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Vintage Hips: the Greg Loiacono & Tim Bluhm interview
In this interview, I ask Greg Loiacono all about the Mother Hips’ new album, Glowing Lantern, made in the midst of the pandemic and embracing the collaborative spirit of the Hips’ youth. I also ask Greg for lots of musical advice, and later we’re joined by Tim Bluhm. The two share memories from their 30+ year career as professional musicians, including how they met and learned from each other back…
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Kareeta – Kareeta
Kareeta by Kareeta In the spring of 2020, Chuck Harris and Jon Siembieda holed up in Costa Mesa to quarantine together after a last hurrah rocking out at a friend’s show the night before the world shut down. The two music heads began playing along with Howlin Rain’s The Alligator Bride; soon enough, prolific writer and artist Chuck was writing lyrics while Jon came up with guitar parts. Not long…
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Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros announce spring 2022 tour
Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros just confirmed a 13-date tour this spring. The band will feature Don Was, Jay Lane and Jeff Chimenti + the Wolfpack, and the legendary Barry Sless will join on pedal steel. The tour will kick off on March 9th at the Ryman Presales begin this Wednesday, December 15 at 10am local time concluding Thursday, December 16, with general on-sale beginning Friday, December 17. Sign up for early access to tickets HERE.…
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No Depression Classic : A Playlist
Alt-country is like a comfort food; raised on it, informed my taste, I feel like I’m more sophisticated now but deep down inside, this is who I am. The genre has its problems, but damn that music was good! Please enjoy this photo of me in cowboy boots in Dallas, Texas in 2007
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Songs of the Year 2021
Oh, did you think I was done with year-end lists? There’s one more. Earlier this week, Petal Motel released our favorite albums of the year. Now here’s a playlist of some of our favorite songs from the past year. I avoided picking songs from albums that I view as concepts as a whole, and instead focused on songs that stood out on their own (hence many songs from albums on…
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Josh Kimbrough – Slither, Soar & Disappear, Track by Track
Josh Kimbrough’s solo debut record Slither, Soar & Disappear was one of my very favorite albums that came out on Tompkins Square in 2020, and now it’s being issued on vinyl via Worried Songs. Josh’s guitar-based record isn’t like all the others. There’s no lonesomeness like many records we love via Tompkins Square. Instead, there’s a familial coziness, a very down-home feel balanced with finesse and elegance; and reading his…
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Petal Motel’s Albums of the Year (2021)
Picking favorite albums of the year is always a daunting task; yet a chance for introspection and a guideline by which to mark the passing of time. Petal Motel never ranks; but simply compiles and points out a few that have meant the most to our staff (me) throughout the duration of this topsy-turvy year. There was (understandably) an enormous amount of creative output this year. Although we are grateful,…
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Devin Hoff on the Magic of Anne Briggs
Last week, Devin Hoff released Voices From the Empty Moor (Songs of Anne Briggs) on Kill Rock Stars. Devin is a storied solo bassist as well as a collaborator with a range of artists as far-reaching as Yoko Ono, Nels Cline, Cibo Matto and Mike Watt. After decades of intense fascination with Anne Briggs, Devin tapped talented friends like Julia Holter, Shannon Lay and Sharon Van Etten to release 9…
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Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal Review/Podcast
If you’re not new to Petal Motel dot com, you’re aware of my revere for Neal Casal, as a musician, a songwriter, a guitarist, a music lover, and a person. Last year I did a complete retrospective on his solo albums, and well, there’s a dedication to him imprinted on the bottom of the site, he’s my #1 musical hero, the reason I have good taste (from gorging myself on…
