geronimo” – Red House Painters
• “Slomo” – Slowdive
• “The Worst Taste In Music” – The Radio Dept.
• “Glimpse” – The Giraffe Told Me in My Dream
• “Open Mind” – Moev

In this episode of Big Sonic Heaven, we kicked off February with a track from the brand new Whitelands album, “Sunlight Echoes,” the new single from AtticOmatic’s upcoming EP, “Between Two.” We heard “Melting” from Cigarettes for Breakfast’s new “Color Wheel” EP, as well as new tracks from the German duo Jahrund and Atlanta’s dreampop duo Silk Daisys. 

We also celebrated The Cure’s first Grammy win in their 50-year career! They actually won two Grammys! “Songs of a Lost World” won for Best Alternative Album, and the single “Alone” won for Best Alternative Music Performance. Woohoo!

Checkout the playlist below and listen to the replay, available for the next two weeks.

• “Song to the Siren” – This Mortal Coil
• “Marble House” – The Knife
• “Golden Daze” – Whitelands
• “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” – The Dream Academy
• “Seabird” – Deary
• “Alone” – The Cure
• “A Night Like This” – The Cure
• “When You’re Gone.” – Bluhm
• “Montauk” – Silverdeer
• “A Girl Like You” – Hartfield
• “Reptile” – The Church
• “The Presence” – Emma Anderson
• “Someday” – Silk Daisys
• “Catch the Breeze” – Slowdive
• “Counting Sheep” – Acrylics
• “Sonnet” – The Verve
• “Burrow” – AtticOmatic
• “Vapour Trail” – Ride
• “Caramelize” – Bathe Alone
• “The Giving Ground” – The Sisterhood
• “The Robot Girl Psychiatrist” – The False Dawns
• “The Dress” – Blonde Redhead
• “1963” – New Order
• “Dead Inside” – ACTORS
• “Oceans Roar” – Jahrund
• “You Cause As Much Sorrow” – Sinead O’Connor
• “All I Need” – Radiohead
• “Melting” – Cigarettes for Breakfast
• “Only Shallow” – My Bloody Valentine
• “Doot Doot” – The Fauns
• “Pearly Dewdrops Drops” – Cocteau Twins
• “The Drain” – Ellis
• “Slide” – The Mary Onettes
• “The Rip” – Portishead
• “Selon l’humeur” – Autour de Lucie

Big Sonic Heaven braved the winter storm and kept our ears warm with some sonic delight! In the new music department, we heard a Twin Peaks-esque track from Violet Grohl, Club 8, Ladytron, a stellar Shoegaze track from The Giraffe Told Me In My Dream, and we took the new Deary single for another spin.

Check out the playlist below and listen to the show on demand for up to two weeks.

• “The Sadman” – Slowdive
• “I Wanted You To Feel The Same” – The Radio Dept
• “Setting Yourself Up For Love” – Ashes And Diamonds
• “History” – The Verve
• “Before” – The Giraffe Told Me in My Dream
• “Sugar Hiccup” –  Cocteau Twins
• “I Tried” – Shoestrings
• “Love (LP Version)” – The Sundays
• “Burrow” – AtticOmatic
• “Lost In the Weight” – Deserta
• “Marlene Dietrich’s Favourite Poem” – Peter Murphy
• “23” – Blonde Redhead
• “Echoes Of Our Time” – Club 8
• “Percolator” – Stereolab
• “Lloyd I’m ready to Be Heart Broken” – Camera Obscura
• “Seabird” – Deary
• “Run” – New Order
• “Vanity (feat. Rachel Goswell)” – Drab Majesty
• “Like Cockatoos” – The Cure
• “The Garden Ends” – The Autumns
• “Caught in the Blink of an Eye” – Ladytron
• “I Don’t Know What I Can Save You From (Royksopp Remix)” – Kings of Convenience
• “Shake the Disease” – Depeche Mode
• “Like a Daydream” – Trentemøller
• “What’s Heaven Without You” – Violet Grohl
• “De” – Lush
• “Under Two Blue Stars” – Robin Guthrie
• “You Made Me The Thief Of Your Heart” – Sinéad O’Connor
• “143” – The Know
• “Atmosphere” – Joy Division
• “Madder Lake Deep” – Andy Bell
• “Little Star” – Stina Nordenstam
• “Burst” – Shelleyan Orphan

Tonight, Big Sonic Heaven featured some great brand-new tracks. We heard “Seabird,” the first single from Deary’s upcoming debut album, “Birding.” They’re a three-piece dreampop band from London, signed to Simon Raymond’s label, Bella Union.  

Cigarettes for Breakfast is the project of Matt Whiteford. “The Color Wheel” EP is out in March, and we heard “Melting.”

Plus, “In the New” from singer-songwriter Kate de Rosset. She’s from North Carolina and has a brand-new album called “It Will Burn,” which was released earlier this month. 

In honor of filmmaker and artist David Lynch, who passed away a year ago last week, we heard “Falling,” by Julee Cruise, the Twin Peaks theme song. Lynch co-wrote the song with Cruise.

Checkout the playlist below and listen to the replay, available for the next two weeks.

• “Pink Orange Red” – Cocteau Twins
• “Lonely Town” – Steve Queralt (feat Emma Anderson)
• “Sacred Echoes (Part Two)” – The Church
• “All in my Mind” – Love and Rockets
• “Seabird” – Deary
• “Sleep Well Tonight” – Gene
• “Stranglehold” – The Churchhill Garden
• “Prayers for Rain” – The Cure
• “Waldorf Theft Song” – Au Revoir Borealis
• “Swordsman” – Night Tapes
• “A Girl Like You” – The Wolfgang Press
• “Dreams Never End” – New Order
• “After the Rain” – Orange Peels
• “Nirvana” – Glazyhaze
• “Half a Person” – The Smiths
• “You and Your Sister” – This Mortal Coil
• “For a While” – Fenne Lily
• “Sanvean/Tristan” – Dead Can Dance
• “Dead Sound” – The Raveonettes
• “Taste” – Ride
• “Melting” – Cigarettes for Breakfast
• “Vertigo” – Miki Berenyi Trio
• “Gabriel” – Lamb
• “In the New” – Kate de Rosset
• “If Only” – Nothing
• “Adorations” – Killing Joke
• “Little Galaxy” – Silk Daisys
• “A New Goodbye” – Nation of Language
• “Such a Shame” – Talk Talk
• “The Slab” – Slowdive
• “Slowdive” – Siouxsie and the Banshees
• “Falling” – Julee Cruise
• “Untitled 1” – Sigur Rós

Big Sonic Heaven has always featured talented female vocalists, and this week was no exception. 

This episode included Olivia Lee of There’s Talk, Chrisy Hurn of Basement Revolver, Geike Arnaert of Hooverphonic, Dottie Cockram of Deary, Estonian singer-songwriter Iiris Vesik of Night Tapes, and Alessandra Stella of Nother and Moon Leap. We also heard from French vocalist Rosa Rocca-Serra, featured on Tricky’s project, “Theis Thaws.”

And let’s not forget the unmistakable voices of Karen Peris from The Innocence Mission, Harriet Wheeler from The Sundays, Björk, Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins, and Sinead O’Connor.

Checkout the playlist below and listen to the replay, available for the next two weeks at WDET.org.

Big Sonic Heaven Playlist for Jan. 11, 2025

• “Mercy Street” – Peter Gabriel
• “Prayer Remembered” – Slowdive
• “Until You Come Back Home” – Nother & Moon Leap
• “Pearl” – Chapterhouse
• “En Lögn, En Sanning (note: translates to “a lie, a truth.”)” – Kallsup
• “Sweetness and Light” – Lush
• “I’m so Tired” – Deserta
• “Six Different Ways” – The Cure
• “Louise” – Clan of Xymox
• “The Big Shake” – The Mary Onettes
• “Here’s Where the Story Ends” – The Sundays
• “Golden” – There’s Talk
• “Troy” – Sinead O’ Connor
• “Before” – The Giraffe Told Me in My Dream
• “Drive that Fast” – Kitchens of Distinction
• “The Robot Girl Psychiatrist” – The False Dawns
• “Morning Theft” – Jeff Buckley
• “Skin” – Basement Revolver
• “Those Eyes That Mouth” – Cocteau Twins
• “Renaissance Affair” – Hooverphonic
• “Helix” – Night Tapes
• “Life is Wrong” – Longwave
• “Swamp Thing” – The Chameleons
• “On Your Side” – The Innocence Mission
• “Fly to the Ceiling featuring Rosa Rocca” – Theis Thaws
• “I’ll Fall with your Knife” – Peter Murphy
• “Elegia” – New Order
• “My Love” – Silk Daisys
• “It’s Oh So Quiet” – Bjork
• “Fairground” – Deary
• “Become” – Beach House
• “Hollywood Daydream” – Cigarettes for Breakfast
• “Severance” – Dead Can Dance

The first Big Sonic Heaven episode of 2026 features a range of the latest music from around the world, including New York, Manchester, Germany, Lebanon, San Francisco, and Taiwan. And let’s not forget the Big Sonic classics.

See the playlist below, and don’t forget that this and every episode are available on demand for two weeks after it airs online.

Big Sonic Heaven Playlist for Jan. 5, 2025

• “Paris and Rome” – Cranes
• “Breaking My Light” – Minor Victories
• “The Loony Bin” – Jahrund
• “Love in Itself” – Depeche Mode
• “Silhouette” – She’s Green
• “I Want to Touch You” – Catherine Wheel
• “Phosphorous” – Lamb
• “Haunt” – Washed Out
• “Girl of Colours” – 24 Gone
• “The Great Unknown” – IVY
• “Doused” – DIIV
• “Lament” – The Cure
• “The Drift” – Deary
• “Hollywood” – Ashes and Diamonds
• “Memories Fade” – Tears for Fears
• “Goldmine” – Chokecherry
• “Someone’s Calling” – Modern English
• “Kiss of Snow (feat Krissy Vanderwoude from The Churchhill Garden)” – Longingsky
• “The Headmaster’s Ritual” – The Smiths
• “You Against the Rest of Us” – Airiel
• “Down with the Upward” – A Shoreline Dream
• “Blue Bell Knoll” – Cocteau Twins
• “Faît Accompli” – Curve
• “Wait” – Meena
• “Silently” – Blonde Redhead
• “Heaven” – Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
• “Before” – The Giraffe Told Me in My Dream
• “Celia’s Dream” – Slowdive
• “Clusters” – Emma Anderson
• “Once More” – Bathe Alone
• “The Him” – New Order
• “Construction Site” – Postcards
• “Raconte Moi Une Histoire” – M83

The last Big Sonic Heaven of the year features the latest from She’s Green, The Mary Onettes, Yndling, Night Tapes, 16 Underground, and more.

Plus, this episode features tributes to two music industry greats who passed away this week. Perry “Teddy” Bamonte, guitarist and keyboardist of The Cure, passed Dec. 26, and Howie Klein, head of Sire and Reprise Records, passed away at 77. Darren reminisced about long conversations with Howie and his love and dedication to music. 

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

• “Gold” – Sigur RósBlack
• “Celebration” – Depeche Mode
• “Little Birds” – She’s Green
• “From The Edge of the Deep Green Sea” – The Cure
• “Without a Trace” – 16 Underground
• “6 Underground” – Sneaker Pimps
• “No More Kissing in the Rain” – TrenteMøller
• “Sea of Tranquility” – Siouxsie
• “Champagne Charlie” – Ashes and Diamonds
• “Machine Gun” – Slowdive
• “Procession” – New Order
• “The United States of Amnesia” – Hooverphonic
• “What Else is There??” – Royksopp
• “Hurricane Heart” – The Mary Onettes
• “Musette and Drums” – Cocteau Twins
• “Pacifico” – Night Tapes
• “Blown a Wish” – My Bloody Valentine
• “Vertigo” – Miki Berenyi Trio
• “Jesseye ‘Lizabeth (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)” – Mercury Rev
• “You Know How I Hate it (How the World Moves On)” – Yndling
• “You Do Something to Me” – Sinead O’ Connor
• “Vertigo” – The Love is Deadly
• “Snow Heart” – Lucy La Dusk
• “Leave the Lights” – Marta and Tricky
• “All Night Long” – Peter Murphy
• “Sacred Echoes (Part Two)” – The Church
• “Twisterella” – Ride
• “Like Suicide” – Actors
• “Atonement (feat Hatchie)” – Winter
• “For Love” – Lush
• “Out of Breath” – Melt Motif
• “Shine ’07” – Ulrich Schnauss
• “War in Heaven” – The Raveonettes

Sunday marked the Winter Solstice as we celebrated the longest night of the year in Big Sonic Heaven.

We played mix of traditional and non-traditional holiday songs, along with some of your favorite shoegaze, dreampop, trip-hop, and post-punk. Check out the playlist below. 

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

• “Silent Night” – Sinead O’Connor
• “Shanty” – Slowdive
• “Garden” – Maria Somerville
• “2000 Miles” – Deary
• “Stumble” – Meena
• “Christmas Reindeer” – The Knife
• “Merry Christmas from Björk” – Björk
• “All is Full of Love” – Björk
• “Christmas Don’t Be Late” – Rosie Thomas
• “My Love” – Silk Daisys
• “Winter Wonderland” – Cocteau Twins
• “Thoughtforms” – Lush
• “White Christmas” – 93MillionMilesfromtheSun
• “Warmth” – Glazyhaze
• “Stripped” – Depeche Mode
• “Holiday House” – Beach House
• “You Look So Fine” – Garbage
• “Emo Song” – The Haunted Youth
• “Christmas Time is Here” – Mark Kozelek
• “Song to the Siren” – This Mortal Coil
• “Christmas Will Break Your Heart” – LCD Soundsystem
• “Mad About You” – Hooverphonic
• “Just Drive” – Postiljonen
• “O Holy Night” – Bien
• “Gorecki” – Lamb
• “Until You Come Back Home” – Nother and Moon Leap
• “Happy Xmas (War is over)” – Cranes
• “She Won’t Be Home” – Erasure
• “Say You Will” – Ivy
• “Spirit”- Dead Can Dance
• “White Christmas” (2010) – Iggy Pop
• “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” (2007) – Asobi Seksu
• “Frosty the Snowman” – Cocteau Twins
• “My Christmas Prayer” – St. Etienne
• “All I Want For Christmas” – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• “Oíche Chiún (Silent Night)” – Enya

Listen to Big Sonic Heaven with host Darren Revell Sundays from 9 p.m. to midnight ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.