HIPSTER RUNOFF » Health

Catching up on Meaningful Music Videos

Carles — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:16:29 +0000

This post is a ‘recap’ of some of the most bloggable music videos of the past several blog months.

Video: Grizzly Bear – While You Wait for the Others

Analysis: I really feel like Grizzly Bear ‘dropped the ball’ on this video. I didn’t really watch it, even though it might be ‘good.’ Since Grizzly Bear ‘charted’ at #6, I feel like they need to do more gimmicks that will help them ‘crossover’ even more. I believe that the best strategy with this song, would have been to do a ‘very generic’ video where they look like a ‘band who is trying to look kewl’, sort of like what the Kings of Leon did to ‘make the jump.’ Feel like they should try to brand themselves as a ‘kewl looking buzz band’ to more mainstream audiences by having a lame video where they are on some rooftop at night being filmed from a helichopper. There could also be some sort of ‘keut girl’ in their video, sort of like some1 like ‘Jessica Alba/Courtney Cox b4 she got famous.’ Conceptual videos that represents ur song are ‘kewl’ if ur a buzzband doing ur first debut on pitchfork.tv, but if u wanna ‘win a VMA’, ur gonna have to do something a lot gheyer/more honky for mainstream fans.

Video: Fever Ray – Seven

Analysis: I was informed by an industry insider that this is a ’sideproject by the broad from THE KNIFE.’ You might remember the Knife from the pre-bloghouse indielectronic-ish movement. This means that Fever Ray has a bunch of electronic xylophone sounds in her music. It is apparently supposed to be a ‘goth project.’ I hope that she ends up on the Twilight soundtrack to reach ‘consumer goths’, sometimes known as ‘vampires.’ Not sure if I am supposed to ‘fear death’ in this video, or ‘get turned on by cougar milf porn.’

Video: The Phenomenal Handclap Band – 15 to 20

Analysis: I mainly wanted to blog about this song. It sort of reminds me of the bloghouse era. Like a song that is ‘upbeat’ and would have received a ton of attention based on catchiness/chorus structure/girl singing with attitude. Whatever happened to ‘the Go! Team’? Remember they had that one catchy song? Wonder if this song would be ‘bigger’ if they sold it to CSS. Sad that there are less accepting ears for songs like this. Miss u 2k5-2k7.

Video: Acid Girls – The Numbers Song

Analysis: This video is a ‘period piece’ about doing ‘a shit load of blow’ during the BlogHouse Era.

Video: Tokio Hotel – Automatic

Analysis: A kewl video by the bad ass German tween crossover hit band Tokio Hotel. Seems like they are really ‘growing into’ more than just a foreign teen sensation, like they have finally started to learn ‘the English Language’ and are trying to explain emotions that all humans can relate to. There are some weird shots in this video of robots ‘eyeball fucking’ one another. The lead singer still seems like an anime bro. Might build a time machine and move to Germany and try to get into this band.

Video: Health – Die Slow

Analysis: Health is indie’s only ‘hardXcore’ band with ‘credibility/coverability.’ I remember when I was a bloghouse blog, searching for remixes to post every day, Health was sort of like something to blog about to ‘make ur blog seem different, like u appreciated all music.’ It seems like one day I might go to a Health concert. From what I can tell, they seem ’serious’ about music, like they know what they are doing. I think that this video is about killing women. This video seems artsy. I want to meet some1 who says ‘Health is my favourite band’, because then I feel like I would better understand Health. I think this video is about date rape/murder since all of the women end up getting ‘chopped the fuck up.’

Video: Dan Deacon – Paddling Ghost

Analysis: Dan Deacon has a zany lil brand, which is why he turned to the ‘puppet aesthetic.’ Basically, most of Dan Deacons fans ‘live in a fucking dream world’ and would actually enjoy this ‘puppet bullshit.’ It seems like you really have to identify with a brand in order to accept the puppetification of a band, otherwise it just seems to bring out an intensified version of your feelings for the band. Wonder if Dan Deacon dolls would ’sell well’ or if buildabear would be a more chill place to buy a gift for a kid.

Have u seen any kewl music videos lately?

Crystal Castles: Will their next album be 100% BANGER?

Carles — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:04:00 +0000

I was listening 2 Crystal Castles’s’z’s remix of White Lies song “Death”, and I couldn’t help but notice how banger-ific it is. I haven’t listened to a banger in so long, and I haven’t posted a banger since 2k5.5 . It’s been a while.

Are pure bangers coming back?
Will Crystle Castals’ next album be 100% bangers?
Does Alice Glass know how to use Ableton?
Will Crystel Castels ever top their co-remix with Health? [link to the shittiest HRO post ever when I was a gimmicky hypemachine mp3 blog that had no reason 2 b alive]
Will they ever top their remix of the Little Ones?

[MP3]
White Lies Death (Crystal Castles Remix)

Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/whitelies
http://www.myspace.com/crystalcastles

Yoinked from discobro
http://discodust.blogspot.com/2008/08/crystal-castles-white-lies.html

XX BONUS ALTBRO PORN XX

Lately I’ve been rlly into alt-zombies & snuff-ish films with alt-divas with fishnet over their face.

Is "HEALTH DISCO" an implied product that all modern artists should be required to make?

Carles — Wed, 21 May 2008 03:30:00 +0000

I’ve always found the consumer acceptance of HEALTH to be an interesting thing to try to understand. They were co-branded with Crystal Castles with the hit blogville song “Crimewave,” and they’ve had a ton of remixes made for the club and for plenty of alternative bro iPods. Even though they play hardcore concept rock, they understand the power of the remix, and have utilized it to create a stronger brand.

They put all of their remixes on an album and called it HEALTH DISCO.

I think it’s safe to assume that there’s less blog readers who buy actual albums, and way more d-bags who browse record stores to buy CDs. I could see a lot of people who have never heard some of these remixes but enjoy thinking that Health is really good purchasing “HEALTH DISCO.”

When I start to think about HEALTH too much, I wonder if I would feel the same about them if they didn’t have remixes. If NO AGE had their songs remixed by popular producers, would I buy into them? Without remixes of Health, I might have written a post about ‘how I don’t understand why people like HEALTH so much.’

But yeah, I like a few Health songs and a few of their remixes, and I think blog-fueled music has kind of needed a hardcoreish band to counterbalance too much electro or too much weinery indie rock on all types of blogs. Health has a highly bloggable production model.

I also think they were pretty fortunate that the CFCF remix turned out to be one of the best ‘remixes of a hardcore-ish song that a producer managed to convert into a pop hit.’

While there have been plenty of REMIX ALBUMS already, I feel like Health is one of the first bands to release most of these remixes to blogs to keep their buzz sustained as they toured, then actually put them on an album for consumption beyond blog-readers and DJs.

[MP3]
Health Triceratops (CFCF Remix)

Buy “Health Disco”
http://lpu.bigcartel.com/product/health-disco-cd

Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/healthdisco

INTERVIEWS

Carles — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 17:09:00 +0000

I was just ‘watching TV’ on youtube, and stumbled across some TEENAGERS and HEALTH interviews done by a web tv startup called PUBLIC ACCESS MEDIA. I think they do a good job of utilizing editing techniques/gimmicks to keep the interview moving.

TEENAGERS INTERVIEW

Pretty great interview, and not just because of the Crazytown joke. I’ve never heard a band explain the thought process behind getting remixed with that degree of awareness. If there was a SELF AWARENESS POWER RANKINGS OF BANDS, Health would probably be close to the top. Right next to ________.

BEFORE DANCEFLOORASAURASES RULED THE EARTH

Carles — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 01:33:00 +0000

When it comes to issues of sustainability with blog-worthy bands, I think HEALTH should be proud of their 2007 + future prospects. It’s probably one the top American ‘new-ish’ band type of business models that’s worth emulating.

Here are some of my favourite things about the HEALTH 2k7 business model:
1. Delivered authentic aesthetic (their sound + their live shows)
2. Solid Remixes that didn’t detract from their original product
3. Great crossbranding strategies with that whole Crystal Castles merger
4. The use of this picture:

5. Lots of touring
6. Embracing blog luv

This remix is about not getting too dancey, but still being a tyte RMX. I appreciate the commentary in the name of this HEALTH remix.

[MP3]
HEALTH Triceratops (Acid Girls — Before Dancefloorasaurases Ruled The Earth — Remix)

Download the CFCF Remix of ‘Triceratops’ here.

HEALTH’s Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/healthmusic

ACID GIRLS’ Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/acidgirlsmusic

This HEALTH VIDEO is DEEP

Carles — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 01:36:00 +0000

Video for Health’s “HEAVEN.” It’s pretty chill, and probably worth inclusion on your ‘music videos of the year’ list, just for conceptual reasons.

Description: “This video was made entirely from footage taken from the Werner Herzog documentary “The Great Ecstasy of the Woodcarver Steiner” (1974).”

[MP3]
Health Heaven
Health Heaven (Pink Skull Remix)

Health’s Myspace
www.myspace.com/healthmusic

Trick or Beats

Carles — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 21:00:00 +0000

Instead of searching my iTunes library for words like ‘Halloween’, ‘Ghost’, ‘Spooky’ and ‘Pumpkin’ and posting the songs for HypeMachiners, here’s a re-recommendation to download Party Time 2000’s Halloween Mixtape.

Click here to download the mixtape.

Track List:
1. Intro (RATATAT + MARTY G)
2. MSTRKRFT – Paris
3. Simian Mobile Disco – I Got This Down
4. Phil Collins + Vitalic = In the Repair Machines Tonight
5. Le Tigre – I’m So Excited
6. t.A.t.U. – Y Shosla S Uma
7. Feist – My Moon My Man (Boys Noize Remix)
8. Health – Triceratops (CFCF Remix)
9. The Blow – Love That I Crave (Strategy Remix)
10. Depeche Mode – Enjoy The Silence
11. Kiss – I Was Made For Lovin’ You
12. Avril Lavigne – Girlfriend (Party Time 2000) [MP3]
13. Crime Mob – Stilettos (Party Time 2000 Remix)
14. Big Tymers – #1 Stunna
15. Dear Nora + Casiotone For The Painfully Alone – Hot Boyz

[MP3s]
Nelly Furtado Say It Right (Party Time 2000)
Lil Mama Lip Gloss (Party Time 2000 Remix)

Party Time 2000’s Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/partytime2000

Party Time 2000 Creates new Mixtape

Carles — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 21:18:00 +0000

Party Time 2000’s latest mixtape is worth taking over the blogosphere in the days leading up to Halloween.
We’re all looking for something appropriate to play at our Halloween bashes, or when you are handing out candy to spoiled kids in your suburban neighborhood. Party Time’s Mixtape is the ultimate Halloween solution. Fresh and Spooky.

Party Time Says:

The process was creating a deeper darker sound, somehow using pitch shifting and tempo dropping to create a sense of slowed/quickened time. I was trying to create the scariest jams.

TRICK OR BEATS is an exciting listen, with the right balance of of blog house tracks and certified pop hits. Highlights of the mix are Phil Collins vs Vitalic, and the Boyz Noize Feist Remix transition into the CFCF Remix of Health’s “Triceratops.” It’s one of the more successful mixtapes out there.

Don’t let your mom play a CD of Spooky Sounds that she bought at Wal Mart. Show you that you love her by burning her a copy of Party Time 2000’s “Trick or Beats.”

Download the mixtape in continuous form, or with separated tracks.

[MP3s via Zshare]
Party Time 2000 – Trick or Beats Mix Tape (one long MP3)
Party Time 2000 – Trick or Beats Mix Tape (Separated Tracks) [HIGHLY REC'CD]

Visit Party Time’s Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/partytime2000

More Party Time remixes.
[MP3s]
Slim Thug & Mike Jones Still Tippin (Party Time 2000 Remix)
Nelly Furtado Say it Right (Party Time 2000 Remix

CFCF 4 LIFE

Carles — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 19:17:00 +0000

CFCF is probably the blogosphere’s next hot remixer.
His original stuff is really good, too. It definitely has a Jan Hammer vibe meets pop music from the year 2020. Even though it’s electronic, there’s a very approachable organic feel to it.

CFCF just released a new song “Raining Patterns.”

His Health and Justice Remixes are ridonk, too.

MP3z:
CFCF The Explorers [Highly Rec'cd]
CFCF Raining Patterns
Health Tricerators (CFCF Remix)
Justice Phantom (CFCF Remix)

Visit CFCF’s Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/cfcf
Health’s Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/healthmusic

A Review of Radiohead’s In Rainbows

Carles — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 02:17:00 +0000

I haven’t listened to “In Rainbows” yet, but I think I’ve gotten a legitimate feel for it based on reading other blogs today.

HIPSTER RUNOFF’S REVIEW OF IN RAINBOWS ONLY BASED ON READING REVIEWS OF IN RAINBOWS
Basically, it sounds like Radiohead. There’s A LOT of experimentation and A LOT of reaching into the same bag of tricks.
Most of the tracks try to “out Radiohead” their previous albums, but still manage to tap into the essence of what makes Radiohead fans love Radiohead.
Some of the tracks sound like they could be on “Kid A,” while some of them sound like they are on “In Rainbows.” A few sound like they are from “Hail to the Thief.” For the most part, a lot of them have elements that remind us of older Radiohead songs. Some of the songs are a little bit too out there for every one, but eventually, every one will adapt their perception of “good music” and learn to love every song. Thom Yorke also varies his vocal delivery, a lot. Sometimes he sings like that intense part of that one song. Also, the quality of the MP3s leaves us wondering if it would sound better if we had the opportunity to buy the CD.

Interview with Rolling Stone

Oh, and for you a-holes who value coverflow, check out these submissions for album art here. The picture used in this post is my favourite one.

MP3: Radiohead – Bodysnatchers(via Save File)

Oh and you should probably listen to this band, too, instead of just searching for Radiohead songs.
MP3: Health – Heaven (Pink Skull Remix)

Health’s Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/healthmusic

Search for In Rainbows at Amazon, even though it’s not available there, and find a sweet tie die shirt.