When Akron/Family last rolled through town a couple of years ago, they were sharing a bill with Deerhunter, and we've got to say that they blew those mimsy shoegazers off the stage. The American three-piece (who split their time between New York and Portland, Oregon) are an unpredictable bunch, apt to channel everything from Appalachian folk to Sabbath-style riffing – often all in the space of one song. This year's Akron/Family II (The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT) was inspired by Japanese underground psychedelia and composed in a cabin on Mt. Meakan, an active volcano in Hokkaido. To confuse things further, the band leaked massively distorted and sonically fucked-up fake versions online prior to the album's release – material which has since been compiled into a double vinyl set of its own, Bmbz.
In what must be their most unhinged move yet, Akron/Family are asking audience members to bring cups, plates, bowls, chopsticks and what-have-you to the final show in their tour, so they can play along with the band.