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.
Of All the Things
Akron/Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wonder the most
The most often thing i have heard
is wether it's best
To say what you mean
Or mean what you say you have heard
To see what is said
You've got to be listening first
By minding you mind you'll find
Timing your time is
You're mostly likely meaningless search
For what have you heard
That you can say
That you can know
What have you seen
That you can keep
That you can own
Dethroned at the base
And held back to back
But called out to face
And looking away
Forms the context of space
Like the very first day
And all those that know
Are all those that say
All has been said
But how can one know
The word of a day
That has never began
What have you heard outside
Thought that you might have known
Shown are the countless ways that
You have been outgrown by all the
Seeds you planted ages ago
Many times you
Sat there and wished
That they would grow
Pity they've grown
Right throught your skin and
Into the bone
Alone you all await
The messengers voice
To be carried and shown
But now you have heard
The word can't be known
And you've just begun
The song "Of All the Things" by Akron/Family is a reflective and philosophical exploration of the power of words and their meanings. The lyrics pose a question of whether it's better to say what you mean or mean what you say. This question is accompanied by a call to listen first, to be mindful of time and space, and to consider that what we think we know and what we see may not always be accurate. The song speaks to the complexities of language and the ways in which our perceptions of the world shape our understanding of it.
The lyrics of "Of All the Things" emphasize the idea that words can be limiting and that our interpretations of them can be flawed. The line "What have you heard that you can say that you can know" suggests that words can only convey a limited amount of meaning and that there are things that exist beyond our understanding. The song also touches on the idea that our perceptions of reality are shaped by our own experiences and biases. The line "Forms the context of space like the very first day" suggests that our interpretations of the world are shaped by our own experiences and are therefore limited by our own perceptions.
Overall, "Of All the Things" is a thought-provoking exploration of the power of language and perception. The song asks us to consider the limitations of words and to be mindful of the ways in which our perceptions of the world shape our understanding of it.
Line by Line Meaning
Of all the things
Out of all the things in the world
I wonder the most
I am curious about the most
The most often thing I have heard
What I have heard most frequently
is whether it's best
The question is whether it is better
To say what you mean
To speak truthfully
Or mean what you say you have heard
To believe what you hear
So up with the lids kids
Open your eyes, children
To see what is said
To observe what is being communicated
You've got to be listening first
You must first listen carefully
By minding your mind you'll find
By being aware of your thoughts and feelings
Timing your time is
Controlling your time is
You're mostly likely meaningless search
Your search is likely to be meaningless
For what have you heard
What have you heard
That you can say
That you can express
That you can know
That you can understand
What have you seen
What have you witnessed
That you can keep
That you can hold onto
That you can own
That you can possess
Dethroned at the base
Removed from the foundation
And held back to back
Pushed back to the rear
But called out to face
But summoned to confront
And looking away
And turning away
Forms the context of space
Creates the setting for one's surroundings
Like the very first day
Like the beginning
And all those that know
And those who have understanding
Are all those that say
Are those who express
All has been said
Everything has been spoken
But how can one know
But how can one be sure
The word of a day
The meaning of a moment
That has never been begun
That has not yet started
What have you heard outside
What have you heard beyond
Thought that you might have known
That you once thought you knew
Shown are the countless ways that
Revealed are the innumerable ways
You have been outgrown by all the seeds you planted ages ago
The things you started long ago have grown beyond you
Many times you sat there and wished
You sat there and wished many times
That they would grow
That they would flourish
Pity they've grown
Unfortunately they have grown
Right throught your skin and
Right through your skin and
Into the bone
Into the bone
Alone you all await
You all wait alone
The messengers voice
The voice of the messenger
To be carried and shown
To be conveyed and displayed
But now you have heard
But now you have listened
The word can't be known
The meaning cannot be fully understood
And you've just begun
And this is just the beginning
Contributed by Mateo L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.