Audio By Carbonatix
Artist: DevoTitle: Something for EverybodyRelease date: June 15Label: Warner Bros.
You may be asking yourself, “Why does Devo have a new record out?” Is it for the money? Doubtful, because how much money could they possibly make by releasing a major-label record in 2010? And, anyway, aren’t these guys still living off “Whip It” residuals?
In short, does anybody still care about new music from Devo? I mean, it’s been 10 years since their last studio release and 28 years since their last good record, Oh, No! It’s Devo, and 32 years since their debut, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, which is on the short list of the greatest pop-rock records ever made.
People may care again about Devo once again with the release of Something for Everybody. Probably to the surprise of just about everyone (except maybe the guys in the band), the new record is really good — it’s loud, aggressive, fast, and catchy. It’s as if the brothers Mothersbaugh and Casale heard the most recent The Hives record, The Black and White Album, and said, “Um, we can do that just as well as those goofy Swedish boys.”
Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh and Gerald and Bob Casale, the core of the classic Devo lineup, are all back for this record, along with drummer Josh Freese, one of the top hired guns in the business. And its Freese’s propulsive drumming that sends these songs to another level of greatness. Driving and relentlessly energetic, Something for Everybody may be the most purely danceable Devo record yet.
Touching on familiar Devo themes of paranoia and a crumbling world amid great technological advances, the band has never made a fucked-up future seem like such a good time.
For a band that has influenced so many acts over the past 30 years, Devo must’ve felt they could still best the acolytes at their own game. They must have felt that they didn’t have to try to be relevant because they know they are still relevant. And Devo wisely doesn’t try to imitate the quirky art-punk that made them such an essential band three decades ago. Instead, they’ve made a modern-sounding dance-party record that is still unmistakably Devo.
Best song: “Step Up” and “Human Rocket”Rotation: HighDeja Vu: An end-of-the-world bash.I’d rather listen to: As solid as Something for Everybody is, you can’t beat classic Devo.Grade: B+
“Nothing Not New” is a yearlong project in which New Times editorial operations manager Jay Bennett, a 41-year-old music fan and musician, will listen only to music released in 2010. Each Monday through Friday, he will listen to one new record (no best ofs, reissues, or concert recordings) and write about it. Why? Because in the words of his editor, Martin Cizmar, he suffers from “aesthetic atrophy,” a wasting away of one’s ability to embrace new and different music as one ages. Read more about this all-too-common ailment here.
The “Nothing Not New” Archives
June 15 — The Gaslight Anthem: American Slang (C-)June 14 — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Mojo (C)
June 11 — Odds ‘n’ Sods: The Dig, The Cringe, Delta Spirit, Stereo Total, and moreJune 10 — Gemma Ray: It’s a Shame About Gemma Ray (A-)June 9 — Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti: Before Today (B)June 8 — Against Me!: White Crosses (C)June 7 — Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void (B-)
June 4 — The Melvins: The Bride Screamed Murder (B-)June 3 — Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles II (B-)June 2 — The Cool Kids: Tacklebox (B-)
May 27 — What Cheer? Brigade: We Blow You Suck (D)May 26 — Stone Tempe Pilots: Stone Temple Pilots (C)May 25 — Karen Elson: The Ghost Who Walks (C+)May 24 — Damien Jurado: Saint Bartlett (B)
May 21 — Woven Bones: In and Out and Back Again (B-)May 20 — Band of Horses: Infinite Arms (B-)May 19 — Sleigh Bells: Treats (D-)May 18 — The Black Keys: Brothers (B+) May 17 — LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening (A-)
May 14 — Odds ‘n’ Sods: CocoRosie, Natalie Merchant, The Sadies, and moreMay 13 — Male Bonding: Nothing Hurts (B)May 12 — Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma (B-)May 11 — The Dead Weather: Sea of Cowards (A)May 10 — The National: High Violet (B+)
May 7 — Shapiro: Shapiro (C)May 6 — Gogol Bordello: Trans-Continental Hustle (C-)May 5 — Broken Social Scene: Forgiveness Rock Record (A-)May 4 — The New Pornographers: Together (B-)May 3 — The Hold Steady: Heaven Is Whenever (A-)
April 30 — Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: I Learned the Hard Way (A)April 29 — Hole: Nobody’s Daughter (D+)April 28 — Odds ‘n’ Sods: Toro y Moi, Merle Haggard, Freedy Johnston, and moreApril 27 — Unnatural Helpers: Cracked Love & Other Drugs (B+)April 26 — Harlan T. Bobo: Sucker (A-)
April 23 — Roky Erickson and Okkervil River: True Love Cast Out All Evil (A-)April 22 — Caribou: Swim (D)April 21 — The Apples in Stereo: Travellers in Space and Time (C-)April 20 — Jakob Dylan: Women + Country (D+)April 19 — Cornershop: Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast (C)
April 16 — Frightened Rabbit: The Winter of Mixed Drinks (B+)April 15 — Coheed and Cambria: Year of the Black Rainbow (D-)April 14 — Foxy Shazam: Foxy Shazam (D, later changed to a B)April 13 — MGMT: Congratulations (B+)April 12 — Odds ‘n’ Sods: Robyn Hitchcock, RJD2, Scorpions, and More
April 9 — Murder by Death: Good Morning, Magpie (B-)April 8 — Harlem: Hippies (C+)April 7 — Slow Club: Yeah, So (B)April 6 — Black Francis: NonStopErotik (B+)April 5 — Growing: Pumps! (F)
April 2 — Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs: Medicine County (B)April 1 — Dum Dum Girls: I Will Be (A-)March 31 — The Dillinger Escape Plan: Option Paralysis (B+)March 30 — Local Natives: Gorilla Manor (B)March 29 — The Bird and the Bee: Interpreting the Masters: Hall & Oates (C)
March 26 — Eddy Current Suppression Ring: Rush to Relax (C+)March 25 — Let’s Wrestle: In the Court of the Wrestling Let’s (B)March 24 — Goldfrapp: Head First (D)March 23 — She & Him: Volume 2 (A-)March 22 — Broken Bells: Broken Bells (C+)
March 19 — Locksley: Be In Love (B)March 18 — jj: jj no. 3 (C-)March 17 — Xiu Xiu: Dear God, I Hate Myself (D+)March 16 — Drive By Truckers: The Big To-Do (B-)March 15 — April Smith and the Great Picture Show: Songs for a Sinking Ship (C)
March 12 — The Morning Benders: Big Echo (C+)March 11 — Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Beat the Devil’s Tattoos (B)March 10 — Acrassicauda: Only the Dead See the End of War (C-)March 9 — Titus Andronicus: The Monitor (B+)March 8 — Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: The Brutalist Bricks (A)
March 5 — Liars: Sisterworld (A-)March 4 — Gorillaz: Plastic Beach (A-)March 3 — Johnny Cash: American VI: Ain’t No Grave (B+)March 2 — High on Fire: Snakes for the Divine (C)March 1 — Joanna Newsom: Have One on Me (C)
Feb. 26 — Freeway & Jake One: The Stimulus Package (D)Feb. 25 — Past Lives: Tapestry of Webs (B-)Feb. 24 — Shout Out Louds: Work (B)Feb. 23 — Brian Jonestown Massacre: Who Killed Sgt. Pepper? (B+)Feb. 22 — Shearwater: The Golden Archipelago (D+)
Feb. 19 — The Strange Boys: Be Brave (B+)Feb. 18 — Tindersticks: Falling Down a Mountain (A)Feb. 17 — Lightspeed Champion: Life Is Sweet! Nice to Meet You (C-)Feb. 16 — Adam Green: Minor Love (B-)Feb. 15 — Juliana Hatfield: Peace & Love (B+)
Feb. 12 — Massive Attack: Heligoland (C-)Feb. 11 — The Watson Twins: Talking to You, Talking to Me (C-)Feb. 10 — Hot Chip: One Life Stand (B+)Feb. 9 — You Say Party! We Say Die!: XXXX (B+)Feb. 8 — Allison Moorer: Crows (B)
Feb. 5 — Joe Pug: Messenger (C)Feb. 4 — The Soft Pack: The Soft Pack (A)Feb. 3 — Polysics: Absolute Polysics (B-)Feb. 2 — Pierced Arrows: Descending Shadows (A-)Feb. 1 — The Brunettes: Paper Doll (B-)
Jan. 29 — Basia Bulat: Heart of My Own (C)Jan. 28 — Priestess: Prior to the Fire (B)Jan. 27 — The Magnetic Fields: Realism (B)Jan. 26 — Four Tet: There Is Love in You (D)Jan. 25 — Delphic: Acolyte (C+)
Jan. 22 — The Hot Rats: Turn Ons (B+)Jan. 21 — Los Campesinos!: Romance Is Boring (A-)Jan. 20 — Midlake: The Courage of Others (D-)Jan. 19 — Laura Veirs: July Flame (B+)Jan. 18 — Beach House: Teen Dream (C)
Jan. 15 — Charlotte Gainsbourg: IRM (B)Jan. 14 — OK Go: Of the Blue Colour of the Sky (D)Jan. 13 — Eels: End Times (A-)Jan. 12 — Spoon: Transference (B)Jan. 11 — Editors: In This Light and On This Evening (D+)
Jan. 8 — Surfer Blood: Astro Coast (B+)Jan. 7 — Yeasayer: Odd Blood (C-)Jan. 6 — Cold War Kids: Behave Yourself EP (B+)Jan. 5 — Vampire Weekend: Contra (D+)Jan. 4 — Texas Tornados: Está Bueno! (B)
Jan. 1 — Scanners: Submarine (B-)
