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

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