I started this year truly intending to post more, but life gets in the way. If I spent a quarter of the time I spend feeling bad about not writing, writing, well, that would fix it. I have some sort of creative paralysis where it seems impossible most days to do anything other than work my 8 hours and then walk around the sun and make dinner, and I’m trying to imagine a world where maybe that’s enough? I read a lot, sleep very little. I dislike being on the internet more every day. I definitely don’t keep up with…

Hello all! It’s been a while. There was truly an overwhelming amount of amazing music that came out this year. I am so grateful to all the artists, labels, and publicists for their patience and perseverance in this exceedingly difficult landscape. I feel like I missed so much and I know there are some amazing records that weren’t in my Bandcamp account I didn’t include (lookin’ at you Andre 3000.) All that said, back in the day I used to post a top 10 so a long list (50+) ain’t bad. Here are some amazing records I enjoyed this year.…

It’s late summer and thinking of seasons changing brings my stress levels up, but thank goodness, music is on the way to save me. Here’s a list of a few beautiful new releases that are coming out around this time. Bandcamp Friday is September 1st, so add these to your cart and check out then! Seasons Shifting by IKSRE & anthéneA gorgeous collab between two prolific ambient composers- soothing and inspiring. Seasons Shifting by IKSRE & anthéne unlikely places by awakened soulsMore overwhelming beauty from my favorite ambient power couple. unlikely places by awakened souls Generation / Harvest by ChannelersSean…

This year in music is turning out to be wildly amazing. And there’s never been a better time to buy music on Bandcamp – on Juneteenth (6/19), Bandcamp is donating all of their shares of Bandcamp sales to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a racial justice organization with a long history of effectively enacting change through litigation, advocacy, and public education. Bandcamp is always the best platform to purchase music on and support artists, and this month, a great cause as well. Here are some of my absolute favorites out now or coming out this summer. Soundings in Fathoms by…

Heyoooo it’s been a while but I’m trying hard to keep up and stay current so here’s a little roundup of music released this year I’ve been enjoying. My recommendations for your Bandcamp Friday purchase below: Tony Delk's 53 Point Game by Mavis Guitar Tony Delk’s 53 Point Game by Mavis GuitarMicrotones meet pedal steel in this album by two brothers, creating a balancing act between heavy and light. Sometimes soothing, sometimes metal, this unique record goes so many places. Holding Pattern by Slow Clarity Holding Pattern by Slow ClarityExtremely heady Minneapolis psych fingerstyle from Steve Palmer (finally!) and Matt…

On March 3rd, Petal Motel is sharing a Bandcamp-exclusive digital compilation benefiting the National Network of Abortion Funds. Songs range from atmospheric soundscapes to heartfelt jangle folk songs, and everything in between. Petal Motel put out the call for Petal Motel-esque songs (anything with acoustic guitar, pedal steel, drone, field recordings, intricate riffs, and other motifs of Cosmic Americana the music blog tends to celebrate) and 32 artists absolutely delivered.  compassion has something for everyone- from electrifying ambient soundscapes interwoven with lap steel and field recordings (Davide Cedolin feat. Seawind of Battery, Duncan Park); to proggy indie rock anthems (Evening Glass’s Pavement-esque…

Hello Petal Motel friends! This blog is entering a formal sleepy time/hibernation period for the next several weeks as we get through the holidays and prepare something extremely special for you to be released in Q1 2023, featuring several of your favorite artists and then some. Please stay tuned and thank you for all your support. We love you!

Shots of Drew Gardner & Jesse Sheppard and friends recording Distances, out 9/16 on Feeding Tube. I don’t like the word “choogle” because it feels a bit like “hysteria” to me – a meaningless catchall; you know what it means, but basically it’s a descriptor for something rocking. Well, Elkhorn is choogling and I can’t deny it. This is much less meditative and much more rollicking than a lot of their previous work (to their credit – this suited me so perfectly when it found me). Whether they’re contemplative and intricate or, well, intricate and blazing in full glory, they’re…