Song of the Day

The Band: Devo
The Song: Gut Feeling  / (Slap Your Mammy)
The Album: Q: Are We Not Men? A: We are Devo!
The Reason: Yesterday morning KEXP DJ John Richards did a last minute tribute show to Ian Curtis, as it was the 30th anniversary of the Joy Division front man's suicide. Richards played tracks from Joy Divisions entire catalog from their original EP (when they were still called Warsaw, the songs, which are all totally raw punk classics, appear on the compilation "Substance") in 1976, all the way to the Unknown Pleasures, the bands last record before Curtis' death in 1980. Not only did he drop some Joy Division tracks, but cuts from influential bands of the same ilk from the same time period of 76-80. They ranged from the obvious influences like the Buzzcocks, to the likes of Talking Heads, Brian Eno, Devo, Iggy Pop, The Jam, The Cure, The Fall, The Damned, Gang of Four, Bowie and the Clash.

I really think this post punk/new wave era is an oft overlooked source of rock solid classics. I feel like the word "new-wave" has been bastardized about as much as the word "emo". One of the most misunderstood of these artist is Akron, Ohio's own Devo. I'm sure anyone who ever even hears the words Devo muttered instantly thinks of "Whip It" and silly cone hats. Delve deeper then that though and you find a band who was probably more intune with their punk roots just as much, if not more so, then most of the other bands of the time. Hell, the majority of music you've heard in film and television over the last 20 years has been scored by folks from this movement. Most notably Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo, consistent Wes Anderson contributor) and Danny Elfman (Oingo Boingo, every fucking Tim Burton movie, The Simpsons, you name it). David Bryne and Brian Eno (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) have also had their fair share of scoring duties.

The build of this track is killer before it just starts totally spazing out. Think  Green Day- Brain Stew / Jaded (you know you dug it). Sure they sang about silly shit most of the time (see "Mongoloid") but when they brought the energy like this, they slayed it.

The Video: