Strand Of Oaks

Radio Kids

Photo: Pitchfork

Good Morning!

Today we’re listening to “Radio Kids” by Strand Of Oaks

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It might be hard to remember, but there really was an era when “music discovery” meant listening to the radio for new favorites. When “downloading a song” meant lying in wait with a tape recorder to grab your favorite song until you could either save up enough money or get a ride (or both) to the store to buy a physical copy.

Strand Of Oaks is the project of Timothy Showalter, and this is his love letter to that era. Of trying to get the timing just right to miss the DJ’s intro, and of getting lost inside your headphones for hours at a time.

His music has been alternately described as folk and rock. This song definitely lands on the rock anthem end of the spectrum for me. Let me know what you think.

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More:

"Radio was my freedom as a kid. No internet, no scene, no way to find music except radio. It was an escape, and a joyous one at that. But the idea of radio is also a metaphor for where we stand today. Isolated, alone, with just a cold screen staring back….I'm just old enough to live before all this took over and I never once asked for it. I don't want everything all at once. It's addictive at first but it just leaves you empty. I miss true, innocent discovery and connection."

Read more of Showalter’s thoughts here.

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Listen

“Radio Kids” by Strand Of Oaks| Hard Love, 2017

Click the record to listen on your platform of choice.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this track!

Thanks for being here,

Kevin—

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