Dev2.0 (by Dev2.0, Children's Music)

Over 20 years ago, Devo's staccato hit, "Whip It," caused a sensation -- as did the band's delightful dorky image. Unfortunately, the signature sound never evolved and the band disappeared into the annals of one-hit wonders. Too bad -- there's a lot of talent there. Transition to the present and DEV2.0, the band reinvented by Disney and Devo: a likable group of teeny-boppers who strut around the stage pretending to play their instruments amidst a barrage of weird animation. It's reminiscent of The Monkees, a group of actors hired to play the roles of musicians. However, The Monkees had some of the best songwriters in their tent (Neil Diamond, Carole King, Tommy Boyce) while Dev2.0 has, well, Devo.

The CD and accompanying video are fun and well produced. Surely, some kids will be inspired to become pop stars after watching Dev2.0, who make it look like so much fun! But it would have been great to see some of the talent behind the original Devo expand their talents, rather than try to pass off these old songs and arrangements as children's music, which it certainly is not.

Released on: March 14, 2006
Label: Disney
Genre: Children's Music