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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…
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Erin Rae – “Candy & Curry”
Today, the ethereal-voiced folk singer Erin Rae shares the latest single from her upcoming album, Lighten Up. The album features Kevin Morby, Hand Habits, and is produced by Jonathan Wilson (hence the hazy, multi-faceted effect that you can hear particularly well on this track; Wilson is credited as performing ‘machines’ in addition to drums & percussion on “Candy & Curry”). Tinged with cosmic country, the track could easily be a…
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Steve Gunn shares film, tour dates, good news!
Some Steve Gunn news! First of all, please enjoy this short concert film of Steve performing Live from the Rat Fink Room, filmed early this fall at the first stand-up comedy club ever, located at 5th and 3rd Ave in New York. The performance features Gunn’s songs “Fulton” aned “On the Way” from his latest album, Other You (which we liked). Watch it here: And guess what else! He’s getting…
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Mae Krell – “Phantom Limb”
Mae Krell shares a deeply personal new single today about overcoming addiction and the continuous process of recovering. “People often expect me to be ‘healed’ now that I’m sober, not realizing that my disease will continue to trail behind me for the rest of my life,” Mae says. “‘phantom limb’ speaks to my recovery, and what it’s like to choose to carry something difficult with you instead of letting it go untreated.”…
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Chelsea Rose – “Be Yrself”
Today Chelsea Rose shares the video for “Be Yrself,” a standalone (and standout) single released in advance of her upcoming 12″ Truth or Consequences, to be released early next year on Paul Is Dead Records. Chelsea’s sultry voice effortlessly carries the catchy ditty with a groovy guitar solo and a toe-tappin’ rhythm. “Be Yrself” was written and recorded pre-Covid. It serves as a reminder for me (and hopefully others) that…
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Tori Amos – “Spies”
🚨🚨🚨🚨 NEW TORI AMOS 🚨🚨🚨🚨 Um, somehow I missed the memo but the goddess herself released a new record recently? I’m so sorry. Today shares a lyric video for the song “Spies,” featuring animated creatures that taunt Tori’s daughter Tash at their Cornish home in the night. “Spies” is a mystical demystification, an urgent lullaby, a fierce invocation of protection for her daughter. Tori will be touring the UK and…
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ragenap mix
Our friend Joel Berk, aka ragenap, is a prolific inventor of distorted, monster of heady tones, master of swirling psychedelic expanses, and mind-bending melodies. He recently released a cassette entitled Thankrupcy on American Dreams, an improvisational, heavy head trip, as well as a split with Prana Crafter in early 2020 that got tons of air play in this house. His Bandcamp page boasts loads of recordings using other people’s songs…
