Health | AWmusic

Health‘s Get Color is coming out on Tuesday and just late last week released the music video for “Die Slow”. I must say that I’m again I’m a huge fan of the track (even so that I gave the Tobacco remix a low-ish score since I dug Health’s work a lot more).

Anyway the video: freaking awesome.
It’s not a complicated video by any means but it uses some cool techniques, layering the track between it’s fast pace and the slow vocals while switching back and forth between shots and letting the more choatic scene to be in the background. It also looks cooler since frontman Jake Duzsik is looking stoic along with some slow down choreography. I can’t forget to mention blood swimming orgies and hot women. Check it out:

Die Slow by Health

Health – Die Slow MP3 Review

Health is the first band to add me on Myspace so I recall listening to them a few times pre-Crystal Castles mashup and much more afterwards as their Remix album (Health//Disco) was a very good record despite multiple repeats of the same track on the record.

I must say I found it hard to listen to the original source. It’s not that Health was bad in anyway but their music was missing something despite being very abstract. They really left the music open to interpretation by many different artists and I don’t get that sense of Die Slow.

Die Slow is every bit noise as their previous material but instead of leaving it open to interpretation they fill out their own sound in a multifaceted song that is down right addictive. Go ahead and remix this song, you aren’t topping it the original that’s for sure.

This song is simply versatile (intentional oxymoron), whether you are listening to the song loudly or quietly or whether you find this a dance track or an experimental noise track, it will have you addicted. Sometimes I think of it as a pop song, other times I feel like I could be listening to Animal Collective. It is seriously an amazing track and I’m still fascinated by it by the 70th listen or so. Should I dance to it or let my brain melt?
Even then I didn’t mention the melodic vocals that strike a different tone to the upbeat synths and just overall loudness. You think it’d get lost in the shuffle but it gives it the track some simplicity.

Look for it on my top of 2009 song list. Get Color comes out later this year and they are playing in Toronto for NXNE.

Rating: 5 out of 5
Die Slow by Health

AWmusic’s Top Songs of 2008 pt4: #1-25

I know I’m one day late but I’m finallllly done. I hope you enjoy it.
Previously:
Part 3 #26-50
Part 2 #51-75
Part 1 #76-100

Numbers 1 through 25:
#1 Ready For The Floor by Hot Chip (myspace/video)
Best dance song of the year? Best song too.
#2 Crimewave – Crystal Castles vs Health (Crystal Castles’ myspace/Health’s Myspace/video)
This version is miles better then the original.
#3 Little Bit by Lykke Li (myspace/live)
I’m not only a little bit in love with this.
#4 L.E.S. Artists by Santogold (myspace/video)
Santogold’s least creative but most accessible track.
#5 Hearts On Fire by Cut Copy (myspace/video)
Cut Copy has a ton of great tracks.
#6 Head Rolls Off by Frightened Rabbit (myspace/video)
“Jesus is just a Spanish boy’s name”
#7 White Winter Hymnal by The Fleet Foxes (myspace/video)
#26 on my top songs of 2007 list.
#8 M79 by Vampire Weekend(myspace/live)
The better of the two new songs.
#9 Graveyard Girl by M83 (myspace/video)
Without the poem, this could very well be #1.
#10 Unforgettable Season by Cut Copy (live)
Not the most danceable but my favorite.
#11 You Me Dancing by Los Campesinos! (myspace/video -ep version)
It takes long to get started but worth the wait.
#12 Magic Spells by Crystal Castles
This song is their most artistic/creative venture.
#13 Kim & Jessie by M83 (video)
Another great track off Saturdays=Youth.
#14 Skeng by The Bug ft. Killa P and Flowdan(myspace/video)
Best track off the amazing London Zoo.
#15 Machine Gun by Portishead (homepage/video)
Even if the song is simple, Beth Gibbons does wonders.
#16 Oxford Comma by Vampire Weekend (video)
Number 4 of my 2007 list.
#17 These Few Presidents by Why? (myspace/live)
“Even if I haven’t seen you in years, yours is a funeral I’d fly to from anywhere” – had to break my rule for that line.
#18 Time To Pretend by MGMT (myspace/video)
It’ll be ironic if they have a coke habit.
#19 Kids by MGMT (video)
They do know how to make a decent pop song.
#20 The Twist by Frightened Rabbit (live)
Emotions of a simple dance, captured perfectly.
#21 Everyone I Know Is Listening To Crunk by Lightspeed Champion (myspace/live)
Everybody I know IS listening to crunk.
#22 Teenagers by Department of Eagles (myspace)
My favorite song off In Ear Park.
#23 Furr by Blitzen Trapper (myspace/live)
One of the better folk songs of the year.
#24 Lost Coastlines by Okkervil River (myspace/video)
Jonathan Meiburg vocals puts on the perfect touch.
#25 Street Flash by Animal Collective (myspace)
Anyone excited for Merriweather Post Pavilion? (We’ve heard the leaks)

AWmusic’s Top Songs of 2008 pt 1: #76-100

Rest of the series:
Part 2: #51-75
Part 3: #26-50
Part 4: #1-25
I’m really late with my top songs list. There are far too many and it’s likely I missed a whole bit. In order not to just give a list of 100 songs, I’ll split it into four-parts with a 10-word limit describing each track.
#76 (Why Don’t You Go) Take A Hike by Thunder Power (myspace/video)
Even if she tells me, I’m not leaving.
#77 Wishing Well by Love Is All(myspace/video)
Josephine Olausson is a goddess. I’ll make her feel better

.
#78 Take Me Home by Team Genius(myspace/video)
Most optimistic attempt to be Michael Jackson vocally?
#79 Clouds by The Rumble Strips (myspace)
“I’m lying on my back, looking at the clouds”
#80 Singer-Songwriter Anthem by Silver Speakers (myspace)
I think of this whenever I hear a singer-song writer.
#81 The Hollows by Why? (myspace)
10 words doesn’t do it here.
#82 Cherry Tulips by Headlights (myspace/video)
Pop at its finest.
#83 The Nun’s Litany by Magnetic Fields (myspace)
Fuel to the “dirty nun” fantasy.
#84 Black Satin by The Raveonettes(myspace)
Another simple yet effective Raveonettes song.
#85 California Girls by Magnetic Fields
Someone actually hates California Girls?
#86 Where Do You Run To by Vivian Girls (myspace)
A simple yet catchy song.
#87 You, Me and the Burgeoise by The Submarines (myspace/video)
I-phone commercial for the win?
#88 Bye Bye Bye by Plants and Animals (myspace/video)
Good song….album? ehhh
#89 Stormy High by Black Mountain (myspace)
A great start to a great album.
#90 Nothing Ever Happened by Deerhunter (myspace)

“Best song to play on a road trip”
#91 Constructive Summer by Hold Steady (myspace)
Me and my friends are like “constructive summer”?
#92 Ghosts by Ladytron (myspace/video)
Schizophrenia?
#93 House Music by Cadence Weapon (myspace)
Best song on Afterparty Babies.
#94 Creeper by Islands (myspace/video)
Video is odd.
#95 The Old Days by Dr. Dog (myspace)
“Let go of the old ones, we’ve got new ones.”
#96 Jodi by The Dodos (myspace)
Jodi my dear, this is a song you must hear.
#97 Battle Royale by Does It Offend You Yeah? (myspace/video)
A catchy instrumental for one of my favorite movies.
#98 I Wasn’t Made For Fighting by Woodhands (myspace/video)
They were actually made for dancing.
#99 Heaven (Narctrax Remix) by Health (myspace)
Health’s Disco has amazing remixes.
#100 Dawn Of The Dead by Does It Offend You Yeah? (video)
Critics hated on the wrong album.

HEALTH – HEALTH//DISCO Review

HEALTH was the first band on myspace to add me as a friend (I was adding bands but not many were sending me friend requests). I will probably always remember that after hearing the awesome remix of Crimewave by Crystal Castles.

The main problem is that I personally just hated noise rock and couldn’t get into them and never bothered to check out their self-titled disc despite the good reviews.

It’s always dumb heck maybe even idiotic on my part to listen to the remixes before I listen to the original songs but I don’t know if I’d like the originals and HEALTH//DISCO is more dance-orientated with some major key elements of noise rock taken out (that I dislike).

This album is pretty good, it includes the track Crimewave that’s been an internet favorite for quite awhile. It’s a mix between dance/psychedelic nature containing electronic pop elements with synths and sometimes just “weird” things here and there that really stand out. It’s meant to be a dance album but I don’t need to want to bust a move in order to like it.

For the most part this album is wickedly awesome. One problem I have is the repeated remix of the track Triceratops. They are significantly different but I would have preferred hearing all of the tracks from the original album remixed rather then being replaced twice by the same. Triceratops was remixed twice by the Acid Girls but I ended up listening to CFCF version. We also have a 2 remixes of Heaven which I enjoyed the Narctrax version thoroughly compared to a decent version of Heaven.

Aside from repeatedly remixed tracks almost all tracks display some level of electronic excellence even if its from a different group of artists. All of them seem to be worthwhile, with lyrics and vocals usually out of the way. There are a billion elements all over the place and it’s hard arguing with anyone that rates this album well.

Not really any other weaknesses.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Triceratops (CFCF Remix) by Health

Heaven (Narctrax Remix) by Health

Lost Time (Pictureplane Remix) by Health

Get this album from Insound