California
HEALTH
All-Time Best Band: The Beach Boys
All-Time Best Solo Artist: Dr. Dre
Best New Band: Health
There were many ingredients to the Beach Boys’ success: mind-blowing five-part harmonies; mind-bending studio wizardry; mind-controlling Svengali psychologists (that would be Dr. Eugene Landy). But at its heart, the formula for creating the quintessential California sound was quite simple: have five blond white guys lay Chuck Berry riffs over lyrics about surfboards. Voila! | Speaking of dubious doctors, while his medical honorific seems of questionable origin, Dr. Dre was largely responsible for being gangsta rap’s stork, first delivering N.W.A, then Snoop Dogg, Death Row Records, and finally Eminem. | LA’s HEALTH makes spooky, kitchen-sink electronica for the ADHD set. The challenging, mainly instrumental noise pop careens wildly from teeth-rattling feedback to kooky tribal percussion, with nods to German art rock. It’s kinda like Kraftwerk, only propelled by mad, messy humanity.
Video: Beach Boys
Video: Dr. Dre
Download: HEALTH, "Crimewave" (mp3)
Listen: Beach Boys, "Wouldn't It Be Nice?"
Listen: Dr. Dre (featuring Snoop Dogg), "Nuthin' But a G Thang"