Though each member of the band — Miles Seaton, Seth Olinsky, Dana Janssen and formerly Ryan Vanderhoof — can be relegated to loosely defined roles (drummer, guitarist, bassist, vocalist), all of them play several instruments and sing, as evidenced by their shows and recorded material. When playing live, the band makes prominent use of improvisation and vocal harmonies. On their self-titled debut record, field recordings of a creaking chair, thunderclaps and the white noise of a television find their way alongside psychedelic and electronic elements, guitars and a glockenspiel.
In addition to their solo debut in 2005, the band played behind Michael Gira on his Angels of Light project as well as splitting a full length CD with Angels of Light.
In 2006, the band released an EP, “Meek Warrior,” a collaboration with master drummer/hero Hamid Drake which contained both more traditional folk music such as the lovely "Gone Beyond" and a pair of throbbing electric guitar monsters in “The Rider (Dolphin Song)” and the epic “Blessing Force,” which ends with an exploration into free jazz.
Sometime between the completion of [2007 release] Love Is Simple and Akron/Family’s 2007 U.S. tour, Vanderhoof left Akron/Family to live in a Buddhist Dharma center in the Midwest.
The band has also released several tour EPs featuring demos and other recordings. In May of 2009, the trio released Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free. This album serves as a blend of the previous albums with more acoustic-folk songs like "Set 'em Free," to fusion freak-outs like "Gravelly Mountains of the Moon."
In January of 2011 they released their album, "S/T II: The Cosmic Birth And Journey Of Shinju TNT ."
Akron/Family's sixth studio album, Sub Verses, was released on April 30, 2013 on Dead Oceans. The band toured for the album from January 29 to December 8, 2013. After the tour the band decided to focus on personal projects, leaving the door open for a possible reunion in the future.
How do I Know
Akron/Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
These bones
From their place
Hold onto the sound
Escapes
How do I know
Why
Comb
My hair with your hand
Time lost
In infinite
Sand
How do I know
Why
I'm alive
Akron/Family's song "How do I Know" is a haunting and introspective reflection on the fragility of life and the uncertainty of our place in the world. The song opens with the line, "Shake these bones from their place," which immediately sets the tone for the rest of the track. The songwriter is clearly struggling to come to terms with their mortality, and the idea that they are merely a small part of a larger universe.
The second verse is particularly poignant, with the songwriter asking, "How do I know why I'm alive?" This is a universal question that is difficult to answer, but the lyric captures a sense of confusion and uncertainty that many people experience at some point in their lives. The final lines, "Comb my hair with your hand, time lost in infinite sand," suggest that the songwriter is seeking comfort and connection with another person, but is still grappling with the existential questions that plague them.
In summary, "How do I Know" is a thoughtful and introspective song that explores the big questions of life and death. Its imagery is evocative and its lyrics are open to interpretation, making it a powerful and resonant piece of music that speaks to the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
Shake
Tremble
These bones
My body
From their place
Their original position
Hold onto the sound
Grasp onto the noise
Escapes
Leaves my grasp
How do I know
What is the way I can determine
Why
What is the reason
I'm alive
I'm currently living
Comb
Brush through
My hair with your hand
Using your hand to tidy my hair
Time lost
The duration that has passed
In infinite
In limitless
Sand
Grains of sand
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