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.
I've Got Some Friends
Akron/Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
hey have you noticed?
everyone is crazy
i've got some friends that you should meet
all good men
all good women
but don't go see them if you're shy
cause they are always in embrace beyond propriety
i've got some friends that you should meet
all good men
all good women
all their names
but don't go see them if you're shy
cause they are always in embrace beyond propriety
who can obstruct
the mind freein' crazy joy
who can contrive and answer to my questions never asked
i question this life alot oh ohhhhhh
like a white cloud floating free
aimless i wander
vagrant outward
like a white cloud floating free
aimless i wander
figure it outward
like a white cloud floating free
aimless i wander
figure it outward
like a white cloud floating free
aimless i wander
figure it outward
that's how it should be
that's how it is
that's how it should be
that's how it is
like a white cloud free
that's how it is
like a white cloud free
that's how it should be
like a white cloud free
that's how it should be
like a white cloud free
that's how it is
The lyrics to Akron/Family's song "I've Got Some Friends" are somewhat cryptic and open to interpretation, but they seem to revolve around a sense of freedom, acceptance, and joy that can only be found by embracing one's own "crazy" nature and connecting with like-minded friends. The opening line, "bliss boy form awareness of purest brilliance sent to misclarity," sets the tone for a kind of ecstatic, otherworldly experience that is both beautiful and confusing. The next line, "hey have you noticed? everyone is crazy," seems to suggest that this sense of madness is something universal and inescapable, and that we should embrace it rather than trying to deny or suppress it.
The recurring refrain, "I've got some friends that you should meet / all good men / all good women / all their names / but don't go see them if you're shy / 'cause they are always in embrace beyond propriety," underscores the importance of connecting with like-minded individuals who share our sense of "crazy joy," but also acknowledges that this kind of behavior might seem inappropriate or uncomfortable to more reserved or conventional people.
The rest of the lyrics continue in this vein, celebrating the freedom of a wandering, aimless existence ("like a white cloud floating free"), and questioning the nature of reality and our place in it ("who can contrive and answer to my questions never asked / I question this life a lot"). Ultimately, the song seems to suggest that embracing our own unique brand of madness, and finding others who share it, is the key to living a truly joyful and fulfilling life.
Line by Line Meaning
bliss boy form awareness of purest brilliance sent to misclarity
A person with pure understanding and insight has been sent to a world of confusion and chaos.
hey have you noticed?
Have you observed and realized?
i've got some friends that you should meet
I have acquaintances you ought to know.
all good men
They are all of high moral character and integrity.
all good women
They are all of high moral character and integrity, of the female gender.
all their names
I know and can provide you with the names of all these individuals.
but don't go see them if you're shy
If you are timid, avoid visiting them.
cause they are always in embrace beyond propriety
Because they often display and express affection that is socially unacceptable.
who can obstruct
Who has the power to stand in the way of
the mind freein' crazy joy
The liberating and insane joy that comes from a free mind.
who can contrive and answer to my questions never asked
Who could come up with responses to my inquiries that were never even posed?
i question this life alot oh ohhhhhh
I frequently doubt and ponder the meaning of existence.
like a white cloud floating free
I am aimlessly wandering and floating through life, much like a cloud.
aimless i wander
I do not have a clear purpose for my travels and journey through life.
vagrant outward
Without direction, I continue to move and progress.
that's how it should be
This is the way life should be perceived and lived.
that's how it is
This is the way life is perceived and lived.
Contributed by Aaron A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.