LONDON (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — More than three decades after the release of their visionary debut, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo, and a full 20 years since their last studio album, Devo is back with the aptly titled Something for Everybody. The long rumored, wildly anticipated album (which was launched with a memorable performance in Vancouver at the Winter Olympics) features the band's classic line-up – Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh, Gerald and Bob Casale – joined by drummer Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails, Guns n' Roses).
Produced by Greg Kurstin (The Bird & The Bee), the album also includes contributions from John Hill and Santi White (better known as rising hip-hop star Santigold), John King of the Dust Brothers, and the Teddybears.
Though the 12 songs on Something for Everybody are built on Devo's signature mechanized swing, the recording and presentation of the album saw the band experimenting with an entirely new approach. Greg Scholl was brought in to serve as COO for Devo, Inc., and – working with the advertising agency Mother LA – conducted a series of studies through the www.clubdevo.com site to help the band with its creative decisions, from color selection to song mixes.
‘In the past, Devo was very insular,’ says Mark Mothersbaugh. ‘This time, I became intrigued with the idea of having people who understood Devo actually work on the songs, and to do to our songs what we did to 'Satisfaction' on our first record. Don’t put any boundaries on their production style; let them bring what they needed to make Devo be what it should be after waking up from suspended animation for 20 years.’
Devo's early work caught the attention of such icons as Neil Young and David Bowie, and, with such hits as ‘Whip It’ and ‘Girl U Want,’ and the accompanying, revolutionary music videos, the group became one of the defining acts of the 1980s.
Devo's sound, style, and philosophy have been an influence on artists from Rage Against the Machine to Lady Gaga. Kurt Cobain once said, ‘Of all the bands who came from the underground and actually made it in the mainstream, Devo is the most challenging and subversive of all.’
In 1990, Devo morphed from a recording and concert act to putting more focus on individual pursuits and various creative enterprises. Mark Mothersbaugh, along with brother Bob, and Bob Casale, began making music for films and television, working on Pee-Wee's Playhouse and Rugrats and the movies of Wes Anderson. Gerald Casale directed scores of commercials and music videos for the likes of Miller Lite Beer and Mrs. Butterworth’s to Rush, The Foo Fighters, and Soundgarden respectively. Meanwhile, Devo's music remained a staple in movies, commercials, and videogames.
After appearing sporadically in concert and working on 2006's Devo 2.0 project – with kids providing the vocals to Devo songs – the band began the stop-and-start project of making new music. ‘It was now or never,’ says Gerald Casale. ‘We’re all still alive, and we can all play and sing – probably better than we ever did in the past. These new songs, like 'Don't Shoot (I'm a Man)' or 'What We Do,' are as Devo as anything Devo has ever done.’
A Devo for our times. A band that evolves, even as the world around them confirms the decay they have long suspected. With Something for Everybody, Devo has gained from experience, honed its attack, and stands ready to sound the alarm for another generation.
‘We're inspired by reality,’ says Gerald Casale, ‘because the world is so ridiculous and stupid. DE-EVOLUTION IS REAL.’ –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
