Still Whippin' It after all these Years!

Really can't imagine what this sounds like,
and I am not nearly the fan that Mark is,
but I can't help but love these guys .
Besides the fact that I think they are brillant,
I'm very excited about generating a whole new fan base for these fellas and introducing youngsters to their undeniable creativity and sheer, amazing bizarreness.

I mean, ch-ch-ch-ch-check it out...
(that last line is supposed to be sung in your best Fergie voice)
Here they are back in the day:


Here's a peek at the new album:

Yep, it's a child of 12---she's the new lead singer!

And here's a review I read this morning in the Courier Journal of Louisville:

Album Review
Devo!
By Paul Curry
Special to The Courier-Journal

"When Disney (!) announced that the original members of Devo were re-forming to re-record their classic hits and write new songs with a bunch of kids, the collective global eye-roll registered 4.5 on the Richter scale. This could be one of the worst ideas ever! To say that it is merely dubious misses the point.

But this is Devo. Rhymes with pogo. Short for "devolution," the concept, postulated by lead singer Mark Mothersbaugh and his pals in the late 1970s, that human culture had passed its peak and had entered its inexorable decline. If it didn't reek of truth at that time, there can be little argument that we are now in freefall. DEVO!

This package has many things going for it. First, the classic songs, played by the original band, will satisfy the old fans' appetite for nostalgia. Will they be disappointed by a softened approach? Mmmm, could be. But then there's the new lead singer, Nicole Stoehr, 12, who's a perfect fit for the material in the post-Avril/Annie world of pop. She's got good pipes and a perfect balance of detachment and passion for songs such as "Whip It."

But wait, there's more! New songs! "The Good Thing" revisits concerns originally examined in songs such as "Freedom of Choice" and "Beautiful World." And "Big Mess" suggests that, while each of us is looking for love, we are all hiding the same secret. The revolution of truth continues!

But that's not all! The set comes with a DVD featuring the all-kid band pantomiming the entire album in the studio with a retro mix of animation and frenetic camera movement. Young Stoehr really pops out of the tube here, a fact that should bother almost everyone — she's 12! And, as if that weren't enough, there are interviews with Mothersbaugh and his original songwriting partner, Gerald Casale. A real history lesson for old fans and new. All for the price of a single CD. It's a no-brainer.

Making music is no longer simply the last resort for lonely losers who are driven to express themselves. It's a calculated career choice with an industry of financial and psychological professionals available to provide support in order to avoid Elvis-style burn-out. "DEV2.0" is the most excellent proof that the industry can still squeeze out something relevant, even if it seems as if the bosses don't know what the workers are getting away with."

And so strange I should read this today, because for some unknown reason I was googling Mark Mothersbaugh just a few weeks ago, only to find out the wonderful news that he is responsible for several fun movie scores AND that he's quite a visual artist...as well, which I'm sure comes as no big surprise.

Quite exciting, isn't it?
I knew you'd think so, too.