DEVO@SXSW!!

WHEEEEE!

Now I am as happy as a little girl!

In prep for next year’s album launch, DEVO are flexing their muscles for the forthcoming full-blown reunion/comeback, and played last night at the SXSW music fest. It must be soooo satisfying to have publicly predicted devolution back in the mid 70s (when, as you’ll recall, we could hardly imagine things being much worse) and being proven absolutely fucking right. Talk about making your point!

When “Watch Us Work It” popped up out of nowhere in 2007 -- the first new original song recorded under the DEVO name in 17 years -- not only was I surprised, but delighted at how amazingly fabulous it was. Indeed, it’s very much the best thing DEVO have put out since at least 1987’s “Baby Doll,” (from the Tapeheads soundtrack) which I used to play the hell out of on my old radio show.

I know at least a couple of readers of this blog are, shall we say, resistant to buying digital songs off services like iTunes, and for most classic music I concur with them: a digital “album” is no comparison to the joy of owning an actual CD or record. But there are exceptions, and this is one of them: go get “Watch Us Work It” right now, dammit! You really can’t get it any other way (okay, there’s a vinyl 12” available, but it would take at least a few minutes to obtain! No time for that, must have instant gratification!).

Anyway, I’m so indebted to Amanda at Pandragon for sharing her report of the DEVO show at SXSW, as well as some great pictures (to wit):

And there’s many, many more where those came from, boyo!

So -- new songs, new energy, new love from (and for) a new generation of mutants. I can’t believe how much better the cultural world has gotten since Obama got elected. This is the perfect answer to that “Gone Galt” baloney.*

*and for those thinking I’m making a cheap political shot -- one of the motivators for this latest incarnation of Devo was their support for Obama! So suck it, spuds! Eliminate the ninnies and the twits!

PS. While you are reading Amanda’s report, don’t forget to check out the embedded YouTube videos of some of the opening acts -- The Black & White Years and DataRock. The years ahead are starting to look good.