Maybe I’m a bit late to the party, but I have recently (through the help of new friends) stumbled upon the musical genius that is AWOLNATION. Yes, the caps are included, I am not just screaming at you.

As I set out on my long journey to New York City over Christmas break with two of my bestfriends and one of their older brothers, we found ourselves in need of some pump up music. This six hour car ride was not complete without some sick jamz (and Chipotle, but that’s completely another story). So, Matt, the older brother, enlightened us with some of his music. It was a nice break from radio pop, though some of it may have been a bit obscure for the demographic of the car.

On the last leg of our journey, we were heading through the stressful and cramped Holland Tunnel. Matt switched on “Burn It Down” by AWOLNATION and screamed “DANCE PARTY”. Though half of the members of the car had never heard this song, almost as if out of a movie scene, all four of us broke out into a not-so synchronized flailing notion of movement that probably looked hilarious from outside of the car, though on the inside we were all very in our zones.

Through the hectic streets of New York City, we continued to blast the album Megalithic Symphony Deluxe which is chalk full of hits. I immediately downloaded the entirety of the album on Spotify, which became my obsession for the next couple of weeks.

My favorite songs include “Not Your Fault”, “Jump On My Shoulders” and “People”. According to my brother, these songs are the “most basic”, but that just means that the greater population has good taste, right?

AWOLNATION was created by Aaron Bruno, who was a part of a band called Hometown Hero prior to breaking off to create his own music. He is now the frontman. The band released their first full length album in 2011, Magalithic Symphonic through Red Bull Records.

AWOLNATION is electro-pop in genre and unlike a lot of music today in that it’s experimental and free for interpretation. It’s the type of music, in my opinion, that can clear your mind after a long and tiring day. Even if you aren’t into electronica-style music, I think you will at least appreciate their sound.

It’s not everyday that I hear a song by a band that immediately makes me want to find all their music, which is exactly what happened here. I highly recommend AWOLNATION for any long car trip, intense workout, or a dance party in the Holland Tunnel on your way to New York City.