After opening for indie rock sensations the Arcade Fire and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, it was only a matter of time before the Atlanta-via-Athens, Georgia group Snowden got picked up by a prominent independent label. Last month the three-year-old quartet signed on to Jade Tree Records, home to such names as My Morning Jacket, Alkaline Trio and legendary hardcore pioneers Lifetime. The fuzzy guitars, echoic vocals and lofty keyboard rhythms of Snowden's self-released debut EP got the group recognized in Atlanta, earning it the title of "Best New Local Act" in 2004. But after several years of recording and performing down south, lead singer and primary songwriter Jordan Jeffares began leading his band up north to New York, where Snowden caught the eyes of critics and fellow artists alike. Now, with over two albums worth of material to work with, Snowden is planning the release of its first full-length, Anti Anti, which is slated to hit stores this summer. Citing "Everything" as its influences and resembling a punk version of the Strokes, Snowden will likely have the masses tapping their feet to Jeffares' melodic, yet sometimes monotonous crooning and Chandler Rentz's tight drum beats. And if you can't wait until the summer to get your first peak at Snowden, check out "Like Bullets" and "Anti Anti" for free at www.myspace.com/snowden.
Snowden will play the First Unitarian Church (22nd and Chestnut) this Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
