Namaste Muffins.

So for some reason I’ve had ‘Lola’ by The Kinks stuck in my head for the last two weeks, a fact my coworkers would painfully attest to. I’ve also been thinking about the band Mona for the last two weeks or so and now for the life of me cannot say their name in my head without singing ‘Mona, M-o-n-a, Mona, mo-mo-mo-mo, Mooooona’ – yes, I probably need some sort of help, I’m aware.

But, I actually have no problem with having Mona (in some way) stuck in my head. I’d first heard about these guys when they appeared on BBC’s Sound of 2011 list and I’ve been enjoying the special brand of vintage rock that this Nashville quartet brings to my speakers. To steal a line from the press release, Mona makes “arm-pumping, vein-throbbing, knee-jittering, raw-throated, sing-a-long rock n’roll” – sounds about right to me. And while their sound is so strong that I could see them having commercial success, it’s not so commercial where you’ll hear the tune in the background of an ad hocking some Comcast offers or anything like that.

There are shades of another Nashville band (rhymes with Springs of Deon) sprinkled throughout the tracks I’ve heard, and even more so in their live show, which I checked out at Mercury Lounge last week. Also simliar to KoL, Mona are starting things off by blowing up across the pond – the British media seems to be gushing about the band and they even managed to snag a spot on Later With Jools Holland (allo guv!), all before even releasing their debut album. Check out some Mona goodness below and West coast Muffins can catch the band in action on February 9 @ The Echo (L.A.) and on February 10 @ Popscene (San Fran). I’m sure these guys will be making noise throughout 2011 so stayed tuned to your favorite bakery for the latest news. Mona: Train Tested. Muffin Approved.

Mona – Walk In The Park (Beach House cover)

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MONA – Trouble On The Way by Press Here

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