Health (band)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| HEALTH | |
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 HEALTH at Les Nuits Botanique 2008
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Genres | Noise rock Electronic Experimental rock |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Lovepump United Trouble Records Flemish Eye No Pain In Pop |
| Website | http://www.healthnoise.com http://www.myspace.com/healthmusic |
| Members | |
| Benjamin Jared Miller Jake Duzsik John Famiglietti Jupiter Keyes |
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Health, usually typeset HEALTH, is an American noise rock band from Los Angeles, California. The band's 2007 release with Crystal Castles charted at position nine in the UK indie singles chart. [1]
Contents |
[edit] History
The band have found fame by playing multiple concerts for free[2], leading to a variety of venues requesting to book them[2]. The band's favourite setting, LA's The Smell, has been their chosen place to record their full length album, "during empty mornings" [3], although the band have already recorded a live album at the Smell, released on DNT Records.
In 2008, Boston newspaper The Phoenix named them the Best New Band from California.[4]
HEALTH opened for Nine Inch Nails on part of the Lights in the Sky tour in the fall of 2008.[5]
The name of the band was chosen after the band's members agreed that they wanted to use an "everyday word." They created a list of words and went through to see which was taken, and the word "health" was the only one left.[6]
HEALTH have been described as having "artfully crafted noise and raw synth, haunting monotone vocals, and drum skills that are borderline insane"[7]. Guardian Unlimited writer, Louis Pattison, chose the Crystal Castles version of "Crimewave" as the pick of the week, describing the song as "melancholy electro-pop built from pixelated synths and depressed vocals that hint at a past programme of busy and sustained serotonin depletion". [8] Jim Carroll of The Irish Times also chose the song as tune of the week.[9]
The band describes the role of lyrics as being "purposely kept vague for the listener"[10]:
"...[Lyrics] sort of begin to bring out this more individual quality to the whole thing like, ‘These are the lyrics, and this is the guy is singing them, so I can relate to that.’ Which is really not something we want. [10] We wanted the vocals to have an even, unaffected feel. A softness, like a Zombies melody, or even a Gregorian chant. We aren’t just interested in being a noisy screaming band."[10]
The band's unusual sound can be partially accredited to the use of the Zoothorn, which is a permutation of microphone and guitar pedal[3] and an occasional atonal sound without a symmetrical structure.[3]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- 2007 HEALTH - Lovepump United
- 2008 HEALTH//DISCO - Lovepump United (Remix Album)
- 2009 GET COLOR - Lovepump United
[edit] Singles
- 2007 Crystal Castles vs. HEALTH - Crimewave - Trouble Records (#9 UK indie singles charts)
- 2007 Crystal Castles//HEALTH 7" Split - Lovepump United
- 2008 PERFECT SKIN +RMX 7" - Suicide Squeeze
- 2008 HEAVEN +RMXS 12" - Flemish Eye
- 2008 TRICERATOPS//LOST TIME +RMXS 12" - Tough Love Records
- 2008 //M\\ 7" - No Pain In Pop
- 2009 DIE SLOW 7" - Lovepump United
[edit] References
- ^ BBC - Radio 1 - Chart Show - Indie Singles
- ^ a b Music Glob » Blog Archive » HEALTH making noise in Los Angeles
- ^ a b c L.A. Record » Blog Archive » Health: He’S Approving Friend Requests
- ^ 50 Bands, 50 States, The Phoenix. Published July 4, 2008.
- ^ "Boris, HEALTH, the Bug to Open for Nine Inch Nails". Pitchfork Media. http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/145220-boris-health-the-bug-to-open-for-nine-inch-nails. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
- ^ Jones, Kenya (2009-09-17). "Interview: HEALTH". Impose Magazine. http://www.imposemagazine.com/interview-health/2238/. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
- ^ Rock Insider: HEALTH - BLOWIN' UP
- ^ Louis Pattison's new releases review | Pop | Guardian Unlimited Music
- ^ On The Record » Tune of the Week - “Crimewave”
- ^ a b c Paper Thin Walls :: Independent Music Community
