Today, Mondo Cozmo, the enigmatic musical force, aka Josh Ostrander, released It's PRINCIPLE!, a varied, grizzled, intense, sincere, and intricate rock album produced by Mark Rankin (Queens of the Stone Age, Adele) via Last Gang Records. Listen to It's PRINCIPLE! HERE
Cozmo recently announced his upcoming fall US tour with dates including New York’s Brooklyn Made, Philadelphia’s Underground Arts, Chicago’s Schubas Tavern, Asbury Park’s Wonder Bar and more. Tickets on sale now, available HERE.
Today, Cozmo released a music video for title track “It’s PRINCIPLE!” (watch music video HERE) - a brawny epic that almost didn't even make it onto the album.
Mondo Cozmo stated to FLOOD MAGAZINE, “I nearly deleted a demo of this song as I thought Mark (producer) would hate it. As I was going to delete it Mark texted me saying he thinks it should open the record. I love the urgency of this song. I love the intro noise that was an accident. I love the opening line "So I'm slashing tires on Main Street America". Feels right. FLOOD also published an exclusive track by track with Mondo, check it out HERE
Throughout the writing process, Cozmo was conscious that he needed to make a concise record that was focused, but he had an unprecedented creative spark. He wrote 70 songs. With Rankin’s faith in centerpiece and title track he decided this would be his torch light, to trust the opinions of those around him whom he respected.
Fueled by this new found confidence, the album has a cocksure bluster of an artist that has run out of f**ks to give, and all the better for it. Previously released single “Angels,” is a wall of sound rock epic with momental lyrics, “Wild Horses” will stop you into oblivion, “Killing Floor” a slow burn esoteric love song, where deep cuts like “Sundown In An Age Of Fear” are more abstract but contains a refined energy, hard to pinpoint but compelling to its core. Thus far, the album had received raving support from Consequence of Sound, Stereogum, FLOOD Magazine, Under The Radar, Relix, Riff Magazine and many more.
Watch the official music video of title track, “It’s PRINCIPLE!” HERE
Mondo Cozmo, also known as Josh Ostrander, began his career as part of bands Laguardia and then trio Eastern Conference Champions. The latter experienced a degree of success, with a song featured on the Twilight soundtrack. But that wasn’t enough for the Philadelphia native. Soon, the band split and Ostrander began recording under the moniker Mondo Cozmo. Now on his own, he did everything it took to survive in order for him to make his music successful. He slept on sofas, cut costs when possible. Like all good things, success came after many years of hard work.
Cozmo has released a series of acclaimed albums including the critics darling Plastic Soul, which landed him number one single in “Shine,” and helped him find fans from Butch Vig to Bruce Springsteen, who praised his songwriting in a New York Times article and now occasionally gives feedback to Cozmo’s new songs. He has landed and lost major label deals, and opened for pretty much every band in America. He then forged an independent path, releasing more critically acclaimed albums, and punched a glass window in a fit of frustration and nearly ended his career.
Various speed bumps like this spurred a transformative journey for Cozmo, he took bold steps, parting ways with his manager of 15 years and immersing himself in the world of acclaimed producers and engineers. Thanks to the power of social media, he connected with Mark Rankin (Queens of the Stone Age, Iggy Pop, Weezer, Florence and the Machine). After some preliminary work zapping files back-and-forth, they headed to Cozmo’s studio near Lake Arrowhead.
As Cozmo/Ostrander wrote the songs that comprised the album, the impending death of his dog, Cozmo, weighed heavily on him and served as inspiration. As he felt Cozmo’s time slipping away, Ostrander spent more time with him, including bringing him to the studio during the sessions. Much of the album’s lyrical matter addressed the impending death and the emotions he was going through at that time.
In the end, Mondo Cozmo’s fourth studio album is his most complete and vulnerable body of work. Instead of an ending, it marks a new beginning. Not many artists are fortunate to successfully hit the reset button. Yet, that’s exactly what It’s PRINCIPLE is: an artist, who has been through it, taking a big swing and connecting with an album he believes he made for himself, but it would be nice if others like it too.
Cozmo concludes, "I believe this is the best record I’ve ever made. I gave everything I had to it. I really did. And all the little miracles that happened along the way are just further validation that this is my best work.”
Tracklist
01 It's PRINCIPLE!
02 Angels
03 Here I Am
04 Wild Horses
05 Killing Floor
06 Sundown In The Age Of Fear
07 July 4
08 New Salvation
09 Leave A Light On
10 I'll Be Around
Tour dates include:
(support from Jane Leo)
Oct 23 - Hamden, CT - Space Ballroom
Oct 24 - New York, NY - Brooklyn Made
Oct 25 - Woodstock, NY - Colony Woodstock
Oct 26 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
Oct 29 - Toronto, ON, CAN - Horseshoe Tavern
Oct 30 - Cleveland, OH - Mahalls
Oct 31 - Chicago, IL - Schubas Tavern
Nov 1 - Minneapolis, MN - Turf Club
Nov 3 - Indianapolis, IN - HiFi
Nov 4 - Columbus, OH - The Basement
Nov 6 - Pittsburgh, PA - Club Café
Nov 7 - Asbury Park, NJ - Wonder Bar
