Latest news with #artrock
Asharq Al-Awsat
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Devo's Misunderstood Art-Rock Legacy Explored in New Documentary
You know the band Devo, right? The guys with the funny red plastic hats and jumpsuits? The New Wave musicians behind the silly 'Whip It' video? They had that odd, spiky '80s vibe? Well, it turns out you may not know as much as you think. The new Netflix documentary 'Devo' is an eye-opening examination of an Ohio-born art-rock band that argues they were perhaps the most misunderstood band on the face of the planet. It debuts on the streaming service Tuesday. 'We were trivialized and pigeonholed,' co-founder Gerald Casale tells The Associated Press. 'This documentary allows us to talk about what we were thinking and what we are motivated by to create what we created.' Directed by Chris Smith, 'Devo' uses archival footage and interviews to trace the band's beginnings, rise and fall, with cameos from fans like David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Neil Young. Devo introduced themselves to the world in 1977 by making a frenetic version of the Rolling Stones' 'I Can't Get No) Satisfaction,' which earned them a crucial slot on 'Saturday Night Live.' On stages, they would wriggle like worms or dress like the guys from 'Ghostbusters.' They released their Brian Eno-produced debut, 'Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!' in 1978 and reached platinum status with 1980's 'Freedom of Choice,' which featured 'Whip It,' a hit just as their label was getting ready to drop them. But behind the odd neck braces and knee pads were powerful art and literary ideas about where the country was going. They named themselves after the idea that modern society was entering a process of 'devolution.' 'We were seeing a world that was the antitheses of the idealized, promised future ginned up in the '50s and '60s,' Casale says in the movie. 'What we saw was regression.' The nucleus of the band was formed from tragedy: Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh met at Kent State University, where they lived through the 1970 killing of four unarmed anti-war student protesters by the National Guard. That tragedy forged in the pair an anti-establishment, anti-capitalist protest, mixing lofty art history with pop culture. They admired Dadaism and Andy Warhol. The factories of Akron inspired their gray overalls and clear plastic face masks — portraying cogs in a machine like in the art movie 'Metropolis.' 'We had a meta-approach,' Casale tells the AP. 'It was a multimedia, big idea approach. Music was an element, a layer, a dimension, but it was connected to this big worldview.' Part of Devo's strength was its visual component and their videos were drenched with political commentary. The upbeat 'Beautiful World' featured footage of police violence, the KKK and bombings, while 'Freedom of Choice' warned against the dangers of conformity. The song 'Whip It' was written after reading Thomas Pynchon's 760-page postmodern sci-fi tome 'Gravity's Rainbow.' The video — featuring cowboys drinking, dangerous gunplay and assault — was actually mocking President Ronald Reagan and his macho brand of conservatism. Members of Devo — which also included Mark's brother, Bob, Gerald's brother, Bob, and Alan Myers — performed on TV and chatted with talk show hosts like David Letterman but their satire never seemed to break through. 'Nobody wanted to hear us talking about the duality of human nature and the dangers of groupthink and the atrophication of people being able to think logically and think critically,' Casale says. 'It was like, 'That's a bummer. Just tell us about drugs.'' Rock has always needed bands like Devo, a corrective to the corporate machine. You can see an echo of Devo when M.I.A. raised her middle finger during the Super Bowl halftime show in 2012. The members of Devo cite such bands as Rage Against the Machine and System of a Down as keeping the flame alive. 'The only thing you can hope is that it will create an awareness and get rid of complacency, but it doesn't seem to have done that in the past,' Mothersbaugh tells the AP. 'I always tried to be optimistic that devolution was something that was going to be corrected and that our message would be not necessary at this point, but unfortunately it's more real than ever.' After Devo, Casale directed music videos and commercials, while Mothersbaugh scored movies and TV shows such as 'Pee-Wee's Playhouse,' 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,' 'Rugrats' and 'Hello Tomorrow!' There are signs of optimism when members of Devo play live these days. Mothersbaugh says he sees a lot of young people, who have used their smartphones to bypass media gatekeepers. 'We see a lot of people that look like us, with gray hair out there in the audience. But there's also, there's also a lot kids, which is kind of surprising to me, but I think it's only because they have this thing in their hand that they sometimes use to their advantage.' Devo are set to hit the road later this year in a co-headlining tour with the B-52's. The Cosmic De-Evolution Tour will kick off Sept. 24 in Toronto and wraps Nov. 2 in Houston. You may think of Devo as New Wave or early electronica or synth-pop. But they see themselves differently: 'We were true punk, meaning we questioned illegitimate authority and we stayed in our own lane and did our thing, remaining true to our vision,' says Casale. 'That's punk.'
The Independent
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Devo's misunderstood art-rock legacy explored in new documentary
You know the band Devo, right? The guys with the funny red plastic hats and jumpsuits? The New Wave musicians behind the silly 'Whip It' video? They had that odd, spiky '80s vibe? Well, it turns out you may not know as much as you think. The new Netflix documentary 'Devo' is an eye-opening examination of an Ohio-born art-rock band that argues they were perhaps the most misunderstood band on the face of the planet. It debuts on the streaming service Tuesday. 'We were trivialized and pigeonholed,' co-founder Gerald Casale tells The Associated Press. 'This documentary allows us to talk about what we were thinking and what we are motivated by to create what we created.' Directed by Chris Smith, 'Devo' uses archival footage and interviews to trace the band's beginnings, rise and fall, with cameos from fans like David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Neil Young. 'What we saw was regression' Devo introduced themselves to the world in 1977 by making a frenetic version of the Rolling Stones' 'I Can't Get No) Satisfaction,' which earned them a crucial slot on 'Saturday Night Live.' On stages, they would wriggle like worms or dress like the guys from 'Ghostbusters.' They released their Brian Eno-produced debut, 'Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!,' in 1978 and reached platinum status with 1980's 'Freedom of Choice,' which featured 'Whip It,' a hit just as their label was getting ready to drop them. But behind the odd neck braces and knee pads were powerful art and literary ideas about where the country was going. They named themselves after the idea that modern society was entering a process of 'devolution.' 'We were seeing a world that was the antitheses of the idealized, promised future ginned up in the '50s and '60s.' Casale says in the movie. 'What we saw was regression.' The nucleus of the band was formed from tragedy: Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh met at Kent State University, where they lived through the 1970 killing of four unarmed anti-war student protesters by the National Guard. That tragedy forged in the pair an antiestablishment, anti-capitalist protest, mixing lofty art history with pop culture. They admired Dadaism and Andy Warhol. The factories of Akron inspired their gray overalls and clear plastic face masks — portraying cogs in a machine like in the art movie 'Metropolis.' 'We had a meta-approach,' Casale tells the AP. 'It was a multimedia, big idea approach. Music was an element, a layer, a dimension, but it was connected to this big worldview.' 'Whip It' video Part of Devo's strength was its visual component and their videos were drenched with political commentary. The upbeat 'Beautiful World' featured footage of police violence, the KKK and bombings, while 'Freedom of Choice' warned against the dangers of conformity. The song 'Whip It' was written after reading Thomas Pynchon's 760-page postmodern sci-fi tome 'Gravity's Rainbow.' The video — featuring cowboys drinking beer, dangerous gunplay and assault — was actually mocking President Ronald Reagan and his macho brand of conservatism. Members of Devo — which also included Mark's brother, Bob, Gerald's brother, Bob, and Alan Myers — performed on TV and chatted with talk show hosts like David Letterman but their satire never seemed never to break through. 'Nobody wanted to hear us talking about the duality of human nature and the dangers of groupthink and the atrophication of people being able to think logically and think critically,' Casale says. 'It was like, 'That's a bummer. Just tell us about drugs and sex.'' A counterculture legacy Rock has always needed bands like Devo, a corrective to the corporate machine. You can see an echo of Devo when M.I.A. raised her middle finger during the Super Bowl halftime show in 2012. The members of Devo cite such bands as Rage Against the Machine and System of a Down as keeping the flame alive. 'The only thing you can hope is that it will create an awareness and get rid of complacency, but it doesn't seem to have done that in the past,' Mothersbaugh tells the AP. 'I always tried to be optimistic that devolution was something that was going to be corrected and that our message would be not necessary at this point, but unfortunately it's more real than ever.' After Devo, Casale directed music videos and commercials, while Mothersbaugh scored movies and TV shows such as 'Pee-Wee's Playhouse,' 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,' 'Rugrats' and 'Hello Tomorrow!' There are signs of optimism when members of Devo play live these days. Mothersbaugh says he sees a lot of young people, who have used their smartphones to bypass media gatekeepers. 'We see a lot of people that look like us, with gray hair out there in the audience. But there's also, there's also a lot kids, which is kind of surprising to me, but I think it's only because they have this thing in their hand that they sometimes use to their advantage.' Devo are set to hit the road later this year in a co-headlining tour with the B-52's. The Cosmic De-Evolution Tour will kick off Sept. 24 in Toronto and wraps Nov. 2 in Houston. You may think of Devo as New Wave or early electronica or synth-pop. but they see themselves differently: 'We were true punk, meaning we questioned illegitimate authority and we stayed in our own lane and did our thing, remaining true to our vision,' says Casale. 'That's punk.'
The Guardian
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Your favourite album is not as cool as any dinosaur': set sail with New York art rock duo Water From Your Eyes
On a breezy May evening, the New York-based art rock duo Water From Your Eyes are several hours into their annual boat show. It's a delightful jaunt down the East River that raises questions such as: who from your local music scene would you save in a Titanic scenario? Tipsy people totter across the Liberty Belle's promenade decks, some partaking in the loosie cigarettes and poppers available for purchase. A magician is somewhere on board, blowing minds with sleight of hand tricks. Below deck, the band's Rachel Brown and Nate Amos seem to have found their sea legs: a mosh pit erupts as they rip into Life Signs, the playfully proggy lead single from their forthcoming album, It's a Beautiful Place. The band treat the annual excursion began a bit of a joke, albeit one they have actively participated in for three years. Sometimes it feels as if WFYE is all about pulling off harebrained ideas. 'Nothing is more of a letdown in a creative scenario than achieving exactly what you set out to make,' says Amos. 'Where's the fun in that?' So, the next day, we head to the woods upstate. The band are noted Red Hot Chili Peppers fans and Brown, who studied film-making in college and makes videos for peers such as dance punks Model/Actriz, is directing a video for new song Playing Classics – a dance track inspired by Life Without Buildings and Charli xcx – that pays homage to the By the Way video. After following a long dirt road plastered with 'do not enter' signs, we end up talking to a confused shopkeeper in a trailer filled with fireworks. 'Do you know the Red Hot Chili Peppers? Not, like, personally,' Brown asks earnestly. 'Can I show you a video and you tell me the best way to recreate it?' Adventurousness and commitment to the bit is central to the WFYE ethos. Since forming in 2016, the duo have relished in twisting simple concepts towards playful ends. Brown and Amos started making music together – and dating – while living in Chicago back in 2016. Inspired by New Order, they made melancholic dance music, albeit written 'from the perspectives of animals and background movie characters,' says Brown. No longer romantically involved by 2019, the pair were living in Brooklyn and performing regularly at DIY spots, experiences that encouraged them to make bolder choices. As Brown says: 'Nate started bringing in 15-minute collages instead of little pop songs.' Their 2021 breakthrough, Structure, was a meticulously chaotic assemblage of glitchy post-punk, solemn orchestrals and Brown's impressionistic poetry. Rolling Stone wrote: 'The music they make is so shot through with the discordant energy of feeling hopelessly stuck in this miserable moment, yet it never strays far from the maxim: You gotta laugh.' It's a Beautiful Place is the band's second record with venerable indie label Matador. It is the band's most guitar-forward record yet, a natural consequence of the extensive touring behind its predecessor, 2023's Everyone's Crushed and an expanded live outfit, courtesy of guitarist Al Nardo and drummer Bailey Wollowitz, who play together as Fantasy of a Broken Heart. 'Once we had a rock band together, it was like, OK, we can make a rock album now,' Amos says. 'Almost every song has a guitar solo, which would have felt ridiculous in the environment that Everyone's Crushed was made in.' Everyone's Crushed was born from an exceptionally bleak time for the duo. When Black Lives Matter protests proliferated in 2020, says Brown, it 'felt revolutionary. I genuinely thought we would see real changes regarding equity and equality.' But by 2021, they were exhausted and disillusioned, back to working long hours assisting on film sets. Meanwhile, Amos was prolifically creative during lockdown but struggling with sobriety from alcohol and other substances – the bulk of Everyone's Crushed was made during a relapse. Amos laughs when recalling how he recorded the album on 'a broken computer held together by a USB cable,' a fitting setup for the album full of uncanny electronic squall addressing alienation, consumerism and suburban decay. While basking in the mysteries of Stonehenge after a UK tour in 2022, Amos challenged himself to take a break from smoking weed. Back home, he wrote a 'delayed recovery album' which became the first full-length from his solo project, This Is Lorelei – 2024's Box for Buddy, Box for Star. Heartfelt and compulsively melodic, it's a gem of whacked-out, country-tinged pop songwriting distinct from WFYE: 'Singing about feelings is such a different headspace than shredding on electric guitar,' he says. Most of the musical ideas on It's a Beautiful Place originate from the same prolific period as Everyone's Crushed, arranged in a very different way. 'I'm very happy to no longer be the person who was wasted, making music for 14 hours a day,' says Amos. 'But I am also very grateful to that person.' Likening his role to that of an editor, Amos manipulates and distils the demos he made back then until they land somewhere beguilingly obtuse and disquietingly catchy. 'We're still releasing our five-year blended malts,' he jokes. 'Wait until that shit's sat on a dusty hard drive for a decade, there's gonna be some crazy tasting notes.' Recorded in Amos's home studio, the freaky, full-bodied rock songs Nights in Armor and Born 2 gesture at humanity's cosmic insignificance. 'When I sat down to write the lyrics, it just so happened that we both were thinking about cosmic existentialism,' Brown says. 'But maybe we always do that. We're both very aware of time, I think because we're Capricorns.' The duo cite pre-human geological history, the vast unknowns of space and sea, and the deep hue of International Klein Blue as touchstones. 'My working mindset for this album was 'your favourite indie rock album is not as cool as any dinosaur,'' adds Amos. In a nice full-circle moment, he finished mixing the record near Stonehenge, at a hotel overlooking a statue of Bigfoot. Both agree that It's a Beautiful Place is the most optimistic Water From Your Eyes project yet, a representation of the band's omnivorous spirit. 'Without hope there's only defeat, and I don't believe that that's where we should land,' says Brown. 'I think that humanity and the planet are worth fighting for because we've been gifted such a beautiful place.' It's a Beautiful Place is released via Matador on 22 August
Times
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
10cc review — a royal success from the court jesters of prog
A grand courtyard of red-brick Tudor splendour (the extremely civilised Hampton Court Palace Festival, with a cushion-bellied Henry VIII roaming the gardens) seemed a fitting locale for 10cc, the court jesters of Seventies art rock. Where their peers traded in po-faced prog, cult glam and cocaine experimentation, their speciality was in boogie-based collage rock, amalgamating strains of blue-eyed surf pop, vaudevillian operetta, new wave, calypso, and colourful semi-comic storytelling and metaphor. Life is a minestrone and death a cold lasagne, they famously posited in 1975, like a profoundly existential edition of Nadiya Hussain's Cook Once, Eat Twice. And you know what, if you thought about it for long enough on the frankly smashing drugs knocking around back then, it kind of was. Here, they were clearly a reduced outfit, with only the bassist Graham Gouldman remaining from the original line-up, his decaying vocals bolstered by his co-frontman Iain Hornal and the long-standing guitarist Rick Fenn. But like the jesters of old, their opening few songs spoke truth to power even at 50 years' remove. The hyper-capitalist parody The Wall Street Shuffle is still powerfully prescient and the wiry, industry-skewering Art for Art's Sake, with its rock-as-commodity chorus of 'Art for art's sake, money for God's sake', could be Spotify's theme song. The satire may have been ageless — witness a bloodthirsty boogie-woogie National Guard loading up on Rubber Bullets, then turn on Newsnight — but the music was firmly nostalgia-zone. Bar one 2024 Gouldman solo song — the languid cruise ship ballad Floating in Heaven featuring Brian May, who was (dramatic pause) 'not here tonight' — nothing was dated post-1978. Dreadlock Holiday in particular, their infamous cod reggae tune about being mugged by Jamaican locals, sat in the realm of 'things they got away with in the Seventies' — although the crowd, themselves largely in their seventies, lapped it up. The overriding sense was one of envious amazement that such imaginative, shapeshifting stuff was ever mainstream-adjacent. The Things We Do for Love drenched a classic Beatles-style doe-eyed doo-wop in unutterable anguish, while Clockwork Creep unravelled the dialogue between a bomb and the passenger jet it's about to blow up to the sound of operatic music-hall art pop with Disney whistles on. And though there were undoubtedly sags in the set and a covers-act sheen to the affair, there were also sublime passages, where the airline jingle turned dreampop drama I'm Mandy Fly Me gave way to the gorgeous phantom harmonies of I'm Not in Love, or when the full band gathered centre stage for a stunning barbershop take on their debut single, Donna. In philosophical dining terms: mostly minestrone.★★★★☆ 10cc play the Sign of the Times Festival, Herts, on Jun 20 and the Brit Festival, Cheshire, on Jul 6,
Washington Post
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Stanine Festival features big-name electronic musicians in small spaces
Guitarist-composer Tyondai Braxton used to play large clubs with the art-rock band Battles, and he took his 'Telekinesis,' an eclectic 2022 work for orchestra and chorus, to London's 900-seat Queen Elizabeth Hall. But he says he's pleased to be performing this weekend with longtime collaborator Ben Vida at D.C.'s Rhizome, a much smaller venue.
