Are You Not Devo? You Are Mutato

And even if they’re not of their time, they can always hire a bunch of kids and unveil a fresher, younger Devo 2.0, which they in fact did last year in one of the most baffling and audacious rollouts in their baffling and audacious career. Devo 2.0, a quintet of young kids who dress up and perform updated versions of Devo songs, have released a CD and DVD on Walt Disney Records (with videos directed by Gerald Casale), and appear on the Disney Channel. It’s an odd concept, yes — in one interview, Mothersbaugh characterized the members as “scary kids who came and auditioned for us along with their freaky parents.” But if the Blue Man Group can do it, why not Devo?

Also on the horizon is a Devo singing toothbrush being produced by the Hasbro Corporation. The “Tooth Tunes” item features a reworked version of “Whip It,” called, you guessed it, “Brush It.” The packaging features an image of Mothersbaugh donning his energy dome and staring toward the stars.

“I think it’s an exciting time,” says Mothersbaugh. “I’m glad I got to be here to watch the record companies disappear. I was hoping for it 30 years ago. I hope it’s not too traumatic, because it’s going to scare some people who haven’t figured out what to do with their art. But once they realize that there’s a different model, and you don’t have to go to a record company that’s going to give you 14 percent of the amount of money coming in for the record — instead it’s going to be with a company that’s going to give you 85 percent — they’re going to understand that maybe it’s not such a bad thing that record companies are gone, and there’s a value for the artist there.”