We proudly bring you the video to the title track from cultish indie heroes The Monochrome Set's 13th album Cosmonaut - due out 9 September. Delve into the mystical world of this light 60s-esque psychedelic gem exclusively on Gigwise below.
The song, which starts with an eerie theramin before the spindly guitars and absorbing vocals take over, is about as immediately grabbing as any new release we've heard this week. It also affirms The Monochrome Set's instinct for mesmerising song craft is as sharp as ever. Meanwhile, the video, which was shot at The 100 Club on Oxford Street, has a warm analog feel that reflects the era the band started.
Indian-born lead singer and principal songwriter Bid (real name Ganesh Seshadri) released several singles on Rough Trade in 1979 and then moved between labels and even found themselves on Warner in 1985 for their third album. It failed commercially and they broke up until 1990 and have since been yo-yoing ever since. How they never caught on is one of the indie world's great mysteries. But those who do know them don't just like them a bit, they love them.
As John Robb eloquently explains in The Guardian, their most famous fans are Morrissey and Johnny Marr. In his brief history of the band he explains that when Johnny Marr first met Morrissey he was flicking through his singles collection that Morrissey had stripped down to just 10 seven-inch’s. Along with some girl groups and T-Rex, were the Monochrome Set. This was the beginning of a common bond as they were a favourite of Marr's too.
There's something about Bid's lyrical wit and delivery that makes you realise The Smiths just wouldn't be the same without them. Robb adds that other famous fans include Alex Kapranos, Graham Coxon, and Norman Cook.
Despite existing in relative obscurity compared to their contemporaries, it's not dissuaded them from continuing to create. This latest album of theirs sounds fascinating. According to their press release: "The whole album is a trip that starts with a hallucinating cash-till lady, then travels through dream-sets involving cannibalism, disaffected squirrels, strange gods, dying sweethearts, sexual depravity, Alzheimer's, backward evolution, and ends in an operating theatre, amid a sea of medical tentacles." It's as if Iain Banks had a band as Bid is just as humorously warped.
To celebrate the release of the album the band are embarking on a UK autumn tour which includes a show on the 17 September at Ivy House pub in Nunhead, SE London. It’s the capitals first co-operatively owned pub is grade II listed and one of the most stunning an intimate venue venues in the capital. Elvis Costello, Ian Dury and Joe Strummer have played its stage. Don't miss out.
Tour dates:
17 September - The Ivy House, London
24 September- Colchester Arts Centre, Colchester
8 October - The Talking Heads, Southampton
5 November - Greystones, Sheffield
12 November- Stereo, Glasgow
13 November - The Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh
26 November- The Thunderbolt, Bristol
