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Hollywood, California's "Mona For Now" is a female-fronted, Alt/Metal 3 piece. Their latest EP, creatively entitled, "Kiss My Fetus", serves up some in your face, new metal grooves with old-schoolish, guitar riffs and deep, rythmic basslines. Shey-la's(Vocal's/Bass) vocals are gritty and aggressive, reminding me of older school metal male singers. Not saying I think Shey-la sounds like a dude, rather the approach to her expression is reminiscent of a time when females weren't really commonplace in metal.
This 5 track EP displays alot of angst with talent. Track 1- "Don't feel a bit of pain", pulls you right in with a bouncy metal groove. I was really into this band, and thought every track was a good cut. I like the final track alot, "You are wrong, I am right", I could totally relate with it and can't count how many times I've felt that way. This reviewer is definitely looking forward to a full- length release. There's no shortcuts on the production of this spin, and I especially like the cd case itself. Plastic tray, with a cardboard book-style back and cover.
I have alot of personal passion for DIY, moreso, unorthodox artists that are often underrated and usually fit into multiple genres. MONA FOR NOW should be proud of this EP, hopefully beating the pressures of popular, and staying true to their uniqueness in the furture. Shey-la, Fabian Ruiz(Guitar) and Rich Pancani(Drums) share a solid musicianship, able to keep attention on the music as well as the lyrical meaning. Pick this one up if you're looking for heavy rock outside of typical mainstream. Great spin for general fans of female-fronted rock acts, or general hard rock/metal.
Look them up @ www.monafornow.com, I'm sure a live show would be fun. I read from their bio that they often organize their own events locally. Something you- well, we don't see often around here. MONA FOR NOW has something to say, and an agressive musical vehicle to deliver the message.
MONA FOR NOW. IS:
- Shey-la: Vocals/Bass
- Rich Pancani: Drums
- Fabian Ruiz: Guitar
KISS MY FETUS TRACKLIST:
1. Don't Feel A Bit Of Pain
2. Election Day
3. Wind Me Up
4. Must Feel Good To Be you
5. You Are Wrong, I Am Right
- Crave Magazine
Mona For Now is a three piece formation, hailing from California. The two men and woman seem to love the 'do it yourself'-attitude and are known in the United States as a group that undertakes a lot of initiatives in the local metal scene. The most recent release of the band is the five track EP, that - surprisingly enough - has been produced by the blues legend Alan Mirikitani from The Buddaheads. And that on its own deserves the deepest respect, because the sound he created is extremely great!
On the production-side Mona For Now has done a great job. Don't ask me how they made it up: hiring a blues artist to work with you on a metal record, but of course a little bit of extravagance won't hurt you. Especially not if you want to stand out! But also on the musical part this band stands out very well. The five tracks fit together very well and all have a black, though with a light edge, message. The first single of the EP, 'Don't Feel A Bit Of Pain', is about the viciousness most people have these days and with 'Election Day' they aim at the (guess what) corruption within politics these day. And the way it has been wrapped up is also very good. Mona For Now has got a great singer (who reminds you of Sandra Nasic of the Guano Apes every once in a while). Mona For Now has created a thick melodic wall, which is especially functional, in stead of 'over the edge'. And to make sure it all won't get too single-sided they throw out a powerful riff every once in a while.
'Kiss My Fetus' has become a nice piece of edgy nu-metal, with a healthy twist towards melodies and powerful vocals. Mona For Now seems to aim at fame that isn't limited to their region. This record contains great metal, but has got enough potential to hit the hearts of a large audience! - Lords of Metal EZine - The Netherlands
Discography
Mouth - 4 song demo
33 - 4 song demo
The Green - 5 song demo
Is Anyone Here Alive - 12 song CD
Susan - 4 song demo
"Sick in 5 Seconds" was featured on the movie "Soul Survivors"
"Kiss My Fetus" - 5 Song Ep
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Mona for Now
A Biography in 3 Movements
A brief history of the corporation:
Recently MFN was awarded a certificate of honorable mention in the 2005 Billboard World Song Contest; this certificate is awarded to the top 1,500 songs entering the contest. Mona for Now landed a spot in Music Connection Magazine’s 100 Hot Unsigned Artists of 2005 list (December 2005 issue). In 2003 Mona for Now was awarded second place in La Banda Elastica's "Battle of the Bands". The contest sponsored by La Banda Elastica (a Los Angeles based music magazine published in Spanish), West LA Music, Shure and others was hosted at the famous Key Club on the Sunset Strip and featured 20 local bands which were chosen by various contributing writers from hundreds of entries. Mona for Now was the only band to perform in English as well as the only English speaking band to win one of the top prizes in the 5 year run of the contest. MFN has also opened up for Grammy Award Winner Molotov when the band stopped in Los Angeles on their North American tour. Local fanzine Rock City News awarded them with "Best New Band" a year prior. Fabian, an amazing guitarist, has gained various equipment endorsements; including Ear Candy Cabinets who custom made their "Buzz Bomb" series for him. The song "Sick in 5 Seconds" from their demo "Mouth" was featured in the Artisan Entertainment release "Soul Survivors". The Band continues to tour on their own, making their way all around their home state of California as well as Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Tennessee (where they performed at Nashville's Indie Music Week Conference), and Puerto Rico (opening up various shows for the Futura Records band Nino Planeta). Currently the band is supporting their new EP “Kiss My Fetus” with local shows as they prepare to do a cross country tour later this year.
Introduction of the cooperation:
Mona for Now consists of Shey-la on bass and vocals, Fabian Ruiz on guitar and Rich Pancani on drums. The music, slightly reminiscent of early Pantera and the German band - Guano Apes can be best described as alternative metal; groove oriented, fast paced, and modern. Sheila's vocals have a subtle masculine ring to it. Her lyrics reflect a dark sense of humor and she is not afraid to write about things that typically are contradictory to a girl’s point of view. Fabian, migrating from Puerto Rico to the US at an early age, is one of the few guitar players these days that can be compared to the “guitar hero” staple. Rich brings an almost tribal sound to the band and he is definitely a site to see live. With songs like "Wake Up" which is about the monotony of the everyday grind, “Election Day” celebrating our current state of politics and "Is Anyone Here Alive" an anthem to all struggling musicians, the band, now going into their 6th year together, has gone beyond language and cultural barriers and are ready to take their underground attitude aboveground. To keep with their go against the grain mentality, they chose blues guitarist Alan Mirikitani, of B.B. Chung King and the Buddaheads fame to produce their current effort “Kiss My Fetus”
Who the f%*#’s Mona?:
The day before playing a party at a friend's apartment, the barely one month old band decided to call themselves "Mona", for now; until they could find a better name. Their inspiration, the only thing that was hanging (and still hangs) on their rehearsal room wall; a Mona Lisa wall clock given to the drummer as a cleaning house gift by a Hollywood "not so famous anymore" actress. Unfortunately, the band's stage debut was cut short after 4 songs into their set when the LAPD showed up for a visit after "Mona" unlawfully serenaded the friend's neighbors. Amidst the chaos, a few of the excited people inquired about the name of the band and probably due to temporary hearing loss caused by the absurdly loud music, had mistaken "Mona", for now; as "Mona for Now".
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