Those of you who've seen them before (perhaps when they headlined the Austinist SXSW party two years ago?) know this nearly irrefutable truth: when Akron/Family play a show, they freaking mean it. Few bands manage to so consistently stir their audience into a frenzy of delight as the Brooklyn via Pennsylvania trio, and their newest album, S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT (pardon the absurd title), is an auspicious return to form for an act that had at one point struggled to overcome the loss of one of their founding members to a Buddhist monastery. The three piece of Miles Seaton, Seth Olinksy, and Dana Janssen seem confident and at peace on the new album, and there's no doubt new rompers like "Silly Bears" and "Light Emerges" will stand tall live. And, as this interview a couple years ago shows, the group not only brings it energy-wise, but they also embrace deep thought, that rarity of rarities in the music world/human population. And you get to check it all out at the cozy Parish tonight. more ›

Photos courtesy Chad Wadsworth. more ›

Freak folk trio Akron/Family claim to play "music for people who like boats." More than just a cheeky quip, that may be the easiest succinct way to describe the band's appeal- if you don't mind pitching back and forth a bit on the ride, you're in for a treat. Akron/Family's Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free landed on our top albums of 2009 with its gorgeous forays into Dionysian bliss. If you're not already familiar with Akron/Family's psychedelic field recordings, chances are you've come across their collaborations somewhere off the beaten path between Michael Gira, Angels of Light, and Do Make Say Think. Though notoriously difficult to pin down, Akron/Family's billowing anthems offer plenty of sing-a-long footholds and melodic high ground that promises to make tonight's show at the Parish a good old-fashioned romp of a gig. more ›

Akron/Family will be back in town Wed, Feb 24 at the Parish with Warpaint. more ›

With a sound perhaps best described as Bacchanalian, the dizzying Akron/Family’s constant is cock-eyed optimism. It certainly seems like every sonic phrase this mock-cult "family" touches takes on a bearded, barefoot life of its own, all of them scampering vertiginously onward in the practice of freak-folk’s highest ambition: musical animism. more ›

Akron/Family is a band unlike any other in the current indie scene: they sport three part vocal harmonies, they can folk it softly, they break out the classic rock, and they do all of it with an attentive eye on the higher planes and greater depths of existence. Not only that, but they're going to be a little busy in Austin next week, playing four shows, including a headlining spot for Austinist's day party, Gonna Gonna Get Down IV, at the Mohawk on Wednesday the 18th. Just about to release their stunningly cathartic new album, Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free, we were lucky enough to hit up founding member Miles Seaton for a wide-ranging talk on the pursuit of truth, the SXSW blender, and why he's optimistic for the future of humanity. more ›

All week long, Austinist is giving away tickets and guestlist spots to some of the hottest private, unofficial parties taking place during the annual SXSW Festival. Contests will be posted throughout the day and run for a few hours apiece, so check back frequently for your best chance to win. more ›

We're happy to welcome Akron/Family, Vetiver, the Mae Shi, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Gringo Star, J Tillman, Young Widows, Here We Go Magic, Kevin Devine, Caitlin Rose, Garotas Suecas, TV/TV and Telekinesis, along with a DJ set by Ceeplus Bad Knives. As always, the party is free, 21+, and open to the public. We'll be serving treats from Home Slice and Mary Louise Butters and providing free booze all afternoon, and we'd love to see you. Over the coming weeks, we'll be introducing you to our lineup - get to know a few of them (and make a note of the set times) after the jump today. more ›