HEALTH-"Get Color"
(September 8, 2009)

The noise-rock group HEALTH hailing from California has dropped their second full length album, not including last years remix album "HEALTH//DISCO".  They are mostly known in the indie scene for their mash up of the song "Crimewave" with similar artist Crystal Castles.  "Get Color" can be seen as an offshoot of the same sound of that collaboration. The distinction though is where the rest of Crystal Castles catalogue bleeps and crashes HEALTH clamors, spaces out, and shimmers.  Ninety percent of the songs on "Get Color" clock in at under four and a half minutes so the space out is short and sweet. The smallest being the dreamy but wrenched opener (In Heat).  Because of this the songs never overstay their welcome. There is repetition here but the songs hit it home and take off running before it becomes too noticeable, with the exception of "Severin" which sounds like an extended remix of "In Heat".

Another superior element to "Get Color" is its use of vocals.  If you find yourself struggling to understand the mumbled, hushed lyrics then you aren't the only one.The words become accompaniment to the texture of the music without overpowering it. The near-chanted whispers are there to showcase the atmosphere created by the arrangements, not a way of relaying an overall message.  It comes out sounding smart and otherworldly rather then beating you over the head with syntax - allowing make your own meaning. Lyric fans beware. The muted underlying calmness of the album gives a dark, soundtrack tone.  Not one of a musical or comedy but a thriller of the serial killer variety. This  is noticeable in the song titles as well (Die Slow, Death, Eat Flesh).  Album highlights include the drums and sequencing that frames almost every song on the album, creating meaty sounds within the limited space provided by the short song lengths. The only time this really fails is on the track "Eat Flesh". Here the album's loudest song sounds like a bone cutter screaming in the foreground, drowning out everything else on the track. Just when you think it's going to stop, the noise returns. Still, compared to other noise rock bands on the rack, HEALTH has created a fast, haunting album that doesn't have to yell to win you over.
(Grade: B-)  Highlights: In Heat, Die Slow, We Are Water,

KiD CuDi- "Man On The Moon:
The End Of Day"
(September 15, 2009)

Ther's been a lot of buzz over the arrival of Cleveland rapper Kid CuDi's debut album.  I've been a fan since the release of his well crafted underground mix-tape "A Kid Named Cudi".  Now amidst the tours, remixes, guest spots and talks of this being a concept album - aside from a solid backing by notable friends Kanye West and Common - "MOTM:TEOD" is going to be released with it's biggest surprise....subtlety. The concept (which isn't really a concept) is more of a biography of a hybrid being. Mr. Cudi has merged himself with a fictitious entity on a sort of smoke-induced dream world. The autobiographical theme of being an outsider is repeatedly brought to the surface. Whether a stoner, alien, loner, eccentric or werewolf, being different is both Cudi's biggest crutch and his biggest strength.  Outcast status is peppered as a negative (Solo Dolo) or uplifting (Heart of a Lion, Up Up & Away) and sometimes both (My World). The gay community can empathize and associate tons with that.  He whips up this theme in a variety of ways depending upon the song and clearly, his best asset is his sharp lyricism.  Wit and wordplay carry his Midwestern sing-rapping often at a lazy stoner pace, which is why his work is often called stoner rap. Strangely it has also been billed as electro rap, which makes me think of auto-tunes and crunk - a far reach from the image wielded by this album. Even when he is produced/backed by electronic artists such as Ratatat and MGMT (Alive, Pursuit of Happiness) the synth never diminishes his own laid- back style. I feel that most of the album comes off as a little too laid-back, with such heavy themes and slower pacing then most often found on a rap album. Cudi emotes and internalizes so much that it makes the listener join the sometimes sad world he creates. In his dreamscape, which isn't all club bangers and platinum chains, you sometimes want to bring your Prozac.  But like the artist this album is different, and manages to use that quality to bring about the best and the worst in this collection. The tracks are more headphone/head-bob worthy then dance floor beat, which might be just what rap needs. This "Man On The Moon" raps about being down-to-Earth with his head in the clouds and a life of problems we all can relate to.
(Grade: B+)  Highlights: Day n Nite, Alive, Up Up & Away

SOUNDING OFF: It is funny/sad how in writing this column I try to keep up with several sites that talk about upcoming releases. Last month two gay artists came out with full LPs and none of the sites I use referenced or mentioned them.  One artist is hot, bearlicious, ex-porn star Colton Ford with a not-quite favorable cover dance album. The other is a debut from the hilarious and hot boy rapper Cazwell. I found it weird that even on sites where indie artist of obscure labels are showcased these two weren't.  Maybe I'm just looking at the wrong sites, but do you feel that some gay artists are flying too far under the radar? That there are some out there who should be household names yet remain unknown?  If so, Who? Do artists like Pansy Division and Big Nugg seem like they should be getting more mainstream air time? Since gay is in, with actors and politicians jumping out of the closet, why are gay musicians getting the cold shoulder?

Our friend Sean -  interviewed just this May – has his finger on the pulse of the cuurent music scene. Beats, personalities and new releases…brought to you by a guy who knows his stuff. With a fresh, new perspective, Sean’s gonna serve it up hot and real. The cub’s sounding off!