Devo whipping up first album since 1990

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Time to dust off the red flowerpot hats.

Devo, the new-wave band famed for its terraced headgear and the catchy ditty "Whip It," is putting the finishing touches on its first studio album since 1990, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

The as-yet-untitled release is scheduled to come out in the fall. It marks Devo's first new music since the 2007 single "Watch Us Work It" and first album since 1990's "Smooth Noodle Maps."

Co-founder Gerald Casale said via email that Devo was "in serious negotiations with three major labels" and an announcement would be made in the near future.

"The delivery method will be novel and cross-platform, taking advantage of the strange state of the economy and Devo's culturally relevant brand," he added.

Casale is joined in the lineup by fellow co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh, and two members from the band's classic 1975-1985 lineup: guitarists Bob Casale and Bob Mothersbaugh. Session musician Josh Freese is filling in on drums.

Alan Myers, who played drums with Devo during that decade, is now an electrician in Los Angeles. He told Reuters that he was "completely out of the loop," and pursues his own musical ventures when not working at his day job.

"Musically and personally, it's not something that I would be attracted to," Myers said of Devo.

Casale said Freese has injected "fresh, youthful, devolved energy" into the band.

Devo will perform at the South by SouthWest music festival in Austin, Texas, on March 20, and will perform a pair of U.K. shows in May.

The band, whose name is a contraction of "de-evolution," formed in 1972 in Akron, Ohio, as a quirky surrealist concept. Besides "Whip It," the band also recorded offbeat covers of the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and Allen Toussaint's "Working in the Coal Mine." Mark Mothersbaugh went on to become a successful film and TV composer.

Devo Announce First Album in Two Decades
The "Whip It" new wavers confirm their return. Click here for details!
By Melissa Goldstein 03.11.09 8:30 AM

Best known for their classic tune "Whip It" and for wearing cone "energy dome" hats, the Akron, OH, quintet will return this fall with their first studio album since 1990's Smooth Noodle Maps. Just to put those figures in perspective: That's before Miley Cyrus was even born -- and she's already old enough to write an autobiography!

The album, currently untitled, will follow the band's 2007 single, "Watch Us Work It," which was produced by Sweden's TeddyBears (Robyn) and later featured in a Dell ad.

So what convinced them to come out of hiding? "De-evolution has finally arrive and who better to guide us through the mess than Devo," the band explains. "It's pretty much fact -- we now live in a devolved world that's getting wackier each and every day."

Their 2009 live lineup will consist of original co-founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale, and younger brothers Bob Mothersbaugh and Bob Casale -- plus drummer Josh Freese (of Nine Inch Nails/A Perfect Circle/Guns N' Roses fame).

Devo will perform in Austin, TX, as part of SXSW later this month.

i too dug "watch us work it" and am cautiously optimistic. dunno about replacing human metronome alan myers with a former nin/gnr drummer.

i kinda find it hard to believe that casale's signing on to the notion that "de-evolution has finally arrived," what with obama being president now instead of bush, but maybe gerry's finally starting to get it?

Alan is great and all, but hardly essential and not even the original drummer.

Josh is just fine, but this...



...cannot stand. Alan Myers was the drummer on all of Devo's best stuff, when they were more of a guitar-centric band, and I can't even begin to describe how awesome he is. Songs on those first three records turn on a dime, and without Alan's skills, the band would have been worthless. Frankly, as decent as Josh is, he doesn't come close to Alan's level on that old stuff. Not. Even. Close.

I am a long time fan, and I'm sorry, but you are dead wrong. Josh rocks harder, and turns on a dime just as well. Watch the 1982 video and then watch the more recent Live In Japan for a good example.

Again, Alan was great but this is not Zep playing without Bonzo or The Who without Moonie.

I can see we're not going to agree on this, and that's OK, but I do want to point out that you need to go back quite a bit further than 1982 to appreciate Alan's drummerly greatness. By '82, Devo had gone so nuevo-wavo that the guy really could have been replaced by a Dr. Rhythm, for all he was called on to do. Do yourself a favor and scrounge around for a 1978 French TV performance and be prepared to eat all the electrons you just unleashed above.

And hey, nothing personal here. I just happen to worship at the shrine of Mr. Myers...