Song of the Day 6/21: Megafaun, “The Longest Day”
Happy summer solstice, a celestial event that, judging from archaeological evidence, seems to have meant more to neolithic peoples than it does to us. Then again, 6,000 people turned out in the mist at Stonehenge this morning to mark the event, which might have been an impressive crowd by prehistoric standards.
Megafaun is an indie-folk band formed when Justin Vernon left DeYarmond Edison to become Bon Iver. Megafaun — brothers Brad and Phil Cook and percussionist Joe Westerlund — were the other guys. All were originally from Wisconsin, but they developed their sound in the late ’00s in a Durham, N.C., folk scene that experimented with lots of electronic influences; some critics label it “freak folk.” They spent six years doing it, reaching a high point with their 2009 album “Gather, Form & Fly,” which included this tune.
The band went on hiatus in 2012 and never returned. Brad Cook is a busy producer these days, while brother Phil has an ongoing solo career.