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.”

Late Naturalism

I’m becoming old,
or an older poet,
or just old in all the ways.

I remember being annoyed
by poets talking about flower names,
particular tree leaves, shrubs.
I couldn’t tell if the writer was
talking about a bloom or a blossoming rash:
lousewort, hellebore, pussytoes, clematis.

My world had other names:
thrash metal bass players, special-effects
artists, the authors in the new Splatterpunks
anthology. I could tell you the last
three Fangoria covers by heart: Leatherface,
Brundlefly, Dr. Pretorius.

At some point I began to admire their glossary
for the greeny things of the world.
It was alien, or I was just plain ignorant.
The world was lathered in various vocabularies,
scented particulars lost on me,
some dolphin, one of olfaction’s orphans.

The writing used to look up or below
for something important.
I’ve slowly begun looking around,
terminology, and perhaps thoughts, limited.

And though a digital immigrant,
if we even use that idea anymore,
I’ve taken up phone apps
that allow me to learn the names
of all those flowers and trees and shrubs,
to see something other than blurs of green,
a lexicony bouquet, a Palmetto Go played 
by some Janus of botany,
screen-lit among the weeds.

Blooms
Listen on Tidal. Listen on Spotify.

1. “Michigander Blues” – Ikey Robinson & His Band
2. “WAKŌ HEIGHTS” – Gold Panda
3. “I love the Room I live In” – HIGHSIGH, Macie Strewart, Max Jaffe
4. “Peter the Dog” – mary in the junkyard
5. “We Are Up Against It Now” – The New Lost City Ramblers
6. “Harm” – Guus Janssen
7. “Titoli]” – Carlo Rustichelli
8. “Güle kurban olunmazmi” – Derdiyoklar Ikilisi
9. “What a Normal Day Is Like” – Ben Bennett
10. “Sans Visage IV” – Felicia Atkinson
11. “Intro/Main Title (from Hand of Death)” – Sonny Burke
12. “3. Wise Beyond Words, Dancing” – Firelife Trio
13. “Music to Eat Thanksgiving By (3 Flute Players and 300 Turkeys)” – Jim Nollmann

Stephen McClurg (Episode 473 & 666) 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.