“Where have all the riffs gone in indie rock? Why is everyone slathering twinkly synths all over everything? Maybe it’s because Austin’s Megafauna have stolen all the gnarly riffs in the world and slammed them together with singer/guitarist Dani Neff’s off-kilter vocals, delivered together with a raw punk energy to create three minutes of taut, muscular, yet zingily melodic rock.” — Noisey
Austin trio Megafauna premiere the first song from their forthcoming album Maximalist today via Noisey.com. The track "Haunted Factory" is available to listen/share HERE. (Alternate Soundcloud link HERE.)
As the title to Austin trio Megafauna's sophomore album Maximalist might suggest, it's optimistic, expansive and unabashedly over-the-top; an endeavor to take music to its utmost potential. The band's supercharged mixture of sounds ranging from prog-rock flash to alt-rock iconoclasm to pithy power-pop and garage rock energy is as infectious as it is inclusive. Megafauna paves their own hook-laden path -- much like the Pixies and Queen, who taught the world that even the most unusual pairings of styles can result in unforgettable and eternal classics.
Megafauna singer/guitarist Dani Neff was named Austin's Best Electric Guitarist by the Austin Chronicle. Although she's frequently referred to as a "shredder," one should never mistake her tasteful and clever virtuosity for flagrant flashiness. She's a woman of many talents: a dancer, musician, painter, feminist, lawyer, reiki practitioner, psychonaut -- clearly someone who embodies the maximalist philosophy.
The album kicks off with the driving, time-signature leaping rocker, "Eggs" in which drummer Zack Humphrey, bassist Greg Yancey and Neff shift rhythms on a dime while showcasing exactly what makes Megafauna a band to covet: their expertise at fusing seemingly disparate musical styles. Likewise, "Hug From a Robot" somehow perfectly pairs gliding melodies with hard rock bite, something akin to The Breeders meets Red-era King Crimson. Elsewhere, the perfectly radio-ready track "Time To Go" blasts off with chiming guitar as Neff coos, "When it's time to go/ It's time/ Won't you sail me down to the fields." Death never sounded so uplifting in a 3-minute rock song. "Haunted Factory" gallops along Humphrey's syncopated hi-hat/snare interplay as Yancey's rumbling, distortion-ravaged bass lines cut like fangs across Neff's swiftly-picked guitar work as her powerful voice soars above the proceedings. Throughout, Maximalist is a truly inspired effort poised to become a touchstone of rock innovation.
Maximalist was mixed by legendary engineer Tim Palmer (U2, Pearl Jam, David Bowie; recently featured in Tape Op Magazine) and recorded with Dwight Baker (Blue October, Bob Schneider) in Austin. Maximalist will be available on LP, CD and download on April 15th, 2014 via Danimal Kingdom.
MEGAFAUNA LIVE:
02/15 Austin, TX @ Stubb's
02/28 Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's
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