NO-CORE blog

DEVO tour poster

I had seen and participated in DEVO’s “vote-for-the-songs-you-want-on-the-new-album” thing, but somehow the actual release slipped by me. Well, after a 20-year break, DEVO’s new album: “Something For Everybody” is out. In DEVO fashion, this comes along with a new look (nice. powder blue is the new red apparently.) and an extension of the De-evolutionary philosophy.

As part of the pitch and concept for the album, there’s a “reality series” of videos – which are most likely completely fake, but brilliant nonetheless. This is DEVO for 2010 all right. (videos at the bottom of this post)

All that’s well and good, but I know what you’re wondering: Is the album terrible? Answer: No. Is it as amazing as “Hardcore DEVO” or “Are We Not Men?” or “Duty Now”? Answer: Also No. This album falls squarely in with the mid-period DEVO stuff: “New Traditionalists” and the “Whip It” era. I think it’s way better than those last couple of DEVO albums. The songs are snappy and clever, loaded with trademark DEVO sounds and beats. In fact, I’d swear several songs sample old DEVO songs. Things take a bit of a turn for the lame at the end of the album with a kinda-ballad and a last track that sounds more like something a DEVO knock-off band would write. Still, it’s not enough to ruin things for me.

DEVO "Something for Everybody"

So this is “Something For Everybody,” the “88% focus-group approved” album that is designed – at least within the semi-fictional DEVO-world – to bring DEVO into mainstream America. I am totally enjoying the concept and really nice art direction (check out the perfect album cover) which is 100% in keeping with the DEVO we know and love, although I have no doubt the stated intention will fail miserably. But they may have succeeded at doing something that seemed even less likely: making a totally decent new DEVO record.

I recommend checking out their official website, http://www.clubdevo.com for lots of fun stuff.

Oh yeah, and they’re on tour too. Dates here: http://www.clubdevo.com/tour/

“I will believe it when I see it.” That’s what I’ve thought every time I’ve heard that there would be a new Six Finger Satellite album. Well, I haven’t seen it but I have heard it. There is no physical album yet, but all the tracks can be heard HERE AT LAST.FM and the mp3s can be BOUGHT HERE. And it’s GOOD.

Six Finger Satellite were one of my personal favorite bands back in the 90′s, putting together Big Black guitars and Jesus Lizard rock with DEVO rhythms and synthesizers to create a sound that tons of bands are still just catching up to. They fell apart in 98 or so after releasing “Law of Ruins” – an album that was far more minimal and stretched out than any of their previous stuff. It definitely seemed like a “final album.”

Then I think it was 2001 or so when I tried to see a “reunion” show in Brooklyn. They were touring with Landed, 2 members of which were now members of Six Finger Satellite. Except that 6FS didn’t play, with no explanation. Then there were rumors of a new album, another reunion, etc. but years went by and nothing happened. Maybe a year or more ago a couple of the band members started an official MySpace page – with the usual claims of a reunion and new album in the works. By this point I was much too skeptical to believe it, but then they just recently posted the above links!

I tried to do some research by looking at the 6FS wikipedia entry and apparently this album was recorded back in 2001 (or partly recorded?). Maybe everyone was just waiting for a real stable line-up to come together so that there could be some shows around the release. I don’t know if I can make sense of the membership over the last decade, but it seems that every incarnation, including the one which recorded this album and the current line-up, includes founding members J.Ryan and Rick Pelletier (also in Chinese Stars). Wikipedia claims that the current drummer is Jon Loper, member of Made In Mexico, which would be cool.

Anyway, here’s the important information. This “new” album sounds like classic Six Finger Satellite. No one would be surprised by the sound or suspect a membership change if it came out right after “Paranormalized.” The guitar has that characteristic shrill metallic feel and all the drums hit hard while always staying seriously off-kilter. The sci-fi synthesizer sounds are in place. Mostly fierce little rock songs, with just a few touches of the minimalism that filled “Law of Ruins,” like maybe in the title track “Half Control.” It’s built mainly on a single lurching, pulsing rhythm but keeps the energy very high throughout. Only the last track stretches out enough to feel like a long song, but really, there is no filler and you get to the last track so fast that you’ll want the album to be a little longer. The whole thing hits hard and fast. If you love Six Finger Satellite, you will love this record too.

Apparently the real thing will be released by Load Records – date unknown, but I now believe it may happen. No mention at the Load Records website site yet. There are shows in April listed – I’m less convinced those will happen, but let’s hope!

Relevant links:
Six Finger Satellite on MySpace
MySpace page
The album on LAST.FM
Buy the mp3s from fina
Boomkat also sells FLAC files.