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Jim Merlis
Big Hassle Media
jim@bighassle.com
Tamara Simons
simons@bighassle.com
MONDO COZMO
“I’ve been looking for a new kind of medicine,” “Generator”
Mondo Cozmo is Josh Ostrander, an unabashed patriot who appeals equally to the blue and red states, Ostrander writes about the American experience as only he can, the guy everybody wants to share a beer with because he’s genuine, a real guy, not some narcissistic rock star towering above his audience, but on their level. This is the soundtrack for a new America, one united under the stars and stripes, a statement of unification.
“I’m humbled by that statement,” says Josh. “I just keep trying to reach people with love, hugging them and talking to them about rock ‘n’ roll. At the end of the day, my job is to show you love through my art by treating everybody – right or left – with equal respect.”.
New Medicine the new album by Mondo Cozmo and his first for eOne’s Last Gang Records, represents a fresh start, a new beginning and the result of 10,000 hours performing and recording in his 20 years as a professional musician. This refreshing blast of buzzsaw guitars and wall-of-sound production that evokes everyone from the Velvet Underground-meets-David Bowie in the torn-from-today’s headlines rant of “Black Cadillac,” to the R&B nod to Main Ingredient’s “Everybody Plays the Fool” in “Upside Down,” a song written before the pandemic but prescient in its depiction of a world in turmoil.
“Come On” is a stone anthem – co-written with Dan Wilson (of Dixie Chicks, Adele and Semisonic renown) is in the tradition of Mondo Cozmo’s #1 Triple A smash, Shine.” Meanwhile, the Dylanesque “Generator,” which offers a powerful “come release me” chorus, echoes the album cover image, a note-perfect, snowy homage to Bob’s “Freewheelin’ ” album;.
With Black Rebel Motorcycle Club guitarist Peter Hayes sitting in – along with his bandmate, drummer Leah Shapiro on a handful of tracks – Mondo Cozmo (a name derived from his dog and John Waters’ classic Mondo Trasho) recorded most of the tracks in his home L.A. studio, adding percussion at Palomino in nearby Boyle Heights. In addition, Mondo Cozmo fan, producer Butch Vig, who took to Twitter to rave about “Hold on to Me,” a song from Mondo Cozmo’s previous album, served as a sounding board.
The impetus for New Medicine, a prescient title decided on before the current coronavirus pandemic came from an unlikely event that could have been catastrophic. After a grueling 10 months on the road and having played just the night before across the country in Montauk for a private event, Ostrander finally lost his cool in the middle of a video shoot in Culver City.
“Things just got out of hand,” he recalls. “Just a total shit show. I had to do the same song over and over and I just cracked. I was exhausted, emotionally and spiritually, and I just lost it. I punched what I thought was a Styrofoam wall that turned out to be a glass door, and I completely ripped up my hand.”
Rushed to the hospital – the incident is recalled on the new track, “It Fills the Room” – Ostrander could barely strum his guitar (he had to tape a pick to the cast to do so), but after a prescription for antibiotics, the New Medicine songs began to flow – “Come On,” “Black Cadillac,” “Generator” and “Upside Down,” which he posted to YouTube in anticipation of the rest of the album. By this time, Mondo Cozmo had been signed to Last Gang Records by Sean Stevenson, the brother of Universal Republic’s Rob Stevenson, the noted A&R executive and label head who first signed Laguardia back in the early 2000s.
“I’m pretty proud of this album,” says Josh. “Especially the lyrics. There are a couple of lines I have no idea where they came from.”
“Black Cadillac” recalls “Sympathy for the Devil,” as Mondo places himself inside the limo as part of Jackie Kennedy’s dress before JFK gets assassinated, while “Upside Down” offers a hip-hop beat reminiscent of Beck. Like the previous Mondo Cozmo album, 2017’s Plastic Soul, this collection of songs transcends category, with rock, hip-hop, R&B and plenty of hook-filled pop choruses that wouldn’t sound out of place on any number of radio formats.
“It’s just great to be on a label where I send in the songs and they thank me,” says Ostrander. “Rather than, ‘Can you change the beat on this?’”
With the current pandemic affecting life all around him, Josh feels practically guilty about how New Medicine speaks to the current moment. “I almost feel like this coronavirus was my fault the way some of the songs anticipated it.”
New Medicine offers an antidote to what ails this polarized country, a prescription for musical eclecticism and the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll to see us through.
“What I love about Mondo is how it pulls from so much different music,” says Josh. “I try to make music I’d love to listen to.
“I’ll be Mondo for the rest of my life and I’m pretty psyched about it This album switches genres alla over the place. I’m proud of both Mondo records.”
For now, Josh is waiting out the quarantine, “halfway through writing the next record,” explain, “I think the best thing we can do now is get these songs into people’s hearts, and when it comes time to get out there, we’ll play them.”
Mondo Cozmo’s New Medicine proves the cure is stronger than any disease.
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MONDO COZMO UNVEILS “UPSIDE DOWN”
EAGERLY AWAITED NEW SINGLE AVAILABLE FOR STREAMING AND DOWNLOAD TODAY
OFFICIAL COMPANION VIDEO PREMIERES VIA YOUTUBE
“LIVE IN EXILE SESSIONS” BEGIN THIS WEEK WITH FULL-BAND PERFORMANCE
OF “CHEMICAL DREAM,” STREAMING HERE
NEW MEDICINE ARRIVES VIA LAST GANG RECORDS LATER THIS YEAR
Mondo Cozmo – the chart-topping brainchild of alternative singer-songwriter Josh Ostrander – has announced today’s premiere of his eagerly awaited new single. “Upside Down” is available now via Last Gang Records at all DSPs and streaming services; the track is joined by an equally potent companion video, directed by Ostrander’s longtime visual collaborator, acclaimed photographer/filmmaker Travis Shinn (Motionless In White, Killswitch Engage), and streaming now at the official Mondo Cozmo YouTube channel HERE.
STREAM/DOWNLOAD “UPSIDE DOWN”
WATCH “UPSIDE DOWN”
“Every single night I watch the evening news and wonder… Bout right,” says Ostrander. “Crazy times call for a crazy tune. It’s my attempt at a feel-good summer song in an imploding world. Good times…”
“Upside Down” heralds Mondo Cozmo’s long awaited new album, NEW MEDICINE, due later this year. The album – which follows 2017’s extraordinary debut album, PLASTIC SOUL, and its breakthrough hit single, “Shine” – sees Ostrander collaborating with a stunning line-up of studio superstars, including producer Lars Stalfors (Cold War Kids, Foster The People), songwriter Dan Wilson (Adele, Phantogram), and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club guitarist Peter Hayes and drummer Leah Shapiro, among others.
“When “Shine” took off at radio, the next year was spent on the road,” Ostrander says. “Playing every show, doing every meet-n-greet, every morning radio show, every podcast, interview, and after party. And why not? It was the first time anyone wanted to talk to me about music. I loved it, but by the end of the year I was pretty beat down and tired. It came to head during a video shoot in which I just completely lost it. I found myself in a situation where I lost control, and in front of the band, label, management I punched a glass door and destroyed my hand. I would spend the night in the emergency room watching them put my hand back together.
“But I began writing. The tunes just poured out. I was put on medication after the hand debacle. I assumed that’s where the songs were coming from. That’s where the NEW MEDICINE title came from. But I couldn’t play guitar, enter Peter Hayes from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. He guided me. He pushed me to get the record done. As did Butch Vig, who would help me make sense of the demos I was sending to him on the daily.
“This album sums up a lot for me. Coming to terms with the weird guilt of success, navigating a new American experience. With a numb hand.”
Known for his work as producer, singer-songwriter, and bandleader, the Philadelphia-born and Los Angeles-based Ostrander unveiled Mondo Cozmo in 2017 and immediately proved a sensation with the project’s ecstatic debut single, “Shine.” The track fast ascended to #1 on Triple A charts nationwide, instantly propelling Mondo Cozmo into the pop spotlight. Tours alongside such like-minded artists as Bastille, Spoon, Vance Joy and The Revivalists followed, as did show-stealing performances at top festivals like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza and a high profile network TV debut performance of “Shine” on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (streaming HERE).
PLASTIC SOUL arrived that same year and was greeted by worldwide critical acclaim, with The Guardian hailing the collection in a four-starred rave as “wonderfully infectious, with echoes of Spiritualized (the euphoric ‘Shine’), Bob Dylan’s vocal delivery (most notably on ‘Hold On To Me’) and ACHTUNG BABY-era U2 (‘Higher’), all while retaining a strong thread of individuality. Throughout, there’s a maximalist joy at play, ideas tumbling over one another, reaching their apotheosis on the bombastic and emotionally draining ‘Thunder.'” “An endearing listen with a strikingly eclectic production,” declared CLASH. “Ostrander delivers off-kilter pop bursting with colour.” Perhaps The Independent said it best: “There’s a pure energy that courses through the record…PLASTIC SOUL is superb.”
Recent months have seen Mondo Cozmo rolling out a string of soaring new music from NEW MEDICINE, including such album highlights as “Come On,” “Black Cadillac,” and “Generator,” the latter recently featured on ABC’s hit drama, The Good Doctor. All are joined by cinematic companion videos streaming now via his official YouTube channel HERE.
Mondo Cozmo plans to celebrate NEW MEDICINE with a wide-ranging headline tour later this year. In the meantime, Ostrander has just begun a series of home studio performances, dubbed the “Live In Exile Sessions.” The first installment – which sees him and members of his touring band linking together for a stirring rendition of the PLASTIC SOUL fan favorite, “Chemical Dream” – is streaming now via YouTube HERE; additional “Live In Exile Sessions” will follow in the coming weeks.
MONDO COZMO ANNOUNCES PRE-ORDER FOR UPCOMING ALBUM
NEW MEDICINE OUT JUNE 12
LATEST SINGLE “UPSIDE DOWN” ON CURRENT ROTATION SIRIUS ALT NATION
“LIVE IN EXILE SESSIONS” WITH FULL-BAND PERFORMANCE
OF “UPSIDE DOWN,” STREAMING HERE
WATCH NEW MEDICINE ALBUM TRAILER HERE
PRE-ORDER NEW MEDICINE HERE
Mondo Cozmo – the chart-topping brainchild of alternative singer-songwriter Josh Ostrander – has announced the pre-order and track listing of his upcoming album, NEW MEDICINE, out June 12 via Last Gang Records. NEW MEDICINE features album highlights “Come On,” “Black Cadillac,” “Generator,” which was recently featured on ABC’s hit drama, The Good Doctor and his latest single “Upside Down,” which is on current rotation on SiriusXM’s Alt Nation. Each video is joined by cinematic companion videos streaming now via his official YouTube channel HERE.
STREAM/DOWNLOAD “UPSIDE DOWN” HERE
“When ‘Shine’ took off at radio, the next year was spent on the road,” Ostrander says. “Playing every show, doing every meet-n-greet, every morning radio show, every podcast, interview, and after party. And why not? It was the first time anyone wanted to talk to me about music. I loved it, but by the end of the year I was pretty beat down and tired. It came to head during a video shoot in which I just completely lost it. I found myself in a situation where I lost control, and in front of the band, label, management I punched a glass door and destroyed my hand. I would spend the night in the emergency room watching them put my hand back together.”
“But I began writing,” he continues. “The tunes just poured out. I was put on medication after the hand debacle. I assumed that’s where the songs were coming from. That’s where the NEW MEDICINE title came from. But I couldn’t play guitar, enter Peter Hayes from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. He guided me. He pushed me to get the record done. As did Butch Vig, who would help me make sense of the demos I was sending to him on the daily.”
“This album sums up a lot for me. Coming to terms with the weird guilt of success, navigating a new American experience. With a numb hand.”
MONDO COZMO
NEW MEDICINE
TRACKLIST:
1. Black Cadillac
2. Upside Down (Album Mix)
3. Like a Bird
4. Come On
5. Drown in Love
6. Generator
7. Kicks (Positively Montauk)
8. Mercy
9. It Fills The Room
10. Cigarette (Age of Innocence)
MONDO COZMO SHARES LYRIC VIDEO FOR “UPSIDE DOWN”
PRE-ORDER UPCOMING ALBUM, NEW MEDICINE HERE
“UPSIDE DOWN” CURRENTLY ON ROTATION ON SIRIUSXM’S ALT NATION
THE MONDO COZMO RADIO SHOW, LATEST EPISODE OUT NOW
WATCH “UPSIDE DOWN” LYRIC VIDEO HERE
LISTEN TO EPISODE 4 “HERE TO HOPE” FROM MONDO COZMO’S RADIO SHOW
SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC
Mondo Cozmo – the chart-topping brainchild of alternative singer-songwriter Josh Ostrander – shares an official lyric video of his single, “Upside Down.” Additionally, the latest episode of Mondo Cozmo’s radio show, “Here To Hope,” is out now. This will be the fourth episode in the series and features an uplifting story about a Pandemic Wedding, weather by Lance Armstrong, a memorial tribute to Mondo’s Grandfather, and his latest single “Upside Down.”
“I wanted episode 4 to be an uplifting endeavor. At the 2 month point of all this I was feeling pretty isolated and in recording the episode it lifted my spirits. I hope it does the same for the listener,” shares Josh.
STREAM/DOWNLOAD “UPSIDE DOWN” HERE
“When ‘Shine’ took off at radio, the next year was spent on the road,” Ostrander says. “Playing every show, doing every meet-n-greet, every morning radio show, every podcast, interview, and after party. And why not? It was the first time anyone wanted to talk to me about music. I loved it, but by the end of the year I was pretty beat down and tired. It came to head during a video shoot in which I just completely lost it. I found myself in a situation where I lost control, and in front of the band, label, management I punched a glass door and destroyed my hand. I would spend the night in the emergency room watching them put my hand back together.”
“But I began writing,” he continues. “The tunes just poured out. I was put on medication after the hand debacle. I assumed that’s where the songs were coming from. That’s where the NEW MEDICINE title came from. But I couldn’t play guitar, enter Peter Hayes from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. He guided me. He pushed me to get the record done. As did Butch Vig, who would help me make sense of the demos I was sending to him on the daily.”
“This album sums up a lot for me. Coming to terms with the weird guilt of success, navigating a new American experience. With a numb hand.”
MONDO COZMO
NEW MEDICINE
TRACKLIST:
1. Black Cadillac
2. Upside Down (Album Mix)
3. Like a Bird
4. Come On
5. Drown in Love
6. Generator
7. Kicks (Positively Montauk)
8. Mercy
9. It Fills The Room
10. Cigarette (Age of Innocence)
###
MONDO COZMO SHARES NEW MEDICINE VIA LAST GANG RECORDS
LATEST SINGLE “UPSIDE DOWN” ON CURRENT ROTATION SIRIUS ALT NATION
THE MONDO COZMO RADIO SHOW, LATEST EPISODE OUT NOW
LIVE VIDEO OF “UPSIDE DOWN” AVAILABLE NOW HERE
LISTEN TO NEW MEDICINE HERE
WATCH NEW MEDICINE ALBUM TRAILER HERE
Mondo Cozmo – the chart-topping brainchild of alternative singer-songwriter Josh Ostrander – shares his upcoming album, NEW MEDICINE, today via Last Gang Records. NEW MEDICINE features album highlights “Come On,” “Black Cadillac,” “Generator,” which was recently featured on ABC’s hit drama, The Good Doctor and his latest single “Upside Down,” which is on current rotation on SiriusXM’s Alt Nation. Each video is joined by cinematic companion videos streaming now via his official YouTube channel HERE. Along with the album release, a live performance of “Upside Down” has been shared by the band, watch HERE.
“When ‘Shine’ took off at radio, the next year was spent on the road,” Ostrander says. “Playing every show, doing every meet-n-greet, every morning radio show, every podcast, interview, and after party. And why not? It was the first time anyone wanted to talk to me about music. I loved it, but by the end of the year I was pretty beat down and tired. It came to head during a video shoot in which I just completely lost it. I found myself in a situation where I lost control, and in front of the band, label, management I punched a glass door and destroyed my hand. I would spend the night in the emergency room watching them put my hand back together.”
“But I began writing,” he continues. “The tunes just poured out. I was put on medication after the hand debacle. I assumed that’s where the songs were coming from. That’s where the NEW MEDICINE title came from. But I couldn’t play guitar, enter Peter Hayes from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. He guided me. He pushed me to get the record done. As did Butch Vig, who would help me make sense of the demos I was sending to him on the daily.”
“This album sums up a lot for me. Coming to terms with the weird guilt of success, navigating a new American experience. With a numb hand.”
Mondo Cozmo plans to celebrate NEW MEDICINE with a wide-ranging headline tour in 2021. In the meantime, Ostrander has just begun a series of home studio performances, dubbed the “Live In Exile Sessions.” The first installment – which sees him and members of his touring band linking together for a stirring rendition of the PLASTIC SOUL fan favorite, “Chemical Dream” – is streaming now via YouTube HERE.
MONDO COZMO
NEW MEDICINE
TRACKLIST:
1. Black Cadillac
2. Upside Down (Album Mix)
3. Like a Bird
4. Come On
5. Drown in Love
6. Generator
7. Kicks (Positively Montauk)
8. Mercy
9. It Fills The Room
10. Cigarette (Age of Innocence)
###
***MEDIA ALERT***
MONDO COZMO SHARES PERFORMANCE OF “UPSIDE DOWN” ON “THE LATE SHOW #PLAYATHOME WITH STEPHEN COLBERT”
NEW ALBUM, NEW MEDICINE, OUT NOW HERE
WATCH “UPSIDE DOWN” ON “THE LATE SHOW #PLAYATHOME”:
Mondo Cozmo – the chart-topping brainchild of alternative singer-songwriter Josh Ostrander – shares a performance of his single “Upside Down” on “Late Show #PlayAtHome with Stephen Colbert.” This comes one week after the official release of the new album, New Medicine which features the hit track, “Upside Down.”
STREAM/DOWNLOAD NEW MEDICINE HERE
“When ‘Shine’ took off at radio, the next year was spent on the road,” Ostrander says. “Playing every show, doing every meet-n-greet, every morning radio show, every podcast, interview, and after party. And why not? It was the first time anyone wanted to talk to me about music. I loved it, but by the end of the year I was pretty beat down and tired. It came to head during a video shoot in which I just completely lost it. I found myself in a situation where I lost control, and in front of the band, label, management I punched a glass door and destroyed my hand. I would spend the night in the emergency room watching them put my hand back together.”
“But I began writing,” he continues. “The tunes just poured out. I was put on medication after the hand debacle. I assumed that’s where the songs were coming from. That’s where the NEW MEDICINE title came from. But I couldn’t play guitar, enter Peter Hayes from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. He guided me. He pushed me to get the record done. As did Butch Vig, who would help me make sense of the demos I was sending to him on the daily.”
“This album sums up a lot for me. Coming to terms with the weird guilt of success, navigating a new American experience. With a numb hand.”
MONDO COZMO
NEW MEDICINE
TRACKLIST:
1. Black Cadillac
2. Upside Down (Album Mix)
3. Like a Bird
4. Come On
5. Drown in Love
6. Generator
7. Kicks (Positively Montauk)
8. Mercy
9. It Fills The Room
10. Cigarette (Age of Innocence)
###
MONDO COZMO SHARES NEW VIDEO FOR “KICKS (POSITIVELY MONTAUK)”
NEW ALBUM NEW MEDICINE VIA LAST GANG RECORDS OUT NOW
PHYSICAL CD AND LP OF NEW MEDICINE AVAILABLE NOW
WATCH “KICKS (POSITIVELY MONTAUK)”
Mondo Cozmo – the chart-topping brainchild of alternative singer-songwriter Josh Ostrander – shares a new video for his track “Kicks (Positively Montauk)” from latest album NEW MEDICINE. Along with the release of the new video, Josh himself will be going live on Instagram today, Friday July 24, 2020 to chat with fans, discuss the new video, the physical release of New Medicine including CDs and vinyl, and play some songs as well. New Medicine is available on all streaming platforms and now physically available on CD and LP.
The video for “Kicks (Positively Montauk)” cost zero dollars to make, primarily made on Josh’s phone with an app to create animated graphics and comprised of parts shot by each musician individually during quarantine. “There are some [Bob] Dylan Easter eggs in the song and video; the ‘positively’ in the title was a lift from one of his tunes, the female I reference in the song is ‘Sweet Marie’, also a Dylan tune. I asked Drew to write Love Bomb on his chest for the video, when Dylan performed at the 98 Grammys a protestor stormed the stage with “Soy Bomb” written on his chest,” shares Josh.
Mondo Cozmo’s latest album, NEW MEDICINE features highlights “Come On,” “Black Cadillac,” “Generator,” which was recently featured on ABC’s hit drama, The Good Doctor and his latest single “Upside Down.” Each video is joined by cinematic companion videos streaming now via his official YouTube channel HERE. Along with the album release, a live performance of “Upside Down” has been shared by the band, watch HERE.
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