PRESS
-
Love Is Simple | Review
()
Jambase.comchaos, rock action, tribal bongo-banging and sentimental sing-alongs of their live showsLove Is Simple is the second full length release from Young God recording artists Akron/Family, their fourth overall including one mini-album and one CD split with Angels of Light. The album was produced by Andrew Weiss (Ween, Rollins Band, Gone), recorded at his Zion House O' Flesh studio in West Central New Jersey. Love Is Simple is being released on Young God September 10. Love Is Simple comes the closest to bridging the gap between the "gangs all here!" chaos, rock action, tribal bongo-banging and sentimental sing-alongs of their live shows and the necessarily more cerebral, or at least worked-over and layered process of recording in the studio where they excel being patient and obsessive techno nerds as well as rampaging apes on demand. There're some beautiful songs and gorgeous harmony singing as well as some wild and weird jams, all in the service of their chosen Deity: Nothingness, or LOVE, or whatever it is they're on about. The initial conception of Akron/Family took place Fall 2002 when Seth Olinsky and Miles Seaton met while working graveyard shifts at the same coffee shop in Manhattan and started recording together. A lot......
-
Love Is Simple | Review
()
Jeff Klingman | Prefixmag.com The swells always creep back down into the gentle lilt that preceded themA few days ago, Stereogum dropped the first hints of Akron/Family’s second full length album, Love is Simple, due to hit shelves next month. Though nominally an avant folk group, the Akrons have always seen fit to leave their strum and bleat motif at the drop of a straw hat to get much, much more expansive in scope. A back porch ballad was liable to birth a Radiohead anthem, a Zeppelin riff monster, a prog wack out, or a sweet Beatles’ harmony so unexpectedly that iPod malfunction could be reasonably inferred. So when the soft stoned meditations on perspective begin “Phenomena” meekly in their Wayne Coyne-ish manner, the informed listener is ready and waiting for the change-up. In this case, we get an in flux of bluesy guitar and a chorus of voices for emphasis. The structure here isn’t as free form as the band tends to employ, however. The swells always creep back down into the gentle lilt that preceded them. If the band has truly reigned in their sound and decided on a more regimented method of hopping from genre to genre, it......
-
Love Is Simple | Review
()
Jeff Klingman | Prefixmag.com The swells always creep back down into the gentle lilt that preceded them.A few days ago, Stereogum dropped the first hints of Akron/Family’s second full length album, Love is Simple, due to hit shelves next month. Though nominally an avant folk group, the Akrons have always seen fit to leave their strum and bleat motif at the drop of a straw hat to get much, much more expansive in scope. A back porch ballad was liable to birth a Radiohead anthem, a Zeppelin riff monster, a prog wack out, or a sweet Beatles’ harmony so unexpectedly that iPod malfunction could be reasonably inferred. So when the soft stoned meditations on perspective begin “Phenomena” meekly in their Wayne Coyne-ish manner, the informed listener is ready and waiting for the change-up. In this case, we get an in flux of bluesy guitar and a chorus of voices for emphasis. The structure here isn’t as free form as the band tends to employ, however. The swells always creep back down into the gentle lilt that preceded them. If the band has truly reigned in their sound and decided on a more regimented method of hopping from genre to genre, it......
-
Love Is Simple | Review
()
Scott Lapatine | Stereogum.com it's easy being cheeky when you can unleash rootsy licks as an afterthoughtThrough seemingly constant touring and regular work with Michael Gira's Angels Of Light, the urban folkies in Brooklyn's Akron/Family are a (mostly) bearded (always) busy bunch. Which is why it's hard to believe the watch-worthy quartet's forthcoming Love Is Simple is just their second full-length release. No way that's possible … Let's recount: There's the self-titled debut, Gira backup band spot on The Angels of Light Sing (Other People), and that excellent split album with Angels (half their songs, half them playing behind Gira) – all of that appeared in 2005. Then came a seafaring backup spot for Baby Gramps on Letterman (they appeared on ANTI-'s Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys), and 2006's mini-album Meek Warrior. Okay, all set ... well, actually, they also lend one hell of a muster to Angel's forthcoming We Are Him … Now that we're pretty sure our math's correct, we finally get a listen of "Phenomena," the first taste from the Family's forthcoming LP. The song starts off chirpy, lonesome (vocals, acoustic guitar), but before you know it, folks you hadn't noticed in the room are......
-
Love Is Simple | Review
()
Scott Lapatine | Stereogum.com get out there and rally 'round the FamilyThrough seemingly constant touring and regular work with Michael Gira's Angels Of Light, the urban folkies in Brooklyn's Akron/Family are a (mostly) bearded (always) busy bunch. Which is why it's hard to believe the watch-worthy quartet's forthcoming Love Is Simple is just their second full-length release. No way that's possible … Let's recount: There's the self-titled debut, Gira backup band spot on The Angels of Light Sing (Other People), and that excellent split album with Angels (half their songs, half them playing behind Gira) – all of that appeared in 2005. Then came a seafaring backup spot for Baby Gramps on Letterman (they appeared on ANTI-'s Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys), and 2006's mini-album Meek Warrior. Okay, all set ... well, actually, they also lend one hell of a muster to Angel's forthcoming We Are Him … Now that we're pretty sure our math's correct, we finally get a listen of "Phenomena," the first taste from the Family's forthcoming LP. The song starts off chirpy, lonesome (vocals, acoustic guitar), but before you know it, folks you hadn't noticed in the room are rattling percussion, ringing bells, plugging......