Depending on your affinity for dusty folk rock, you may often ask yourself, “When will the bearded folk revival end?” Well, when you hear the splendidly pastoral sounds of Megafaun emanating from their sophomore album Gather, Form & Fly, you might think twice about hating on the campfire set. Yes, brothers Brad and Phil Cook and fellow Wisconsin native Joe Westerlund have more facial hair than most Amish men, but after playing in DeYarmond Edison with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Megafaun branched out on their own to blend the dreamy Americana of Crosby, Stills & Nash with the fractured brilliance of more shape-shifting contemporary bands like Akron/Family.

Gather, Form & Fly begins with the tender instrumental “Bella Marie,” before things get a bit ramshackle and psychedelic on the banjo-led “Kaufman’s Ballad.” Although the members of Megafaun all grew up in the Midwest, Gather, Form & Fly’s unmistakable Appalachian roots are evident on harmonious standout “The Fade,” which recalls the death of the Cook brothers’ grandfather. “Impressions Of The Past” finds the trio getting freaky with some jagged violins and offbeat drum clacks, before “Worried Mind” brings the album full circle with affectionately straightforward vocals. And although “The Process” is one of the record’s shortest tracks, it brims with frantic energy and polyrhythmic percussion.

“Solid Ground” finds Megafaun plugging in and stretching into roadhouse blues territory, before “Darkest Hour” utilizes a rainstorm sample and gospel chorus to hammer home the album’s rural ambiance. Further freak-outs ensue on the buzzing “Columns,” but down-home splendor reoccurs on “The Longest Day,” featuring a honey-sweet cameo from Tender Fruits’ Christy Smith. Overall, Gather, Form & Fly isn’t going to reinvent the wheel, but it does reaffirm the fact that Megafaun can handle experimental and revivalist all in the same 56-minute package. Cue ‘em up on your next sunset drive through the woods and you’ll feel like a nostalgic Southerner in no time. –NM   

Although punk rock has enjoyed a long history of social criticism and political activism, many fans still lament the day that the punks forgot how to party. Lucky for you, West Oakland veterans American Steel return with their second album since reuniting in 2007 after a five-year hiatus. While Dear Friends And Gentle Hearts still boasts tracks like “Safe And Sound” that examine modern American life, boisterous two-minute blasts of energy like the screeching “Emergency House Party” and “Tear The Place Apart” are full of group shouts and dance-floor exhortations. “Your Ass Ain’t Laughing Now” rides a ska-like bass riff into predictable pop-punk territory, while “The Blood Gets Everywhere” features chiming guitars a lá U2 and slick studio tricks that eliminate the once-welcoming grit of lead singer Rory Henderson’s voice. And “From Here To Hell” slows down into wonderfully rambling indie rock territory, before exploding into a gratuitous and forgettable chorus. American Steel used to be famous for the opposite combination — mediocre instrumentation and throat-grabbing, powerful vocals.

“Lights Out” and “Bergamot” do buck that trend with an urgent, early punk velocity lacking on the rest of Dear Friends And Gentle Hearts, but the closing trio of “Where You Want To Be,” “Finally Alone,” and “Meals & Entertainment” are so drenched in pop-rock gloss it’s hard to imagine that American Steel emerged from the same gritty scene that birthed Operation Ivy and Rancid. You know what, though? Entering its fourth decade of existence, punk rock had to evolve or risk becoming irrelevant. It may not please hardcore fans, but Dear Friends And Gentle Hearts reflects a newfound maturity that doesn’t come easy. –NM

I’m gonna be honest with you — I’m still not quite sure what to make of Lights’ sophomore album, Rites. Full of fem-folk, psychedelic rock, stoner jams, boogie blues, and angular indie funk, this Brooklyn trio mystifies more than they make sense. Centered around drummer Linnea Vedder and guitarist Sophia Knapp, who both trade off eerily similar vocal lines, Lights picked up bass player Andy MacLeod after their self-titled 2008 debut. A fourth member, the elusive “Wizard Smoke,” handles their light shows, but on Rites they’ve also added dense layers of production, heavy doses of six-string shredding, and an acid-trip vibe that blows more conventional jam bands right out of the water.

Opener “Heavy Drops” might as well be called “Heavy Drugs,” because its languid, slightly creepy pace fits that alternate title perfectly. “Can You Hear Me” is full of shimmering guitars and sultry grooves reminiscent of T. Rex’s sexually ambiguous moments, while “Love” is another classic rock anomaly that belies the rest of the album’s more experimental moments. “Hold On” may stand as the best stoner jam of 2009, all crunchy guitars, pealing pianos, and spoken word lyrics, before “Fire Night” drops a glitzy disco beat on your unsuspecting ears. The song lurches in and out of time signatures with little regard for song structure, but then “We Belong” quietly swoops in and brings a tear to your eye. “War Theme” quickly erases that emotion, though, launching into a fiery, Black Sabbath-inspired jam. How do all these disparate elements work in the favor of Brooklyn-based Lights? Like I said, I’m not entirely sure, but suffice it to say that Rites is one of the most intriguing things I’ve heard all year. –NM

All right, let’s try to get this straight: Spindrift is the only band in the known universe that plays nothing but psychedelic spaghetti western music. In 2006, Spindrift bandleader Kirkpatrick Thomas collaborated with movie director Mike Bruce on a film called The Legend Of God’s Gun, based on a soundtrack the band had already begun creating. Thomas eventually became the star of the film, embodying the role of a preacher-turned-gunslinger on a neo-cosmic journey for vengeance. It might not make much sense, but the album sounds ridiculously good, dredging up the hallucinatory 1960s work of spaghetti western masters Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai while injecting the affair with a touch of heady Brian Jonestown Massacre jangle-rock.

Opener “Titoli” is an off-kilter waltz that will instantly transport you back to the sun-drenched Wild West, and the title track mixes a catchy ‘60s vibe with voiceover snippets from the movie. The hauntingly sparse “Preacher’s Theme” gives way to the enigmatic “The New West,” before The Legend Of God’s Gun follows a predictably dusty course through cinematic highs and lows. “Burn The Church” bristles with dissonant guitars and overwhelming percussion, “Girlz, Booze, And Gunz” achieves a clanging surf-rock zenith, “The Scorpion’s Venom” relies on bass-heavy ‘70s rock, and the whole shebang ends with the galloping “Indian Run.” You don’t have to see The Legend Of God’s Gun to feel the impact of Spindrift’s scattershot yet powerful album — all you need are some controlled substances, an open mind, and a stereo that goes up to 11. Dive in headfirst and you’ll be walking the outlaw walk in no time. –NM