Sublime eclectic mayhem. That’s been my playlist project and musical life, one that begins with The Muppet Movie soundtrack and later involves performing hymns, death metal, surf, and bluegrass. I’ve played in theaters, tents, and basements, for multi-stage festivals and squirrel rodeos. I’ve written and recorded music for The Drunken Odyssey. Sublime eclectic mayhem. A warning and a welcome for joyous noise, for those navigating what Beckett called “this bitch of an earth.”

certain mauve curtains

almost blocked
the light and lawn 
gas smell
he started 
in the garden 
I would grab a book
gravel-headed 
klept out no corn 
no snap beans for me 
I liked the way he 
salt-shakered maters 
off the vine 
it made me want
to do what I couldn’t 
he squatted 
sweated through all 
weather and I watched 
not thinking anything 
except those pumpkins 
were always beautiful 
bowls of gold 
on cords of envy

Bowls of Gold

Listen on Tidal. Listen on Spotify.

1. “Why We Fight” – Wormrot
2. “Other Kinds of Love” – Meat Puppets
3. “Brighter Days” – Dwight Yoakam
4. “Look Alive” – Straw Man Army
5. “Past Turned Space black extendable box-blue folder” – Zeena Parkins
6. “Ronce” – Colin Vallon, Patrice Moret, Julian Sartorius
7. “He’s Gone” – Caleb Klauder, Reeb Willms
8. “Burdened by Solar Mass” – Full of Hell, Andrew Nolan
9. “Amidinin War Hi Toyed” – Tinariwen
10. “Horizon Line” – Scott Gilmore
11. “Delay Drums 4” – Ariel Kalma
12. “Sunlit Leaving” – Earthen Sea
13. “Dream Within Dream” – Stephen Micus
14. “Purification” – Adrian Younge, Laetitia Sadier
15. “L’époque” – Lars Danielsson, John Parricelli, Verneri Pohjola
16. “Patchworks” – Sigurd Hole

Stephen McClurg (Episode 473) composes and improvises in Serenity Dagger, The Abdomen, and other projects. Along with session work for mid-Alabama singer/songwriters, he frequently collaborates with musicians across the state adding bass, guitar, and synths to friends’ recordings. He currently writes reviews for Horror DNA and is the substitute low end wrangler for Mobile-based punk rock band Future Hate. You can find out more about his work here.