Through Being Cool

Bob Casale, guitarist and programmer for DEVO passed away yesterday. Here’s a tribute from his brother.

DEVO is one of the most important bands in history. They are not the easiest to listen to. They don’t have the largest catalog of hits. And they surely are odd to watch.

But Devo is short for de-evolution, and as an american art project it’s right on point. Starting in the early 70’s, Devo forced us into the modern world. Punks with sequencers when no one had an idea what a sequencer was. These guys were so early in the game they were practically building their own digital instruments, and then playing them in sync with guitars, drums, and keys. Very sick, very ballsy.

Their remakes of classic rock riffs put the post-modern touch to the heavy and serious tone coming out of the Vietnam era (finally), while at the same time celebrating them at the expense of current dance music trends. Their version of Satisfaction blew me away.

Devo the band was composed with a set of 2 brothers from Akron Ohio, an interesting lineup, and one that stayed intact the entire 40 years!