SFBG: How would you describe the sound of Health?

John: Racket music.

Jake: Noise rock

SFBG: How would you describe the Smell scene now that it's gotten national attention? Has it been spoiled or...?

John: The Smell scene is relatively unchanged. Its not like you go to a show now and there's all these strangers. The difference is there will be a ton of photographers at bigger shows now etc. But, the
Smell is still near impossible to book if you are not "in", so it's not like there's all these cock rock bands there now or something. The scene has never had a negative attitude to bands from the scene getting on bigger shows at more square venues, so nothing's been fucked up so far. Also, the other venues and parties that are part of the scene, but have gotten zero attention, are completely unchanged. THE PARTY IS STILL ON IN L.A.

Jake: For us everything is essentially the same. If anything the media attention the scene has been getting is gratifying. No one is pulling any jaded bullshit like, "Things changed man. It used to be
about the music." A more noticeable recent change is the downtown neighborhood where the Smell is located being rapidly gentrified and becoming a yuppie stronghold. That is more disorienting than any magazine article.

SFBG: Why do you think there's a revival in positivity in the punk scene now? Or would you say you're part of a punk scene?

John: Yes? There is a revival of positivity in these underground music scenes that's been increasing exponentially since about 2002, but I dont know if this a "punk" scene anymore, and I don't wanna
talk about it that way. I really wish all cool people would stop using the term "punk" and leave it to the jackdick's forever. That way it won't take everyone 8 to 15 minutes to explain how something is punk without it being
something really lame.

Let's just call what we mean as "punk" as like, I dunno, BADDITUDE or Hot Topic sass or liberty spikes or something equally stupid so everyone knows what were talking about. Because I don't know if your punk means the same punk as this punk or that punk or some lame shit called punk. I guess it's because we
got into this shit at 13 and now we can't let the term go.

It's hard, I know.

Jake: For my part I would definitely say that we are not part of a punk scene at all. There is some inspiring community solidarity going on, but terming it "punk" just seems like a waste of time. Even if some of the ethos is "punk"-derived and some of the bands cop elements from punk rock, labeling it that way does very little to explain what's going on.

SFBG: What has it been like playing with Dan Deacon?

John: Incredible, the Deac is the greatest one-man band in history, and the kids who come to a Deac show come to get ka-ra-zee in the most positive way. It's an amazing crowd.

Jake: I wouldn't typically use a word like vibes, but yeah, good vibes. Dr. Deacon is bathed in sunshine and love.

SFBG: What do you want your audiences to get from or experience at your
performances?

John: Get off. Just get fucking stoked and excited - all that live music is about, power, energy, fun.

Jake: Not too sound too fancy, but that maybe there would be some sort of collective moment where we can be moved by being able to play our music for people and they can be moved by watching it. Whatever moved means to you. Amped, sad, cathartic, unnerved. The hope would be that we could create for an audience the kind of feeling we get when we watch a good show.

SFBG: What are the five things you are listening to?

John: Anything Italians Do It Better-related, Crystal Castles remixes, Paul Mooney, Metallica, Winston Churchill speeches.

Jake: Van Morrison, This heat, Journey, Videohippos, Pictureplane.

Health appears with co-headliners Dan Deacon and Ultimate Reality tonight, Jan. 17. KIT also performs. 8 p.m., $13. Great American Music Hall, 859 O’Farrell, SF. (415) 885-0750.