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News

Mar 26, 2024

Strand of Oaks (the project of Timothy Showalter) has announced a new album, Miracle Focus, and shared its first single, “More You,” via a music video. More

“Covers of Covers” – Under the Radar’s First Album Is Out Today – Stream or Buy It Now

Covers of Covers Out Now via American Laundromat; Some Proceeds Benefit Sweet Relief

Mar 04, 2022

Covers of Covers, our first album, came out today on CD and digitally via American Laundromat. You can stream it now. You can also buy it directly from American Laundromat, via Bandcamp, or on Amazon. Today we posted a track-by-track article on the album, in which all 20 artists discuss their contribution. More

Under the Radar Announces “Covers of Covers” Album, Shares Grandaddy and EMA Tracks

Covers of Covers Due Out March 4, 2022 via American Laundromat; Also Features Cassandra Jenkins, Alex Lahey, Peter Bjorn and John, Hatchie, Nation of Language, Cults, Kevin Drew, Black Belt Eagle Scout, Girl Ray, Piroshka, and More

Dec 21, 2021

Under the Radar is proud to announce Covers of Covers, which is the magazine’s first ever album. In honor of our 20th anniversary we approached some of our favorite musicians and asked them to cover any song by any artist who had been on the front or back cover of our print issue over the years. Covers of Covers is due out March 4, 2022 via American Laundromat, but today we are sharing two of its tracks: Grandaddy’s cover of Metric’s “Blindness” and EMA’s cover of Modest Mouse’s “Trailer Trash.” More

Strand of Oaks Shares New Ode to John Prine – “Somewhere in Chicago”

In Heaven Due Out October 1 on Galacticana Records via Thirty Tigers

Sep 03, 2021

Strand of Oaks (the project of Timothy Showalter) is releasing a new album, In Heaven, on October 1 on Showalter’s own Galacticana Records via Thirty Tigers. Now he has shared its third single, “Somewhere in Chicago,” which is an ode to the late singer/songwriter John Prine, who died last year due to COVID-19. More

12 Best Songs of the Last Two Weeks: Magdalena Bay, Sea Power, Nation of Language, and More

Plus Big Thief, Trace Mountains, Macie Stewart, and a Wrap-up of the Last Two Weeks’ Other Notable New Tracks

Aug 13, 2021

Welcome to the 30th Songs of the Week of 2021. As I was on vacation last week, this week’s list covers the last two week’s worth of songs. So it’s a super-sized edition with a Top 12. More

Strand of Oaks Shares New Song “Jimi & Stan”

In Heaven Due Out October 1 on Galacticana Records via Thirty Tigers

Aug 06, 2021

Strand of Oaks (the project of Timothy Showalter) has shared a new song titled “Jimi & Stan.” It is the latest offering from his forthcoming album In Heaven, due out October 1 on Galacticana Records via Thirty Tigers. More

11 Best Songs of the Week: Courtney Barnett, The Goon Sax, Strand of Oaks, Damon Albarn, and More

Plus Nation of Language, Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks

Jul 09, 2021

Welcome to the 26th Songs of the Week of 2021. The American music industry pretty took Monday off due to Sunday’s July 4th holiday, so we expected slimmer pickings this week. It was not to be, thanks for some exciting album announcements. We settled on a Top 11 this week. More

Strand of Oaks Announces New Album, Shares New Song “Galacticana”

In Heaven Due Out October 1 on Galacticana Records via Thirty Tigers

Jul 08, 2021

Strand of Oaks (the project of Timothy Showalter) has announced a new album, In Heaven, and shared its first single, “Galacticana.” He’s also announced some tour dates. More

Timothy Showalter of Strand of Oaks – COVID-19 Quarantine Artist Check In

“I have not been able to get tested yet but I had all the symptoms and it was unlike any illness I ever had.”

May 29, 2020

We are checking in with musicians during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic to see how they are dealing with everything. What has their home quarantine experience been like so far and how is the crisis impacting both their career and art? Here we check in with Timothy Showalter of Strand of Oaks. More

Under the Radar Announces My Favorite Album Issue with Angel Olsen and Sleater-Kinney Covers

Issue 66 Features Musicians and Actors on Their All-Time Favorite Albums, including Tegan and Sara, Wilco, Weyes Blood, Sigur Rós, Fred Armisen, Topher Grace, Jay Baruchel, Low, and more

Sep 27, 2019

Under the Radar is excited to announce the My Favorite Album Issue, our new print issue in which we speak to musicians and actors about their all-time favorite album. The issue features Angel Olsen and Sleater-Kinney on the two covers and is available to buy directly from us here, as well as being distributed in stores nationwide (on newsstands, in such stores as Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million, and elsewhere). More

My Firsts: Strand of Oaks

It Takes Everything You've Got

Apr 01, 2019

My Firsts is our email interview series where we ask musicians to tell us about their first life experiences, be it early childhood ones (first word, first concert, etc.) or their first tastes of being a musician (first band, first tour, etc.). For this My Firsts we talk to Timothy Showalter of Strand of Oaks. More

10 Best Songs of the Week: Strand of Oaks, Rose Elinor Dougall, Weyes Blood, and More

Plus Tamaryn, Fat White Family, Tame Impala, Cate Le Bon, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks

Mar 22, 2019

Today was a fantastic day for new album releases, with fresh full-lengths from Strand of Oaks, Jenny Lewis, Andrew Bird, Tamaryn, Sleeper, These New Puritans, American Football, Lambchop, Avey Tare, Nilüfer Yanya, Ex Hex, and others. Album tracks from some of them made this week’s Songs of the Week list, which also contains several new singles released this week. More

Album of the Week: Strand of Oaks

Runners Up Include: Jenny Lewis, Andrew Bird, Tamaryn, Sleeper, Nilüfer Yanya, and These New Puritans

Mar 22, 2019

We haven’t done an Album of the Week post since January, but there are some upcoming albums truly worthy of the title, starting with the new one by Strand of Oaks (the project of Timothy Showalter), Eraserland, released today via Dead Oceans.Here is more info on the album, as well as a round up and streams for other notable albums released today. More

Strand of Oaks - Stream the New Album

Eraserland Out Now via Dead Oceans

Mar 22, 2019

Strand of Oaks (the project of Timothy Showalter) has released a new album, Eraserland, today via Dead Oceans. Now that the album is out, you can stream the whole thing here. More

Mar 14, 2019

Strand of Oaks (the project of Timothy Showalter) is releasing a new album, Eraserland, on March 22 via Dead Oceans. Last night he stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to perform the album’s “Ruby.” As on the album, Showalter was backed by members of My Morning Jacket (Bo Koster and Tom Blankenship). He was also joined by Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires. More

12 Best Songs of the Week: The National, Foals, Penelope Isles, Bedouine, and More

Plus Vampire Weekend, Strand of Oaks, Glen Hansard, Local Natives, and a Wrap-up of the Week's Other Notable New Tracks

Mar 08, 2019

We’ve got another supersized Songs of the Week this week, with a Top 12 instead of the regular Top 10. Like last week we could’ve gotten it down to 10, but it felt wrong to leave out the bottom two. It was a near tie for the top two songs this week. More

Strand of Oaks Shares New Love Song for His Wife – “Keys”

Eraserland Due Out March 22 via Dead Oceans

Mar 05, 2019

Strand of Oaks (the project of Timothy Showalter) is releasing a new album, Eraserland, on March 22 via Dead Oceans. Now he has shared another song from the album, the slow-burner “Keys” which he says is something of a love song for his wife Sue. More

10 Best Songs of the Week: Strand of Oaks, Alex Lahey, Chromatics, Hayden Thorpe, and More

Plus Ioanna Gika, Murray A. Lightburn, Amanda Palmer, and a Wrap-up of the Week's Other Notable New Tracks

Feb 22, 2019

There were many strong contenders for this week’s Songs of the Week. We could’ve gone as high as a Top 15 instead of the regular Top 10 and as it is there are a whopping 11 honorable mentions, with some good tracks that also almost made the honorable mention list to. More

Feb 19, 2019

Strand of Oaks (the project of Timothy Showalter) is releasing a new album, Eraserland, on March 22 via Dead Oceans. Previously he shared its first single, and opening track, “Weird Ways” (which was our #1 Song of the Week). Now he has shared another song from it, “Ruby,” via a video that is made up of home movie footage captured by his father (Jeff Showalter) on a video camera when he was a child. More

10 Best Songs of the Week: Strand of Oaks, Telekinesis, Weyes Blood, Piroshka, and More

Plus The Drums, Cass McCombs, Tamaryn, James Blake, C Duncan, Glen Hansard, and a Wrap-up of the Week's Other Notable New Tracks

Jan 18, 2019

Welcome to the second Songs of the Week of 2019. This week’s list includes tracks from freshly announced albums (Strand of Oaks, The Drums, Tamaryn, C Duncan, Glen Hansard), as well as by artists who have already made this list with previous songs from their upcoming albums (Telekinesis, Piroshka, Cass McCombs). More

Strand of Oaks Announces New Album Backed By My Morning Jacket, Shares New Song “Weird Ways”

Eraserland Due Out March 22 via Dead Oceans; Tour Dates Also Announced

Jan 15, 2019

Strand of Oaks (the project of Timothy Showalter) has announced a new album, Eraserland, and shared its first single, and opening track, “Weird Ways.” Eraserland is due out March 22 via Dead Oceans. The majority of My Morning Jacket (Carl Broemel, Bo Koster, Patrick Hallahan, and Tom Blankenship) back-up Showalter on Eraserland, which also features Jason Isbell and Emma Ruth Rundle. Strand of Oaks have also announced some tour dates. More

Oct 05, 2017

Tom Petty, the singer/songwriter/guitarist who found success in the 1970s and 1980s with his band as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, died Monday night after suffering cardiac arrest Sunday night in his home in Malibu, Los Angeles. More

Strand of Oaks Share New Song, “I Know YOU know You’re Evil,” for Anti-Trump “Our First 100 Days”

"Our First 100 Days" Will Include a New Song Every Day for the First 100 Days of Donald Trump's Presidency

Apr 03, 2017

“Our First 100 Days” is an anti-President Donald Trump project. The good folks behind the “30 Days, 30 Songs” anti-Trump campaign during the election have teamed up with Secretly Group for “Our First 100 Days.” More

Mar 30, 2017

Strand of Oaks released their new album, Hard Love, last month on Dead Oceans. Last night Tim Showalter and band stopped by Conan to perform “Rest of It” on the broadcast show. More

Watch: Strand of Oaks - “Cry” Video

Hard Love Out Now via Dead Oceans

Mar 07, 2017

Strand of Oaks released their new album, Hard Love, last month on Dead Oceans. Now the project of Tim Showalter has shared a video for “Cry.” More

New Anti-Donald Trump Compilation Features Angel Olsen, Jens Lekman, Toro Y Moi, Mitski, and More

"Our First 100 Days" Will Include a New Song Every Day for the First 100 Days of Trump's Presidency

Jan 13, 2017

During the election many indie rock musicians released anti-Donald Trump songs and likely assumed, like many liberals and Hillary Clinton supporters did, that Trump didn’t have a strong chance of winning. More

May 05, 2015

For the eleventh year now Champaign-Urbana, Illinois will host the Pygmalion Festival. 2015’s initial lineup has been revealed and it features iconic British shoegazers Ride, Purity Ring, tUnE-yArDs, Sylvan Esso, Zola Jeus, Strand of Oaks, Ryley Walker, Bully, White Reaper, and more. More



Interviews

“Covers of Covers” – Inside Under the Radar’s First Album

Track-by-Track: Each Artist on Their Contribution to the Album

Mar 04, 2022

When hatching plans to celebrate Under the Radar’s 20th anniversary I knew I wanted to go beyond just producing a special 20th anniversary issue. Despite two decades of writing about albums, one thing we’d never done is actually put one out ourselves. Thus I came upon the idea for Covers of Covers. The concept was so perfect and simple that I’m surprised we hadn’t thought of it before. We approached some of our favorite musicians and asked them to cover any song by any artist who had been on the front or back cover of our print issue over the years, including artists that had appeared in group cover shots. More

The End: Strand of Oaks

Seeding New Galaxies

Oct 01, 2021

To end out the week, we ask Timothy Showalter of Strand of Oaks some questions about endings and death. More

My Favorite Album: Strand of Oaks on Joanna Newsom’s “Ys”

“Joanna Newsom as a lyricist stands at some grander place than me, and I am deeply reassured by that.”

Jul 30, 2020

Music is infinite and at least for me should never be put in absolute terms. I have no favorite record because I have thousands upon thousands of hours of music that has equally elevated me. More

Timothy Showalter of Strand of Oaks – COVID-19 Quarantine Artist Check In

“I have not been able to get tested yet but I had all the symptoms and it was unlike any illness I ever had.”

May 29, 2020

We are checking in with musicians during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic to see how they are dealing with everything. What has their home quarantine experience been like so far and how is the crisis impacting both their career and art? Here we check in with Timothy Showalter of Strand of Oaks. More

Strand of Oaks on “Eraserland”

Digging Deeper Than Ever

Apr 11, 2019

For just a moment, Strand of Oaks’ Timothy Showalter got what he wanted. More

My Firsts: Strand of Oaks

It Takes Everything You've Got

Apr 01, 2019

My Firsts is our email interview series where we ask musicians to tell us about their first life experiences, be it early childhood ones (first word, first concert, etc.) or their first tastes of being a musician (first band, first tour, etc.). For this My Firsts we talk to Timothy Showalter of Strand of Oaks. More

2014 Artist Survey: Strand of Oaks

Timothy Showalter on the Day Mr. Hooper from Sesame Street Died, His Childhood Celebrity Crush, Riding Stallions, and His Cats

Feb 10, 2015

For Under the Radar’s 12th annual Artist Survey we emailed some of our favorite artists a few questions relating to 2014. We asked them about their favorite albums of the year and their thoughts on various notable 2014 news stories involving either the music industry or world events, as well as some quirkier personal questions. More


Reviews

Mar 18, 2019

In a robotic world, genuine rock ‘n’ roll is still worthy of acclaim. These days, the household names are Kurt Vile, The War on Drugs, and Courtney Barnett, but we might want to add Strand of Oaks to that list. More

Mar 01, 2017

With Hard Love, the churning, confessional beauty of Strand of Oaks’ last album, 2014’s HEAL, is present, but there is an added ruthlessness. Hard Love delivers frontman Tim Showalter’s hard stuff in exponents. Add this depth of relay onto Showalter’s loaded visions, and it sounds as if the universe itself is groaning. We are out of our seats for this one. More