c/d: akron/family

bernard I am, upload the track, give me a call, moms asking about you

probably another of their fake leaks

They're probably cool people, but the music is DUD to my ears.

yeah i'm not overly impressed with their stuff. i think i keep revisiting their work because i figure that if michael gira loves them, there must be something i'm not getting.

http://ifile.it/0twsfhm
zoom zoom zoom!

These guys are such hippies, but I love 'em. I mean, come on, lyrics about saving a $1.80 on ice cream at Safeway only to give same $1.80 to a woman outside the store? So hilariously great. Love the new album.

http://cache0.bigcartel.com/product_images/50313451/soitgoes.jpg http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8N-4vHUiQ64/S6y4E7XEJ7I/AAAAAAAAC5I/TMJXGtSp6zo/s1600/cover.jpeg

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/405880_10150552105488114_553603113_8745855_1361657181_n.jpg

like are these guys famously not very bright or something

It's Crystal Castles all over again

Not that this excuses the theft but is that skull that guy's own design? Cos it does look like something he just found anyway tbh.

the lettering is nicked from Crass

don't know the exact origins off the top of my head but MITB have been using it for like 20 years

Ah okay, so it's pretty much their logo by now.

the lettering is nicked from Crass

I thought Crass famously encouraged the use of their font?

yeah no-one'll go after you for that, except maybe for being played out

Well, yeah, thats another issue.

I don't know enough about MITB, but I feel like I've seen that skull around lots of places.

that guy hates me too!

i think i deleted the email he sent me though. it was pretty mean! and pissed off! but, you know, i guess it should be given the source.

why was he mad at you?

yeah, scott! do tell!

saw an akron/family lp w/the mitb skulls plastered all over it a couple weeks ago. thought it might be a collabo lp and was like, 'what the hell?'

and that skull is a big part of their design sensibility. a bunch of bands splintered out from mitb and there have probably been hundreds of releases with em used prominently.

I think the story is that one of them photocopied it from a medical textbook and they just went with it.

here's the record I spotted in a used bin:

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljpg9zQb981qg16vmo1_500.jpg

Yeah that was Akron/Family's Record Store Day vinyl from last year, <bmbz>.

"My name is miles, I'm the member of Akron/Family who decided to lift the MITB skull and I take responsibility for it. I saw MITB at 16 years old and it changed how I heard and played music and made me want to play bass (which I have ever since) it was an honest tribute. As you can see I/we clearly "stole" the crass circle as well: I didn't contact anyone to ask permission. We weren't trying to "steal" your logo. And we're never planning on long term use. When i used to make zines or flyers or shirts for my first band it everyone used everything ones. Influences were clear. Anyway I would be happy to talk about this In a non public format to come to an understanding and apologize publicly. To you and all others involved. Just in interest of actually repairing the situation. It was an innocent gesture and honestly meant as a tribute and I stand by it artistically. The economy of images is clearly not innocent in culture and Im not oblivious to that either. I am happy to address all of this with you, and come to an understanding of how to deal with it. Like i said - the use was tied to the inspiration I felt when making a particular aspect of our music. It's never been about Trying to use the skull forever. It's an honest artistic nod to music / imagery I grew up with ."

this is almost as dumb as no age claiming kings of leon stole their tshirt logo.

Ha, that man actually is a bastard.

A stupid one.

Well its horribly written, but I think A/F dude kinda has a point and it genuinely doesn't seem like he was trying to pull one over on MITB.

Should have asked them first basically.

Well, yeah, I don't know, I'm torn on this. As someone more familiar with MITB pointed out, its pretty widely regarded as their "logo", but considering they took it from a medical textbook in the first place I don't think its really their original design where they get to dictate its use. Dick move? Yeah, probably, but I don't think they "stole" a trademarked design or anything.

some other dude from mitb

"Well im certainly happy to hear that it was coming from that direction. Look I get it, I really do. I'm totally into reference and homage, I love the underground nods. I've been thinking about this all morning and I'm all for free use and everything, and I tend to be of the opinion that coyright is bullshit...but you got understand that this just hit all of us out of the blue. With no warning or communication you have something that is very personal to all of us plastered all over several items you have for sale. I even stood back for a few minutes and wondered to myself: "they couldn't really just co-opt something so recognizable and expect this to pass could they? This has to be a nod, right?"

so basically he's all for free use, unless it's something that he has used in the past but doesn't actually own.

^^^

this is stupid

kinda wishing ghost of whoever's skull that was comes back from the dead and lectures them both

also A/K is great one of the few indie rock bands I care about/return to these days

I like these guys too for some reason. Maybe cos they can really jam? Moment is my jam.

I like A/F a lot. Particularly for not hiding the Dead influence.

haha that guy also accuses a/f of avoiding the issue by diabling comments on their facebook page, cause you can see how eric wood up there really wanted to discuss the issue.

considering they took it from a medical textbook in the first place I don't think its really their original design where they get to dictate its use

well yeah that's probably why they're just insulting them rather than making a noise about lawsuits or w/e

A/F are or can be p interesting musically I think but I've never heard a thing by them that suggested the influence of MITB or anything in that sphere, so it's a bit much to expect everyone to get the reference in the context they intended

kinda wishing ghost of whoever's skull that was comes back from the dead and lectures them both

― Full Frontal Newtity (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, January 24, 2012 5:47 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

^^^just reminded me why I miss ILM

I don't think MITB is claiming to "own" the image. However it's been used on pretty much everything they've done for the last 20 years, including the still-functioning Bastard Noise offshoot.

Two guys from MITB had very different responses--one laughable, one a bit more measured. Isreal (who is a friend of mine) was pretty clear that they weren't shouting lawsuit. However, considering their hardcore background, I think they were legitimately irritated to see something so closely identified with their band all over someone else's merchandise. Given the A/F dude's love of the band, a simple ask might not have been out of the question--especially since BN is still using the damned skull on his shit.

However, considering their hardcore background, I think they were legitimately irritated to see something so closely identified with their band all over someone else's merchandise

See this is the part that I'm not really following in their argument. Wasn't the early hardcore aestehtic, particularly when it came to fliers, all about "borrowing" images that could be copied and pasted on fliers for an easy and consistent design? I mean, if anything, I kind of feel like "reappropriating" the skull is particularly in line with hardocre values. Which isn't to say I don't think it was kind of a dick move and I agree an ask would have been the right thing to do.

Not to speak for the band but I think that's the conflict Isreal is wrestling with in the quote Mizzel pasted above. It seems like the reappropriation/homage is less of an issue than the fact that it was used on saleable merch. A/F didn't need "permission" but it was still lame.

i don't get that at all. it was saleble merch, sure, but to support a band, not a giant corporation (like the disney joy division thing).

yeah but compared to mitb ak is pretty much a giant corporation

A third MITB member speaks out... pro-Akron/Family.

I'm w/ akfam

I'm w/MITB but largely because I grew up w/Wood. Hidden in Israel's measured response is a sort of "if you knew Wood, you'd understand that this is sort of an 'it's in the scorpion's nature to sting the frog'" deal

SCAB SUCKING MAGGOTS

yeah but compared to mitb ak is pretty much a giant corporation

― bear, bear, bear, Thursday, 26 January 2012 01:08 (20 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

hahahahahahahahaahahahahahahaha no

glad some lil spat started so I can post again about how great ak/fam are live what nice dudes

they really are incredibly good live