Review: Megafaun - Gather, Form and Fly (* * * *)

With the recent and explosive success of Justin Vernon’s solo project, Bon Iver, it’s difficult to imagine many people asking about the fate of the other members of Vernon’s previous band, DeYarmond Edison [these people shouldn't be allowed to name bands -Ed.]. But the answer to the unasked question is one worth knowing as I learned recently. When their leader wandered off into the woods of Wisconsin to create his masterpiece (one of my favorites last year, if you count the re-release), the brothers Cook (Brad & Phil) and fellow Wisconsinite Joe Westerlund found a way to carry on without him by forming Megafaun, reinventing their sound and creating a solid – though generally overlooked – debut with 2007’s Bury the Square. The release did, however, catch the attention of Akron/Family – with whom the younger band shares some stylistic similarities – and soon the two groups were on the road together, with Megafaun both opening for and supporting Akron/Family on stage. (Continue Reading...)

Kaufman's Ballad (MP3)