Bob Casale, founding member and guitarist of influential new wave band Devo, sadly passed away on Monday at the age of 61 from health complications that led to heart failure. His brother and bandmate, Gerald Casale, left this statement on the band's Facebook page: "As an original member of Devo, Bob Casale was there in the trenches with me from the beginning. He was my level-headed brother, a solid performer and talented audio engineer, always giving more than he got. He was excited about the possibility of Mark Mothersbaugh allowing Devo to play shows again. His sudden death from conditions that lead to heart failure came as a total shock to us all."
Affectionately known as "Bob 2" (with bandmate Bob Mothersbaugh known as "Bob 1"), Casale helped form the band in 1972. Their revolutionary (devo-lutionary?) sound catapulted the band to stardom during the MTV-era, and continues to influence generations of musicians. Watch a video round-up of Casale's work with the post-punk pioneers below:
You lucky dog -- it's St. Patrick's Day! KEXP's Irish eyes will be smiling as DJs John Richards, Cheryl Waters, and Kevin Cole will be shamrockin' your St. Patty's Day soundtrack all day long. And you can grab a pint of Guinness, and celebrate the patron saint of Ireland with our video round-up bel…