Megafaun will gallop into Mercury Lounge and Union Pool this weekend (photo by DL Anderson)
Friday, April 2, Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston St., $12, 10:30
Saturday, April 3, Union Pool, 484 Union Ave. at Meeker, 9:00
www.myspace.com/megafaun
www.mercuryloungenyc.com
www.myspace.com/unionpool
Headlining in the United States for the first time, North Carolina’s Megafaun is touring behind last summer’s highly praised GATHER, FORM & FLY (Hometapes, July 2009) while debuting songs from their upcoming EP, this summer’s HERETOFORE. Hailing from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, brothers Brad and Phil Cook and Joe Westerlund walk that fine line between refreshing, engaging Americana and annoying, droning pseudo-roots rock. “Come on, ease your mind,” they repeat over and over on “Worried Mind,” offering respite to “the charade of our feud and emotions we went through.” CSNY-like harmonies lift “Kaufman’s Ballad,” while the Tender Fruit’s Christy Smith delivers gorgeous vocals on the triumphant “The Longest Day.” GATHER, FORM & FLY also features bluesy harmonica on “Solid Ground,” subtle, jangly guitars on “The Process,” and, perhaps most interestingly, interludes of outdoor nature sounds and electronic noise on “Darkest Hour” and “Columns.” The jury is still out on “Guns” and “Tides,” which made us want to go all John Belushi on the band the first few times we listened to the disc. Megafaun will be at the Mercury Lounge on April 2 with War on Drugs and at Union Pool on April 3 with Sharon Van Etten.