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.”

Civics Lesson

Those aren’t sirens singing
near the markets, under
the horses’ diminishing four beats.

What a sweet progress.
What a word for such stomping.

The requisite politeness.
My head is bald from the bowing,
scraping it across the outside
of city hall.

Civics Lesson
Listen on Tidal. Listen on Spotify.

1. “Milam Apple Spitler Knoll Overlook” – Daniel Bachman
2. “Satellite” – Juan Chiavassa, David Kikoski, Boris Kozlov
3. “El Que Se Fue, Si Hace Falta (Mocean Worker Remix)” – Frankie Figueroa y su Orquesta La Madre
4. “Un urlo dalle tenebre (Messa nera)” – Giuliano Sorgini
5. “Endless Being” – Disgorge
6. “Getting Sober” – Spike Fuck
7. “Under the Wire” – John O’Gallagher, Ben Monder, Andrew Cyrille, Billy Hart
8. “It Very Well May Be” – Mark Turner, Jason Palmer, Joe Martin, Jonathan Pinson
9. “Pilots In The Night” – Leila Bordreuil
10. “Sheila Na Gig” – Nurse With Wound
11. “Roomba” – Eyeliner

Stephen McClurg (Episode 473 & 666, & Sirens of Verse #2) 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.