California musical group present abrasive, invasive live show

If there's an indicator that Internet buzz might not be the high road to success it's often hyped to be, look no further than Los Angeles noise-rockers Health.

Health " with Gravity Propulsion System and Memorize " will play Wednesday at 8 p.m. at The Conservatory, 8911 N. Western. Call 607-4805.

"We hadn't made a dime until February, so it's not like we have been living the dream off this music or anything," said bassist and band noisemaker John Famiglietti. "We are all homeless right now, by the way. No one lives anywhere. Right now we are back in L.A. and have no place to live. It's not like I got a fucking mansion. I'm living out of my car right now."

The music is as tough as the talk. Angular guitar work and primal beats drive the sound, providing grimy, no-wave angst for the group's self-titled album, which was released last September.   

'THE SMELL'
Homeless and hailing from L.A. means Health has no qualms performing in squalor. The drums carry the echo of a load of metal trash cans being released onto scummy streets. The band members said their favorite rehearsal space " dubbed "The Smell" " is a brick-fenced cellar wedged beneath a part of downtown that Famiglietti said would be impossible for anyone to report a noise violation from.         

"Good tunes come from places that suck," he said. "You go to the United Kingdom and it fucking sucks. That's why there's no good Spanish bands, because it's so awesome there."

Health's latest collection of songs, "Health//Disco, takes each abrasive garage-punk track on the first and remixes it for the new release. The band members hope the sonic diversity will help Health live up to its hype.

"We are all raised on these rock touchstones," Famiglietti said, before lamenting the current lack of dance-rock bands. "It had dried up. That's when we started thinking about that part of our culture."

For "Health//Disco," the group issued a disclaimer explaining the rationale of a remix album, hoping to make the album's intentions clear. With an Internet-based promotional octopus in mind, the disclaimer reveals a lack of critical muscle flexed by music writers when the subjects they cover work with words.

"With a remix record, what do you think? 'That's bullshit, that sucks,'" Famiglietti said. "Well, this doesn't suck. We actually want to do this. We always planned to put out this remix record." "Danny Marroquin

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