The Full Performance, See It Here

Photos: Company Of…

All summer long, each week, we featured an artist in our Last.fm Discover Summer Sessions series. Now we’d like you to use your thoughts and your mouse to vote for the best session. To refresh your eyes & ears click thru to watch all of the sessions then make your choice. Last year’s winners were We Are Scientists, so take your time and help name this year’s winners! VOTING ENDS FRIDAY NOV. 18 AT 5PM (EST)

Named after Nick’s grandmother, MONA got the ball rolling with two singles in England, prior to the release of the debut album. (Nick and Jordan play both of them in this session). Originally called Pre-Fame Breakdown, the self-titled, self-produced album was released in the U.S. in May.

 “Listen To Your Love”

Currently the band is on a short break, following a tumble Nick took on-stage at a show earlier this month. Dates will resume on October 2nd in San Diego as they wrap up co-headlining dates with Funeral Party. (See Funeral Party’s Summer Session here). “ We're second to none with our work ethic & ambition. I think we make a lot of bands look lazy.
” Nick Brown They then jet overseas to play and return to the states in early November to open shows for The Airborne Toxic Event. (See their Discover session here).

 “Trouble On The Way”

Official video for “Trouble On The Way”

Photos Of MONA In Studio

Interview with Zach, Nick & Jordan of MONA

The flawless debut album should be in your ears! Hit your local record shop or shop the clicking way by going to Amazon or iTunes.

It all started with a posting of three songs on Bandcamp, and although Cults were set out to make a full-length album, there was no game plan set in stone like most bands at this point would have had. They had no website and basically recorded and posted these songs because they were bored and wanted to do something creative. They only expected friends and family to comsume what they had made. “ We weren't trying to be noticed, it was something we were doing for fun.
” Madeline Follin on posting songs on Bandcamp It soon led to juggling options from labels. They settled on a new label run by Lily Allen, under the Columbia Records umbrella called In The Name Of. It would be the first release for the label. In the time between first being contacted and signing with the imprint label, the band spent the time playing live and recording their debut album. The self-titled debut was released back in June, co-produced by Shane Stoneback. If you love the sounds of the ’60s girl-groups and indie pop sounds of the late ’80s and early ’90s….enjoy this!

“The Curse”

You can pick up the debut album in stores or at Amazon and iTunes. Check out their upcoming tour dates and other fun stuff here.

“Abducted”

Cults Studio Photos

Might as well check out the videos for “Go Outside” and “Abducted” as well, right?

Alberta Cross released their debut full-length album Broken Side Of Time in the U.S. in January of last year. They spent quite a good chunk of time on the road, opening for Mumford & Sons, Oasis, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Them Crooked Vultures. For a month, starting on Sept. 28 in Santa Clara, CA, the day after the release of The Rolling Thunder EP, they’ll support Portugal. The Man for 22 shows. Check out all of the tour dates here.

“ATX”

“Wait”

The forthcoming album was written in Woodstock, NY and recorded at EASTWEST in Hollywood, CA and produced by Joe Chiccarelli. “Money For The Weekend” will be on the EP and album, and is getting some good exposure in a new Ketel One Vodka TV ad campaign that you can see here, directed by David O. Russell.

“Money For The Weekend”

“Lay Down”

While you wait for the new EP and forthcoming album, if you haven’t picked up the debut album, why not do so now? Go to Amazon or iTunes.

A little chat….

Alberta Cross Live In Studio

“Sail”

In Aaron’s words, “Sail” was a total fluke and an accident. While taking a quick break from writing songs in hopes of them being used by other artists, the song was born. Within two-hours, “Sail” was done and the verison you hear on the debut album Megalithic Symphony is pretty close to it’s demo form.

“Kill Your Heroes”

“Soul Wars”

Vocalist and songwriter Aaron Bruno is in session for Last.fm Discover along with Dav Amezcua on bass, Christopher Thorn on guitar, Kenny Carkeet on keyboards and guitar and Hayden Scott on drums.

“Guilty Filthy Soul”

After paying his dues in the bands Ice Monkeys, Hometown Hero and Under The Influence Of Giants, Aaron Bruno took things into his own hands and started AWOLNATION. Like his tastes in music, AWOLNATION’s debut album Megalithic Symphony dips into many sounds. “ I wanted the record to be a good book you can read or a good movie you can watch.
” Aaron Bruno This real sincere fan of music can go from Radiohead to Prince to Can to Pink Floyd to Michael Jackson to The Flaming Lips to Neil Young to Harry Nilsson and top it all with some punk and metal, while still looking to discover anything me might has missed!

The Last.fm Discover interview with Aaron Bruno

AWOLNATION Studio Photo GalleryDigging what you heard and saw? Get the debut album here or here. Visit the website and keep up to date with all that’s going on with AWOLNATION.

P.s. AWOLNATION rocked so hard they busted through our snare drum!

“Death Of Communication”

“Modern Waste”

Running From A Gamble captures the live energy of a Company Of Thieves show, and part of that can be attributed to the band’s spiritual guide and producer Rob Schnapf. But considering the band had only played a few shows before making their debut album, it only makes sense. Genevieve tells us that they gave the acoustic demos to the rest of the band and told them to take them home, listen, see what they thought, see what they felt and then they’d all get together and make it a bombastic, electric thing.

“Tallulah”

“Look Both Ways”

The latest line-up of the band, which was only solidified shortly before this session was recorded, includes founding members Genevieve Schatz (vocals) and Marc Walloch (guitar), joined by Marcin Sulewski (bass), Chris Faller (drums) and Eitan Bernstein (keyboards).Photos: Company Of…

The Last.fm Discover interview with Marc & Genevieve from Company Of Thieves

Get the new album now at Amazon and iTunes, plus, watch Genevieve and Marc’s appearance on Live From Daryl’s House by clicking here.

Deluka hit us late last year with their debut album You Are The Night, and have since been making sure they get the word out via touring. In the midst of this, we were fortunate to get some time with them in our studio for a Last.fm Discover Summer Session, spotlighting tracks from this album. Spend your time watching the performances as they unleash “OMFG,” “Morning Comes,” “Cascade” and “Waves.”

“OMFG”

The band was already working on their follow-up album when they stopped by for this session, and just this past weekend they appeared at Lollapalooza. This was their first outdoor U.S. festival appearance, since their flight (as well as other artists) was cancelled due to the ash that spewed from the Icelandic volcano eruption, when they were supposed to play Coachella.Photos of Deluka Recording…

“Cascade”

Deluka chats with Last.fm Discover

Liked what you saw & heard? Get the Deluka album You Are The Night at iTunes or Amazon. Visit their website to stay up to date with what’s going on.

The band’s 2010 album Forget has quietly built up a dedicated following since its release, gathering adjectives from the press such as “sophisticated,” “new wave-tinged” and “haunting.” Earlier this summer the band visited Last.fm Discover for a killer Summer Sessions performance–click through now to watch them perform the title track from the album (“Forget“) plus “Castles In The Snow” and “Can’t Wait.”

Twin Shadow Studio GalleryOne listen to Lewis’s opening guitar licks on “Forget” and it’s clear that Twin Shadow isn’t just another perky indie-pop band. When the reverb-soaked vocals kick in, the full sonic picture becomes apparent, and it’s clear that there’s more to Twin Shadow than the hype. Give it a listen below.

“Forget“

“Castles In The Snow“

“I Can’t Wait“

Big festival appearances, like this summer’s slot at Bonnaroo, and hefty touring in Europe have created major buzz around Twin Shadow‘s live show, validating Lewis’s grand scheme for the band and motivating its members to push even harder as they strive to turn Twin Shadow into an act worthy of those those festivals’ main stages. Gain more insight into the mind behind Twin Shadow in this, our exclusive Summer Sessions interview.

Twin Shadow Interview

For more on Twin Shadow visit the website and find the music, including 2010′s debut album Forget at iTunes and Amazon. And check out the tour dates page for info on their big Fall 2011 tour. Here are the shows that have been announced so far:

Sep 7, 2011 Rock and Roll Hotel Washington DC
Sep 8, 2011 Ottobar Baltimore MD
Sep 9, 2011 Hopscotch Music Festival Raleigh NC
Sep 10, 2011 The Earl Atlanta GA
Sep 12, 2011 Bottletree Birmingham AL
Sep 13, 2011 Spanish Moon Baton Rouge LA
Sep 15, 2011 Fitzgeralds Houston TX
Sep 17, 2011 Austin City Limits Austin TX
Sep 18, 2011 Lowbrow Palace El Paso TX
Sep 20, 2011 Casbah San Diego CA
Sep 21, 2011 Troubadour Los Angeles CA
Sep 24, 2011 Henry Miller Memorial Library Big Sur CA
Sep 25, 2011 Great American Music Hall San Francisco CA
Sep 26, 2011 Doug Fir Lounge Portland OR
Sep 27, 2011 Crocodile Cafe Seattle WA
Sep 28, 2011 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver BC

Oct 1, 2011 7th Street Entry Minneapolis MN
Oct 3, 2011 The Mod Club Toronto ON
Oct 6, 2011 Paradise Boston MA
Oct 7, 2011 Webster Hall New York NY

It’s a good thing George Lewis Jr. has a good sense of humor. Check out the artwork for the Twin Shadow tour:

See all the hair cuts at the Twin Shadow homepage.

This Summer Session kicks off the way the Celebration, Florida album kicks off, with a starkly-told tale of a man who wouldn’t stay dead, and the calamity that ensues when he decides to walk home and visit his family. “Fire At The Pageant” shocked some long-time fans of The Felice Brothers with its decidedly non-roots use of synthesizers and other sounds that weren’t present on earlier albums. Hit play below and see what all the fuss is about.

“Fire At The Pageant”

Watch the rest of the Felice Brothers‘ session for three more songs off their new album. And check below for the full track listing and links to purchase Celebration, Florida. Leave us a comment and let us know what you make of the album cover (we asked James Felice if that’s him in the purple pants, no word yet on that question).

“Back In The Dancehalls”

“Dallas”

“Oliver Stone”

The Felice Brothers Studio Gallery

Here’s the full track list for Celebration, Florida:
1. Fire At The Pageant
2. Container Ship
3. Honda Civic
4. Oliver Stone
5. Ponzi
6. Back In The Dancehalls
7. Dallas
8. Cus’s Catskill Gym
9. Refrain
10. Best I Ever Had
11. River Jordan

Celebration, Florida by the Felice Brothers is available now at iTunes and Amazon.

For more from Felice Brothers visit their website or check them out on Last.fm.