Philly's epic folk teller Strand of Oaks a.k.a. Tim Showalter with Pattern Is Movement drummer Chris Ward in tow has been roaming the American countryside and wowing crowds (I'm sure) on a highly-successful tour with Sweden's The Tallest Man On Earth. Showalter will be spinning his captivating tales for both old and young today at Philly Folk Fest representin' for a new breed of folksters on the rise who are ready to add to the genre's rich heritage. It's going to be chill, but damn sure beautiful! Old Pool Farm, Upper Salford Township, 12:30pm, Various [...]
When I spoke with Strand of Oaks' Tim Showalter last summer, the Philadelphia-based songwriter was set on turning abruptly away from the all-consuming grandeur of Pope Killdragon . "It's going to be a synth record," he told me with excitement I couldn't help but smile at. And for a second there, it seemed like he was actually going to do it. In April, Showalter released an all-synth, no guitars version of "Spacestations", one of the songs that would later appear on Dark Shore s. It was spacious, swashy, and hymnal. Then Dark Shores came [...]
Dark Shores by Strand of Oaks A charming little indie folk and rock hybrid coming off this new Dark Shores album. Stream it via the widget above, or grab a CD copy on Bandcamp .
Timothy Showalter's Strand Of Oaks project have recently released their album 'Dark Shores' and you can get a free download of 'Maureen's' which is slightly psychedelic alt-country with hints of early Neil Young. Maureen's by Strand of Oaks
The third and final video that Out of Town Films shot at XPoNential Music Festival spotlighted the excellent, emotive Wisconsin band Field Report, who played the Susquehanna Bank Center on Sunday night and decided to perform for the cameras in the venue's bathroom. From the filmmakers: Dave, Field Reports manager, was already eyeing up the ... Continue reading
![Strand Of Oaks – Dark Shores [album review]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4426036_lg.jpg)
This album has taken a while to digest. After seeing Strand of Oaks in Austin, I knew that Tim Showalter had moved Strand of Oaks towards a more dyanamic band. But I seem to remember that set in Austin as really rocking, with fists pumping and high fives flying. That being said, I was half in the bag when they hit the stage and I was fired up to hear the new songs. Or maybe I caught The Sword and got confused with all the long hair. Dark Shores might not be as rocking as I recollect that [...]
MP3: Strand of Oaks - Maureen's Timothy Showalter's Strand of Oaks returns to Columbus on Thursday (8/2), this time opening for The Tallest Man on Earth at the Wexner Center . Showalter is one of my favorite musicians and always a fun interview, so I had to ask him a few questions about the direction of his just-released Dark Shores . Gone are the walls of synth of Pope Killdragon , replaced instead by reverb-less vocals and John Vanderslice-approved acoustic arrangements. You can find an [...]
I may have mentioned it here before, but making mix tapes is one of my favorite hobbies. At some point during high school, which I mostly found unbearable, I distinctly remember thinking that I had all these great sad songs, but they were spread out over too many different albums. Why not combine them into one powerful tape of self-loathing? Seemed a great idea at the time. I don't know about anyone else, but when I'm feeling down, I just can't stand upbeat music. I'd rather play something that echoes my mood; it's always done a much better job of [...]
Adam wrote about this last night and I've already had numerous conversations about it. One with Shakey Graves and another with Schleicher, he of Juniper Tar, who assures me that this tribute is indeed as righteous as it sounds like it's gonna be. There are some things that are unfuckwithable, some things that are better left uncovered by musicians because the first did it so perfectly, there's no reason. Typically, I'd say Springsteen's Nebraska is one of those things. But my mind was changed by a lineup that [...]
At some point between when I saw Strand of Oaks last year and when I saw them again last night, Timothy Showalter graduated into the realm of rock star. Maybe it was the venue; Union Transfer is a much bigger stage than the intimate Johnny Brenda's. Maybe it's the joy of playing new material. Or maybe Showalter had it in him all along and only decided to reveal it now. But either way, Philadelphia saw a different Strand of Oaks on Monday night. Showalter, who often performs solo, was joined on stage by drummer [...]
Last night's double-header bill at a sold-out Union Transfer was a study in musicians doing more with less. Kristian Matsson, the title character in The Tallest Man on Earth is about as minimal a performer as one can get, bringing himself and an acoustic guitar onto the venue's cavernous stage, which was empty except for ... Continue reading
Tonight Strand of Oaks (a.k.a. Tim Showalter) makes a stop home with Pattern Is Movement 's Chris Ward on drums to take the stage at Union Transfer opening for The Tallest Man On Earth (a.k.a. Kristian Matsson). The duo has been on tour with the Swedish singer-songwriter in support Oaks' latest release Dark Shores , which was produced by John Vanderslice and Ian Pellicci. They also recently had the honor of backing Matsson during a recording session for Moog Sound Lab (pictured above). I hope that you have your tickets already because this evening's [...]
On the heels of releasing his latest full-length record, Dark Shores, Strand of Oaks plays Philadelphia tonight, opening up for recent Free at Noon highlight The Tallest Man on Earth. Knowing Oaks' main man Tim Showalter to be a fellow with broad-ranging and exquisite taste in music, we asked him to make us a Spotify ... Continue reading
Last night, my sister Kristen and I went to the 9:30 club to see the Tallest Man on Earth. I'm not very familiar with his work but thanks to Daytrotter and I Am Fuel, You Are Friends (or is it just Fuel/Friends?) Summer mixes, I had access to a number of songs. And then of course there's Last.fm which is where I listened to even more. I also found that the opening band, Strand of Oaks, did a Daytrotter session back in 2010, so we checked that out the night before, too. So we were ready. [...]
It is fair to say we've got ourselves pretty excited about the release of the new Strand Of Oaks album Dark Shores . If you want to know why, just sit back and listen to the full album stream below and then head here to buy a copy. a Follow @madmackerel
I turned 31 last week... It was a non-stop celebration to help ease me into this turning point in my life. 31? Really? How is this possible? But it is, this is my reality. And I joke around that no one is to refer to me as 31, from this point on I am forever 30. Like a vampire. Ha! We all know there is no magical way to stop time. I am a grown up... Holy crap, I actually have to act like one now... You may recall the post about Strand of Oaks , which [...]
1. american aquarium - burn.flicker.die - out 8.25.12 2. hallelujah the hills - no one knows what happens next - get me in a room - buy it via bandcamp 3. strand of oaks - dark shores maureens buy it via bandcamp 4. [...]
![Review: Strand of Oaks, Dark Shores [2012]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4408298_lg.jpg)
The genius of Timothy Showalter's dark folk tapestries is the way in which they are both unassuming and in-your-face. That dynamic was much more evident on Strand of Oaks ' previous release, Pope Killdragon , as Showalter stepped outside of the mythos of his biography (folk singer whose house burns down and writes a brilliant record about it) to deliver something altogether unique and genre-defying. Showalter is a bit more pensive on Dark Shores , but the power of his music is the same. Nerding-out for just a moment: If Strand of Oaks songs played Dungeons & [...]
Got some recommendations for your listening on this release Tuesday. Some new, some live and then some various that just needed inclusion. First off, new album from Tim Showalter as his recording persona Strand of Oaks; Dark Shores ! After receiving the Slowcoustic favourite album of 2010 with his previous full length Pope Killdragon , you know this was a very much anticipated album. While the two albums feel like different beasts, they still have fantastic musical journeys. Dark Shores includes a bit more range than I have heard [...]
Big congrats to our friend Tim Showalter, who today is releasing the latest Strand of Oaks full-length, Dark Shores. Produced by indie rock luminary John Vanderslice - notable for his work with The Mountain Goats and more - the record forges a middle ground between Oaks' previous two releases, embracing the mystical, emotional depths of ... Continue reading
The Deli Magazine
Consequence Of Sound
The Needle Drop
SoundsXP
The Key
HearYa: An Indie Music Blog
donewaiting.com
Given and Taken in Ink
folk hive
Appetite for Distraction
Mad Mackerel's Blog
Untitled Records
Captain's Dead
Slowcoustic
Philly electronic music experts sound off on Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories
Review: The Front Bottoms – “Talon Of The Hawk”
