• listen

    “Province” by Bartees Strange, Ohmme & Eric Slick; “Ever New” by Anjimile

    WOW YES. Today Sylvan Esso’s artist-centric label, Psychic Hotline, shares the second installment of their 7″ single series with a pair of covers. Side A features Bartees Strange, Eric Slick, and Ohmme’s cover of “Province” by TV on the Radio, and Side B is Anjimile’s cover of Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s “Ever New.” Listen here: Province/Ever New by Bartees Strange, Ohmme & Eric Slick / Anjimile Bartees and I started talking earlier…

  • playlists

    Route 66 : A Road Trippin’ Playlist

    Two and a half hours of the classics, or songs that will be regarded as classics, to keep you awake late at night on that last long stretch of the I-40, or to start your engine as you motor through the scorching desert. I’m absolutely shamelessly sharing phots from Route 66 road trips over the last year or two. I love a road trip desperately but I’m starting to feel…

  • listen

    Desert Liminal – Watercolor

    Chicago’s Desert Liminal shares the song and video for “Watercolor,” the last single and opening track from their upcoming record, Glass Fate. Featuring understated but highlighting string parts, lo-fi keys, and warbly, ethereal vocals, the whole thing sounds like a distant siren’s song from a dream. Desert Liminal’s Glass Fate is out October 1st on Whited Sepulchre Records. Get it on Bandcamp.

  • listen

    Goldkey – Breeze Before I Go & Clear the Way

    Petal Motel friend Goldkey has shared two new tracks. Songwriter and musician Mike Horn’s voice sounds great on these two contemplative songs ripe for release on the edge of autumn equinox, with dreamy layers of guitar grooves, reflective keys, and whimsical harmonies. The thought occurs to me that Mike would be an amazing country singer, which led me to wondering if these songs qualify? Who knows, these days? Genre is…

  • reviews

    awakened souls & From Overseas – Keep the Orange Sun

    Earlier this year, marine eyes released a gorgeous ambient album that had soothing vibes on par with Enya (which is high praise, I love Enya and until now absolutely no one could quiet my brain like her pure moods.) My obsession with idyll is likely a direct cause of my newfound and growing interest in the use of synthesizers, in meditation music, and vocals-as-an-instrument. marine eyes, aka Cynthia Bernard, is…

  • reviews

    Hayden Pedigo – Letting Go

    I thought I may have burned myself out on acoustic guitar records earlier this year, but Hayden Pedigo’s Letting Go proved me wrong. In an interview, he described it as “closer to new age in tone” and perhaps that’s what’s so attractive about it – blending futurism with tradition, welcoming and embracing the new era of Texas musicianship. It’s a beautiful, contemplative, breathing record. Hayden’s elegant and painterly compositions are…

  • interviews

    Sail Away with Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection

    Spencer Cullum cut his teeth in Detroit playing with a rock and roll band before moving to Nashville and becoming an in-demand session player, playing with Miranda Lambert, Kesha, and Deer Tick. Eventually he began writing his own songs and invited Nashville luminaries like Caitlin Rose, Andrew Combs, Erin Rae, and Skyway Man to play on his record. Coin Collection is a timeless sounding blend of folk music, prog, and…

  • dreams

    Aspirational Arias : Experimental & Ambient Music to Breathe To

    There was a recent article slamming many ambient albums I love and it seems so strange because that’s the beauty of the genre- it’s abstract, thwarts tradition, and what’s incredibly boring to one person could be extremely soothing to another, and vice versa. It’s like, criticizing dreams?? Weird. I already know I’m going to get some backlash for this article so prefacing now with a disclaimer that I am not…

  • listen

    Jackson + Sellers – “Hush”

    Check out the single “Hush” from Jackson + Sellers’ upcoming debut, Breaking Point. This rocking, edgy-Americana duo record is dangerously good- their harmonies electric, the musicianship powerful and timeless. Aubrie Sellers and Jade Jackson slid into one another’s DMs over the pandemic after a brief meeting at Americanafest, and watched their idea for a potential collaboration blossom into something magnificent. Citing Plant & Krauss (especially apparent on this song) and…