Devo Follow Olympics Concert With Free “Fresh” Download
There was a little something for everyone at the Winter Olympics yesterday — curling, ice dancing, freestyle skiing and a Devo concert that featured some of the band’s latest material. The reunited band graced the Whistler, British Columbia stage for an hour-long show that aired around 11 p.m. PST. “We couldn’t have wished for a better testing ground from such a fantastically diverse crowd,” Devo wrote on their Club Devo site. In case you missed the performance, here’s some good news: Devo are offering up their propulsive new single “Fresh” as a free download just for today at their official Website.
The band’s long-awaited LP is slated for a reported April 2010 release, around the time Devo will perform at Coachella. The album will include 12 songs, which is currently posing a problem. “Right now, Devo is committed to more songs than the new release allows. Word from on high is that songs must be removed from the new CD,” COO for Devo Inc. Greg Scholl writes on the Club Devo page. “Help DEVO Inc. and its corporate partners to determine the outcome of the album by participating in the proven system of focus-group testing at the Devolution tent. Your involvement is essential and will grant you a free Energy Dome for your efforts.”
We’re not entirely sure where this Devolution tent is located, but the Club Devo site has an interesting little Color Study to participate in while you waste time waiting for the band’s new album to finally be released. As Rolling Stone previously reported, Devo inked a 360 deal with Warner Records to cover the new album, reissues and their touring.
“Fresh” is the third song officially released off the band’s upcoming album, also tentatively called Fresh. Devo originally debuted “Fresh” live last year during their reunion shows at the SXSW festival, along with two other new tracks, “Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man)” and “What We Know.” Prior to that, the band released their first single since 1990, “Watch Us Work It,” after the song appeared in a 2007 Dell commercial. At their DEVOtional 2009 concert, Devo unveiled another handful of new songs, firmly laying the groundwork for what will be the band’s first album since 1990’s Smooth Noodle Maps. Twenty years is a long time to wait between albums, but if all the tracks are as fresh as “Fresh,” it was worth it.
Related Stories:
• Live Review: Devo Rip Through “Q: Are We Not Men?” and “Freedom of Choice” on Full-Album Tour
• Devo Ink 360 Deal With Warner Bros., Prep Reissues and Tour
• Devo Hint at New Album’s Sound, Debut Songs During SXSW Set