Winter Wonder Jam Amps Up with AWOLNATION

If you’ve been out to one of the Winter Wonder Jam series concerts this December, you’ve seen some awesome singer-songwriters and soul-influenced acts. But now it’s time to amp up the sound a bit, because this week’s lineup is a little more rock ‘n’ roll.

AWOLNATION headlines Saturday’s concert at Atlantic Station’s Central Park, with support from two acts with Atlanta ties: Snowden and Pls Pls. Local Notes gives you the lowdown on all three before you head out to the concert to do some rockin’ in the chilly winter air.

Snowden

Although now based out of Austin, Texas, musician Jordan Jeffares started Snowden in his hometown of Atlanta, so we can still claim him as ours, right? Jeffares teamed up with other musicians to release Snowden’s debut album “Anti-Anti,” a dark and emotional alt-rock album reminiscent of Interpol. After a number of EPs and lineup changes, Snowden is set to release its next full-length album, “No One in Control,” next year. Jeffares’ newest music is said to be influenced by his love of cold weather and his most inner thoughts. Check out some Snowden tracks on SoundCloud.

PLS PLS

After calling it quits with Dropsonic last year, Dan Dixon is back with electronic rock project PLS PLS. Dixon self-produced and played most of the instruments for PLS PLS recordings, but has put together a live band for concerts, showcasing his Thom Yorke-eque vocals. We definitely recommend this band if you dig Radiohead.

Listen to some tracks on the band’s Bandcamp for a better idea of its sound.

AWOLNATION

Aaron Bruno—formerly of Under the Influence of Giants, Hometown Hero and Insurgance—started AWOLNATION after a partnership with Red Bull Records fell into his lap. The five-person group only released its debut album, “Megalithic Symphony” last year, but it’s already got major radio play out of singles “Sail” and “Not Your Fault,” proving that radio isn’t only playing the standard pop melodies heard in most Top 40 tunes.

AWOLNATION’s electronic prog-rock breaks stereotypes, and Bruno’s love affair with all music genres—from hip-hop to punk rock—is evident in the band’s sound.  Bruno has said that he wants his music to be open to interpretation in its message.

Listen to “Sail” on YouTube and check out more tracks from AWOLNATION on the band’s site.

This week’s edition of Winter Wonder Jam starts at 6:30 p.m. on the Central Park stage. Hop over to Atlantic Station’s blog for more information on the Winter Wonder Jam series and to get tickets.