Lynchian Lounge

djtea0
7 hours ago
10 min read

{The Original Tribute}

Listen From The Archive

Hit Play & Tune In | More Shows on Mixcloud [Click Here]

🎂 A Very Lynchian Birthday: Dreams, Dread & Damn Fine Coffee

This week I’m celebrating my birthday with a return to one of my favorite tribute shows we ever aired — Lynchian Lounge, a dreamy, surreal sonic love letter to the work of David Lynch and the musicians who helped shape his haunting cinematic worlds.

Originally aired in January 2025, this episode was part playlist, part séance. I had so many notes for that show (most of which I never shared) and this year, I’m giving myself the gift of revisiting it. As a lifelong fan of the surreal, strange, and beautiful, it feels like the perfect way to mark another lap around the sun.

Behind the Red Curtain: A Tribute to David Lynch

David Lynch’s work is more than just storytelling—it’s an experience, a journey into the subconscious, where music plays as vital a role as dialogue or imagery. This week on Eclectic Wonderland, we’ll celebrate the incredible artistry of Lynch and his collaborators with a special show: Behind the Red Curtain.

The playlist is a tapestry of Lynchian brilliance:

• Music from his films (Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Dune, Twin Peaks)

• Songs inspired by his work (My Cousin Dallas’ “Wrapped in Plastic,” Surfer Blood’s “Twin Peaks”)

• And haunting performances by artists like David Bowie, Julee Cruise, Lou Reed, Chris Isaak, and more.

We’ll also share fascinating facts and themes from Lynch’s universe:

• The Red Room, where time bends and dreams speak truths.

• David Bowie’s enigmatic role as Phillip Jeffries in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.

• Lynch’s masterful use of liminal spaces—those unsettling, dreamlike places that blur the lines between reality and the unknown.

🎧 Whether you’re a lifelong fan of Lynch or stepping into his world for the first time, this show promises to transport you into the surreal.

And don’t forget—“the owls are not what they seem.” 🦉 Will you take the journey?

🎬 The Lynchian Lounge Birthday Immersion Experience™

I’m also spending this entire week watching all my favorite Lynch films — and yes, the full Twin Peaks universe is included. Below is the lovingly chaotic lineup (not up for debate):

🎬 Lynch Lounge Watchlist

(a lovingly chaotic order, not up for debate)

1. Eraserhead – The Holy Headtrip. Black & white, baby-screaming, radiator-singing nightmare fuel. Start strong.

2. Blue Velvet – “Heineken? F*** that s***.”

3. Twin Peaks (Seasons 1 & 2) – With pie, logs, and synchronized snaps.

4. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me – For pain, beauty, and Laura’s haunting unraveling.

5. Twin Peaks: The Return (Season 3) – Just let go. Episode 8 will unmake your mind.

6. Mulholland Drive – Sexy, spiraling, sapphic dream logic. Naomi Watts serving it all.

7. Inland Empire – You thought you were okay? You were wrong. Let’s dissolve the timeline.

8. Wild at Heart – Nic Cage. Snakeskin. Wild, hot Americana.

9. Lost Highway – “I like to remember things my own way…” Yes, we will.

10. The Art Life (Doc) – End with David painting in his studio and telling weird stories about his childhood. Feel whole again.

🍰 The Velvet Menu

• Cherry Pie (duh)

• Damn Fine Coffee

• Velvet Rum Balls (with danger)

• Bigfoot Fudge (with or without figs, your call) / Chocolate Bunnies (We just have a lot of Fudge)

• Donut Wall (Gordon Cole would demand it)

• Lynchian Cheese Plate (weird, haunting, possibly wrapped in plastic)

• Blue Velvet Martini — vodka, crème de violette, and mystery

📚 Lynch MasterClass Sessions (one per day)

• His philosophy on ideas: “The idea tells you everything.”

• Sound design deep dives (paired with wine)

• Meditation breaks: TM vibes only.

• Artistic courage and the joy of not explaining anything to anyone ever again

🪑 Atmosphere Setup

• Sheer curtains fluttering ominously

• Lava lamp flickering in the corner

• Red room, pillows, flickering lights, and a “no logic required” sign by the door

• Jazz and ambient scores playing between screenings

• Bigfoot slippers for lounging comfort

Playlist

✨ Dive into the full playlist below — with videos linked for every track, so you can watch, listen, and wander through the eclectic flow.

Set your reminders!

A Fun Little Promo!

Listen Live To Eclectic Wonderland Button.

Eclectic Wonderland Links (Links In Pink!)

Show Notes & The full playlist: {Links Are Pink!}

Spinitron Play List!

Intro for Show Notes

This week’s show was a difficult one for me to talk through. As a huge fan of David Lynch, I found myself reflecting on how much his work has meant to me over the years. He poured his heart and soul into everything he created, crafting worlds that are haunting, beautiful, and deeply moving.

I am filled with gratitude for the art he gave us, the stories he told, and the surreal, Lynchian lens through which he allowed us to see the world. But I’m also feeling sad and full of emotions—it’s hard to say goodbye to someone whose work has been such a profound source of inspiration and wonder.

These are my notes for the show. They’re a mix of facts, reflections, and tributes to a man who forever changed the way I experience art, music, and storytelling. Thank you, David Lynch, for everything.

This show is in Loving Memory Of David Lynch

“Welcome to Behind the Red Curtain, a tribute to the one and only, the master of surrealism and mystery, David Lynch. In This Show we dive into his world of dreams, shadows, and strange beauty—through music, film, and the spaces in between."

• Red Curtains:

• Lynch’s red curtains appear in Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Eraserhead, and Mulholland Drive. They symbolize the boundary between reality and the subconscious, a gateway to hidden truths.

Song Notes:

1. “In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)” - David Lynch & Alan Splet

• Featured in Eraserhead, Lynch’s surreal debut. The Lady in the Radiator sings this haunting tune in a dreamlike scene, symbolizing an escape from pain and the promise of a better existence beyond earthly struggles.

• The radiator represents a liminal space—a transition between the horrors of reality and the safety of the subconscious.

• The line “In heaven, everything is fine” encapsulates the dreamlike longing at the heart of Lynch’s work.

2. “Sublime Eternal Love” - Chrystabell & David Lynch

• Chrystabell, Lynch’s longtime collaborator, embodies his ethereal, haunting aesthetic. Lynch once described her as “not only a killer musician but an angel straight from heaven.”

Chrystabell’s collaboration with Lynch highlights his fascination with ethereal voices and emotional resonance.

3. “I’m Here (Bonus Track)” - David Lynch & Lykke Li

• Lynch’s collaboration with Lykke Li channels his signature eerie, otherworldly soundscapes. A sonic mirror to Lynch’s recurring themes of yearning and isolation.

4. Excerpt: “The Owls Are Not What They Seem”

• A classic Twin Peaks line that embodies Lynch’s use of cryptic symbols. Owls are a recurring motif tied to the Black Lodge, surveillance, and the blurred line between good and evil.

5. “Twin Peaks Theme” - Angelo Badalamenti

• Badalamenti’s melancholic theme for Twin Peaks captures the town’s duality: the surface-level idyllic beauty and the darkness lurking beneath. It’s a portal into Lynch’s world, where beauty and terror coexist.

2nd Break

“Let’s step further into the world of Lynch, where every moment feels like a dream you can’t quite wake up from.”

“Lynch’s world is one where nothing is as it seems. Music serves as both a guide and a misdirection, leading us deeper into the mysteries.”

Song Notes:

1. “Good Day Today” - David Lynch

• Lynch’s ironic foray into electro-pop, with lyrics that juxtapose positivity against a backdrop of dread. A rare glimpse of Lynch’s quirky humor.

2. “This Magic Moment” - Lou Reed

From Lost Highway

• A nod to Lynch’s use of classic songs to contrast innocence and menace. Reminiscent of Blue Velvet, where idyllic suburbia hides grotesque violence.

perfect fit for Lynch’s exploration of beauty and decay.

3. “Wicked Game” - Chris Isaak

• Featured in Wild at Heart. Isaak’s sultry voice underscores the film’s doomed romance and feverish energy of forbidden love and raw desire.

4. “Blue Velvet” - Bobby Vinton

• The title song for Blue Velvet, where the contrast between its lush romance and the film’s disturbing underbelly defines Lynch’s unique storytelling style. where the sugary sentimentality of 1950s Americana hides a much darker reality.

5. “At Last” - Etta James

From Inland Empire.
• Lynch’s films often use dreamy, nostalgic music to evoke longing. A reflection of characters searching for completeness amid chaos. use to contrast innocence with eerie undertones.

6. Excerpt: “Damn Fine Cup of Coffee”

• Agent Dale Cooper’s joyful appreciation for coffee reflects Lynch’s ability to balance the mundane with the profound. Coffee is a grounding symbol in the surreal chaos of Twin Peaks.

7. “Green Onions” - Booker T. & The M.G.’s

• Its cool instrumental vibe evokes the surreal, timeless energy Lynch often injects into otherwise ordinary scenes.

It was featured in "Part 7" of Twin Peaks (2017) over an extended sequence of a janitor sweeping the floor at the Roadhouse.

3rd Break

• Lynch excels at creating spaces that feel both familiar and otherworldly, such as the Red Room or the dark highway in Lost Highway.

In Lynch’s world, music isn’t just a soundtrack—it’s a character, a force that shapes the story.” “his soundscapes become as important as visuals, pulling us into his dream logic.

1. “Shadow” - Chromatics

• Featured in Twin Peaks: The Return. The Chromatics embody the Lynchian blend of retro cool and modern mystique. the songs ethereal sound feels like a musical portal into Lynch’s world.

2. “Lark” - Au Revoir Simone

• Another Twin Peaks: The Return feature. Its hypnotic rhythm mirrors Lynch’s exploration of cyclical time and repetition.

3. “Black Tambourine” - Beck

• Its distorted, haunting tones feel like a sonic twin to Lynch’s dark corridors and otherworldly land scapes. It perfectly captures Lynch’s mix of unsettling beauty and dark, driving energy.

From Inland Empire.

4. “Eye” - The Smashing Pumpkins

• A Lynchian soundscape of moody electronica and ominous tension, from Lost Highway.

5. “I’m Deranged” - David Bowie (with Brian Eno)

From Lost Highway. Bowie’s frenetic lyrics and Eno’s experimental sound set the perfect tone for Lynch’s fractured narrative. it is a disorienting, hypnotic reflection of the film’s themes of identity

6. “That Gum You Like Is Going to Come Back in Style”

• A Twin Peaks line spoken by The Man from Another Place, encapsulating Lynch’s playful surrealism and cryptic foreshadowing.and is a prime example of Lynch’s cryptic, looping dialogue.

7. “Prophecy Theme” - Brian Eno & Toto

• From Dune. The score’s expansive, haunting tones reflect Lynch’s attempt to navigate epic storytelling.

David Bowie as Phillip Jeffries:

• Bowie’s enigmatic role in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me connects to the show’s larger mythology. His haunting message about “Judy” and his disappearance add to Lynch’s fascination with the unknown.

4th Break

“Lynch’s work lingers in liminal spaces—the places where reality dissolves into dreams.”

“The music in Lynch’s world often feels like it’s from another time—hauntingly familiar yet unsettlingly strange.”

1. “No Stars” - Rebekah Del Rio

• Featured in Twin Peaks: The Return. Del Rio’s haunting vocals are pure Lynch—melancholy and transcendent. Del Rio’s heartbreaking performance embodies the series’ recurring themes of loss and longing.

2. “I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star” - Linda Scott

• Used in Mulholland Drive. Its innocent charm juxtaposes the film’s darker themes of identity and betrayal.

3. “Be-Bop-A-Lula” - Gene Vincent

from Wild at Heart
Lynch often uses nostalgic tracks like this to create a veneer of simplicity that contrasts with his characters’ inner turmoil.

4. “Crying” - Roy Orbison

• Used in Mulholland Drive. A Spanish-language version by Del Rio is sung in Club Silencio, symbolizing the fragility of identity and the illusion of control. marking a surreal turning point in the film.

5. “Baby Please Don’t Go” - Them

from Wild at Heart

• Its gritty, raw energy perfectly matches Lynch’s interest in primal emotion.

6. “Dance of the Dream Man (Instrumental)” - Angelo Badalamenti

• From Twin Peaks. Its jazz-infused rhythms underscore the show’s balance of whimsy and menace.

*The Bunny Rabbits in Twin Peaks & David Lynches Rabbits {Is This Where My Cosmic Bunnies Come from?}

5th Break

“Lynch’s influence stretches far beyond his own work, inspiring generations of artists to explore the weird and wonderful.”

1. Wrapped in Plastic - My Cousin Dallas

A direct tribute to Laura Palmer, whose death is the mystery that unravels the world of Twin Peaks.

2. Twin Peaks - Surfer Blood

• Inspired by the iconic series, blending surf rock with Lynchian vibes.

3. “The Owls Are Not What They Seem” - The Motion Sick

• A musical homage to the cryptic lore of Twin Peaks.

4. “Laura Palmer’s Prom” (Radio Edit) - You Say Party! We Say Die

• An upbeat yet eerie nod to the iconic Twin Peaks character and the tragedy that surrounds her.

5. “Just You” - Angelo Badalamenti & David Lynch

• Sung by James Hurley in Twin Peaks. Its raw sincerity contrasts with the show’s darker undercurrents, making it both endearing and unsettling.

6. “Audrey’s Dance” - Angelo Badalamenti

• From Twin Peaks. Audrey’s theme is a dreamy, jazz-infused piece, embodying her enigmatic character.

7. “Falling” - Julee Cruise

• The closing song. The haunting vocals and ethereal melody serve as a perfect goodbye to the Lynchian dreamscape

Lynch once said the Red Room represents “a place where time does not exist.” It’s a realm of pure subconscious energy.

Some Fun Extras

Streaming Info

• Twin Peaks and Lynch’s films can be streamed on services like Paramount+, Criterion Channel, HBO MAX, or available for rent on platforms like Amazon Prime Video. You can also visit your local Library & Their Streaming Platforms.

*David Lynch Biography

*David Lynch Films

*David Lynch TV

*Twin Peaks Fan Wiki

*Twin Peaks (2017) Fan Wiki

In Closing

As I write this, I feel a deep sadness. There’s so much more I wanted to share, so many corners of David Lynch’s surreal and beautiful world I could explore endlessly. I could talk about Twin Peaks, his films, and the magic of his artistry all day and still never fully capture the depths of his genius.

To David Lynch’s family, friends, and all those who worked with him over the years, my heart goes out to you. His boundless imagination touched so many lives and left an indelible mark on this world.

I hope this show, these words, and these memories comfort other fans who feel this loss as deeply as I do. Let’s hold on to his legacy together and reminisce about the strange, wonderful worlds he created. Sending love to everyone feeling this today.

David, you will be greatly missed.

With love and gratitude,

DJTea.