
The Oaks Every so often a music release appears in my mailbox that gives me pause and makes me listen hard and think about something other than just songs. That happened just recently with a very special project called The Oaks. It's an opportunity to hear some tremendous new music and give some attention to some very worthy causes. 50% of the profits from every album sold will go directly to benefit widows and recently-returned refugees [...]

I remember a month or so back, finding that I was posting a few too many slightly angry art student types making fast-paced rock/punk music. Luckily I found this band making lovely gentle music to sooth soul. Ryan Costello was still a student during Septmber 11th , inspiring him to join the Global Hope Network . And this is the sound of those years helping recently returned refugees in Afghanistan. Further inspired by his time there he returned and started a band and created an album with his good friends and fellow musicians Matt Antolick, [...]

Every album has a story. The story behind The OaKs ' debut album, Our Fathers And The Things They Left Behind , is one of the most interesting I've come across. Singer and guitarist Ryan Costello was a college student during the attacks of September 11th. After the impacting event, Costello joined the Global Hope Network (whose goal is to help deprived nations around the world). In 2003, Costello travelled to Afghanistan with the GHN, where he gained some of the most memorable experiences of his life. He also was educated in various Afghan [...]