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Perform Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's "Ohio"   
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 One
of new wave's most innovative and (for a time) successful bands, Devo was
also perhaps one of its most misunderstood. Formed in Akron, OH, in 1972
by Kent State art students Jerry Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh, Devo took
its name from their concept of "de-evolution" -- the idea that instead
of evolving, mankind has actually regressed, as evidenced by the dysfunction
and herd mentality of American society. Their music echoed this view of
society as rigid, repressive, and mechanical, with appropriate touches
-- jerky, robotic rhythms; an obsession with technology and electronics
(the group was among the first non-prog-rock bands to make the synthesizer
a core element); often atonal melodies and chord progressions -- all of
which were filtered through the perspectives of geeky misfits. Devo became
a cult sensation, helped in part by their concurrent emphasis on highly
stylized visuals, and briefly broke through to the mainstream with the
smash single "Whip It," whose accompanying video was made a staple by the
fledgling MTV network
All Music Guide |