The Joys: Next Band to Make it Big?



Hey everyone,

It’s Dani from www.makeaquick.com here, reporting a really cool band that are really stirring up the scene. The Joys have recently embarked on a tour to promote their new CD “Unfold”, which started in late February, consisting of an appearance on A Channel morning show in London, hitting SXSW among Canadian heavy-hitters, a gig at the legendary Cat Club in Los Angeles and forward on to the Midwest.

Do they ever take time to breathe? Clearly not, the band has recently signed with Koch Entertainment to help promote the new album, a whole new facet to their team. What does the album sound like? The Joys signature classic rock sound, full of great classic riffs and the occasional ballad with vocals that will kick you in the teeth. A lot of the songs have that catchy, timeless structure that The Joys are so well known for. The difference between The Joys and most other bands out there? Their live show is absolutely phenomenal and I mean it is truly a rock ‘n’ roll performance that can rival some of the legendary bands in their genre. Lead singer Sara Smith is indefinitely dynamic, vocally and emotionally; with the ability to connect with everyone from your mom, the big dudes at the biker bar and the tween music lover.

With an endless list of accolades, among them a TIMA 2007 nomination for “Best Female-Fronted” , and extensive press coverage, it was inevitable that The Joys were to hit Gold record status with their single “Storm”. The experience has boosted them into the spot light and have made them push even harder to gain cross-national appeal.

On a stop in Los Angeles at Cat Club in West Hollywood, guitarist Mike McKyes took some time to answer a quick Q & A with us:

Q. The Joys were recently picked up by Koch Entertainment, how has the label helped? Has it become easier to manage the various components, Booking, Touring, Writing, Publishing, Management, etc?

A. Koch has a been a great door opener for us, and a great addition to our growing team. They have definitely made it easier by helping us with their expertise, efforts and contacts and put our album in stores nationwide.

Q. You were selected among some great company to represent Canada at SXSW, Bedouin Soundclash, Magneta Lane, Arkells etc. What was your experience like?

A. Aside from the fact that we were surrounded by thousands of people in downtown Austin and all the streets were closed off, I really felt like we treated it as another show… I mean, we were accepted to participate because of who we are just like all the other great acts that performed with us. I’m honoured that we got to experience SXSW, thank you!

Q. You released a brand new video for “Storm” off your latest album nationally in February, what have the responses been like?

A. Our fans love it, and it’s funny how perceptions change when it was released. I still wake up in the morning and brush my teeth the same way and people think that we’re famous now! I like it, because it makes me smile.

Q. The Joys have been touring since February, do you have any funny stories from the road?

A. Yes, Kevin made a homeless guy a peanut butter sandwich at a rest stop somewhere between El Paso and Hollywood yesterday. I don’t know why that’s funny… it just is to me.

Q.It doesn’t look like you guys are stopping anytime soon, especially with the release of your recent CD, what’s next? Will you be coming back to California anytime soon?

A. It’s a never ending process of playing live and promoting our music, and trying to balance that with writing new material, recording it and introducing it into our live musical repertoire. Oh ya, and finding some time to sleep in there.

Want to see how their tour is going? Check out their tour blog on http://www.thejoys.ca and keep up with the latest videos, reviews and pics from along the way!

Check out their new music video for their single, “Storm”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDe1flpfr7I

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Merge: Telekinesis


 It’s Dani from www.makeaquick.com here. We are going to take a little break from my 5-star adventure to cover a really amazing band that I had a chance to listen to on my drive up to San Diego. The San Diego experience will come later, but check out Telekinesis!
These days there’s a real lack of great record labels that you can really rely on. The days of Stax and Motown, Chrysalis and Island feel long gone. Even labels like Arts & Crafts who at one point seemed to be on the right path to such reliability have fizzled into a safety zone for their friend’s bands and side projects; hardly a holy temple for the newest and most exciting talent. However, there is one label out there that does manage to come closest to maintaining a consistent reputation for having a killer roster of bands. That label is Merge Records. One only has to hear the names of The Arcade Fire, M. Ward, Spoon, and Neutral Milk Hotel to get an idea of the critically acclaimed bands and songwriters they release. That’s why when I heard about Merge’s latest new band Telekinesis I was really excited to hear the record. The band is singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist/drummer Michael Lerner who wrote all the songs and plays almost every instrument on the album. It’s a solid listen that flows perfectly through the eleven tracks about the fragile heart of the indie rock dreamer kid. Lerner’s songs about escape (Tokyo, Imaginary Friends) and his cold, yearning heart (Rust, Calling all Doctors) will have fans of all of Merge’s songwriter based bands lining up at the door. His well written songs have catchy vocal melodies, chopping drum beats and sweeping keys arrangements. If I could give it a tag line I’d probably write something like: “Catchy As Hell” or “Joyous Melancholy”. This is a band I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on and looking forward to catching them live whenever they roll into town. In an era where everything is changing and you need something to trust in, I’m thankful my most recent leap for a Merge artist really paid off. Tune in to Telekinesis; it’s worth it. 
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Simon LA Finale: You’ve never had dessert like this


 Hey again,

It’s Dani from www.makeaquick.com here. Today, I bring you the finale of my experience at Simon LA restaurant, the latest venture from celebrity chef Kerry Simon. The dessert from Simon LA is so intense and exquisite, that it requires a whole separate post to itself. By this picture, you will see what I mean!

So, this dessert looks like absolutely every kids dream dessert, all at once! Well, that’s the point! Simon LA has created this eclectic dessert platter that features everything a kid could get at a candy store. It also features some American favourites! What’s the catch? Everything is homemade by the Simon LA staff.

The cookies are absolutely delicious, featuring white chocolate macadamia nut, moist chocolate chip and butterscotch chip. I saved a couple to have with my morning cappuccino, and damn it was worth it! The rice crispys, both chocolate and regular, were incomparable to most I’ve ever had. I’m not even a fan of dessert!

The sorbet is unbelievable. One was an orange strawberry combination that is extremely fresh and easily cleansed the pallet. The other is a banana version of rocky road. Both were so good, that when I had to rush off to a meeting I took both to-go so I could eat them in the car.

The only thing that I found disappointing was the donut holes. Donut holes are basically the US version of TimBits, if you’re Canadian, you know what I mean. I have yet to taste a TimBit rival, and this wasn’t even close.

The milkshakes were great and complimented the cotton candy, and tasty caramel corn. Our two favourites out of the whole dish were the chocolate cup cakes, which were made to look like Hostess Chocolate Cup Cakes. The were astounding and jaw dropping to any chocolate aficionado. They were not too rich, and had a very moist chocolate flavour. The other highlight of the dessert platter was the pink coconut cream puffs. They had a pink coconut encrusted crust, with a delicious cream filling.

This dessert platter is great to share with a couple friend! There is enough variety for everyone to be happy. In this case, I would definitely say to leave room for dessert! 
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SIMON LA: PART II



It’s Dani from www.makeaquick.com here. Yesterday, I brought you a review of several appetizers and classics from SIMON LA, the latest venture from celebrity chef Kerry Simon. Today, I bring you a review of a few main courses that I had the opportunity to try.

Truffled macaroni and cheese

This isn’t your typical Kraft mac and cheese or even your mama’s macaroni and cheese. This is mac and cheese, Kerry Simon style.
The top layer of the dish is a delectable conglomeration of various cheeses. As you break into the mac and cheese, your taste buds are delighted by a creamy, but not too rich, cheese-based sauce and plenty elbow noodles. You can smell the aroma of truffle and it is the first flavour that hits your tongue. The truffle aroma slowly fades each bite and is followed by the wonderful texture of the rest of the dish.

If you are a mac and cheese fan, you absolutely have to try this!

Roasted prime new york strip l fava puree, tomato-olive sauce
A nine ounce cut of prime new York steak that is roasted and served in two slices over fava puree with a tomato basil olive sauce (garlic, shallots, roasted tomatoes, mixed olives, chile flakes and fresh basil)

I am really big on steak. I think that if you can cook a steak appropriately with proper garnish and complimentary side dishes, you really have it made. Of course, I had to try the New York Strip at Simon LA. However, I was severely disappointed. Their were two medallion cuts of meat that were cooked appropriately, but I couldn’t get over the fava puree with tomato basil olive sauce. It was extreeemeelly over seasoned to the point where I couldn’t enjoy the dish or the steak. What a bummer!

Bamboo steamed fish l lemon grass, ginger, kaffir lime, bok choy

The Bamboo steamed fish this particular evening was halibut, which I absolutely love and was excited to try. The halibut and complimentary vegetables was served in a bamboo hot pot. I lifted the cover to reveal an amazing aroma of fresh halibut and various spicy seasonings. The dish was simple, the Halibut was extremely fresh and flakey and it was seasoned with the most amazing combination of what I think was paprika, black pepper and chile flakes. The portion was rather small which was disappointing considering I could have eaten it all night!

What’s coming next? A review of Simon LA’s most infamous dessert! 
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Exclusive review of chef Kerry Simon’s latest venture, Simon LA


 Hey,

It’s Dani from www.makeaquick.com here. As I promised, I am bringing you some exclusive coverage of amazing resorts, restaurants and parties from a 5 star exclusive weekend trip. The first of this coverage is a review of the appetizers from Simon LA, the latest venture from world renowned chef Kerry Simon. Check out my thoughts below!


Marinated spring market vegetables l homemade ricotta, warm crostini Seasonal vegetable that are blanched and marinated in herbaceous olive oil (parsley, basil, rosemary, sage, garlic, shallots, salt, chile flakes) then tossed with lemon juice, fresh parsley, orange zest and served over homemade ricotta cheese and served with a toasted piece of Ciabatta bread. Vegetables may include baby carrots, romanesco, campari tomatoes, fava beans, English peas, pea shoot, fennel etc..

I absolutely love fresh vegetables. The vegetables were flavourful and cooked appropriately with that wonderful warm crunch. However, I wasn’t really impressed with this dish in it’s totality. The ricotta was bland, extremely watery and did not compliment the vegetables in the least and was totally omissible. I also expected more from the “herbaceous olive oil” which I found typical and lacking of the flavours as per the description above. I wish the fava beans, English peas and pea shoots were included in this dish!

Colossal crabcake l young papaya asian slaw

The Colossal crab cake was fine. The crab was fresh and it wasn’t doused in oil, the outer layer had a delicate breading and the texture was enjoyable. However, the flavours didn’t really pop for me. I enjoyed the young papaya Asian

Tuna dynamite l lump crab, red chili aioli
layers of sushi rice, yellowfin tuna, lump crab meat topped with spicy Asian mayonnaise (sambal, sweet chile, soy, ketchup, mirin, mayonnaise). dish is gratineed in salamander caramelizing the mayo; completed dish is topped with a sake/mirin/soy reduction.

Tuna Dynamite had to be the best dish that I got to experience. I actually ordered it three times before leaving the hotel. The flavours and textures of the dish are bold and flavourful. The solid base of the dish is sushi rice, which absorbs the flavours from the sake/mirin/soy reduction and mayo. The tuna is fresh and the most bold flavour with a slight spicy Asian-infused kick. The crab meat is the delicate top layer which ties in all of the flavours, especially the mayo. If you like spicy tuna sushi rolls or sashimi, this dish is a must-try! The best part about this dish is you can definitely split it with two to three people or enjoy it as a satisfying meal yourself! 
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Five Star Exclusives from www.makeaquick.com



It’s Dani from www.makeaquick.com here. Tomorrow I’m leaving for LA for a business meeting and conference. I will be staying at the tres chic Sofitel which also means I will be bringing you exclusive reviews of the Stone Rose Lounge and SIMON LA.


What is SIMON LA you might ask? It’s the latest venture and top LA restaurant by superstar chef Kerry Simon. Kerry Simon is the only person I’ve seen beat Cat Cora on Iron Chef America. Not only had this culinary star attracted the likes of David Bowie and Iman, Matt Dillon, Diane Keaton, Debbie Harry and INXS, Chef Simon began a trend that renewed the popularity of chef’s tables in kitchens throughout many fine restaurants in the United States. This critical response to Simon’s special brand of culinary genius was noticed by Rolling Stone. In 1991, the magazine named him one of the top personalities of that year, and bestowed him with the unofficial title of “Rock n’ Roll Chef."

I’ll also be checking out some of the hottest clubs in West Hollywood.

What else do I have in store for you?

The meeting then brings me to the Ivy Hotel in San Diego, one of the hottest boutique hotels right in the Gaslamp district. With a renowned rooftop function space, with panoramic views, VIP access to Envy Nightclub and Ultra Lounge, bottle service and Cadillac Escalade service.. It’ll be as if you were here with me!

Check back all of this week for 5 star exclusives from www.makeaquick.com

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PimP and sick of LA traffic?



Hey, it’s Dani from www.makeaquick.com Are you sick of LA or NY traffic? Well, I sure am! Check out the new Gocycle. It Go’s about 15mph, and it’s electric which is great for the eco-conscious. It has a sleek modern design and folds up for easy storage and portability. The Gocycle is the world first to feature a fully-enclosed, multi-gear drive system of three gears. The bike is being sold between $900and $2500, which is a great investment considering you don’t have to pay for gas!


In other news, are you undeniably pimp like me? Or do you want to just look it? Then check out this gold bullion mouse. Unfortunately, it isn’t made out of real gold, but it looks pretty damn cool.

You can also buy a USB hub and Gold PC to match!


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To You Becoming A Billionaire


 Hey everyone,

So Egor emailed me this cool write-up on Forbes about a study on Billionaire traits. Forbes “studied” 657 self-made billionaires to come up with commonalities between them. The article can be found here: http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/106866/Billionaire-Clusters Here’s my take on the article:

“First, a significant percentage of billionaires had parents with a high aptitude for math. The ability to crunch numbers is crucial to becoming a billionaire, and mathematical prowess is hereditary”

Yes, usually being able to count is important, so is being able to spell and read. It’s also great to be able to actually count the money you roll around in.

“Consistent with the rest of the population, more American billionaires were born in the fall than in any other season. However, relatively few billionaires were born in December, traditionally the month with the eighth highest birth rate. This anomaly holds true among billionaires in the U.S. and abroad.”

All of you born in December, might as well give up now. Don’t complete high school and don’t even try going to college. It’s all over for you. Don’t’ worry, Billionaires always need people to pick up after their children and mow their lawn.

“More than 20% of the 292 of the self-made American billionaires on the most recent list of the World’s Billionaires have either never started or never completed college. This is especially true of those destined for careers as technology entrepreneurs: Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Larry Ellison, and Theodore Waitt.”

Just like we said! College? Psh, who needs it? A B.A. isn’t even worth it’s weight anymore, everyone has one! Plus, the debt you end up being in is RIDICULOUS! Might as well just go on walfare, be a bum and live off the system (ie the Billionares).

“Billionaires who derive their fortunes from finance make up one of the most highly educated sub-groups: More than 55% of them have graduate degrees. Nearly 90% of those with M.B.A.s obtained their master’s degree from one of three Ivy League schools: Harvard, Columbia or U. Penn’s Wharton School of Business.”

Didn’t you just say that most Billionaires never started or completed college? We are confused, please be consistent.. This is important! We are education the masses here!

“Several billionaires suffered a bitter professional setback early in their careers that heightened their fear of failer.”

If your money making schemes fail and you get banned from Ebay, pick yourself up and try again!

“Several current and former billionaires rounded out their Yale careers as members of Skull and Bones, the secret society portrayed with enigmatic relish by Hollywood in movies like The Skulls and W. Among those who were inducted: investor Edward Lampert, Blackstone co-founder Steven Schwarzman, and FedEx founder Frederick Smith.”

That’s right, you heard it! Gangs are the way to making big money, no wonder police are trying to crack down.. Not everyone can be a Billionaire, of course! Forget the gang crackdown.. Join ‘dem gangs

To you becoming a Billionaire
Salute
Or shall I say
Absolutely
Makeaquick.com

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Have you ever wanted to snowboard on sand dunes?



It’s Dani from www.makeaquick.com here. I am an avid snowboarder, so when I moved from frigid Canada to the summer wastland that is California, one of my friends gave me a, what they thought was hilarious, going away present.

While I was cleaning out my closet the other day, I re-discovered the present . It’s called a Sandviper, and it is used for “snowboarding” on sand dunes. This thing is real, and apparently very popular in places like Dubai. Now the sandviper comes in various different shapes, depending on your style of sand boarding…

I do like boarding, but maybe a ripstick, longboard or something of that sort would have been more appropriate?

The special conditions on sand need specific equipment, hence this special board. “The front area is wide for more boosts in the sand and gets narrow in the back for aggressive maneuvers. The bottom side is slightly convex from nose to tail for an optimal float angle. The top side is vaulted therefore no sand amasses on the board and transfers more power from the foot to the board by the rampant angle. The foot loops assure an easy step in or out and transmit foothold and control of the board to the driver.”

Check it out!

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The Tate gets a much-needed facelift



It’s Dani from http://www.makeaquick.com here. Since I was a kid, I have been fascinated with museums and art galleries. My favourite was the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Ontario Canada. The building was always very conservative, with a massive grand entrance and fantastic mosaic on the ceiling. It had, and still has a really cool massive Native American totem pole that stretched at least 4 floors.

For the last two years of my undergrad at the University of Toronto, I had the pleasure of witnessing an architectural feat that blew my mind on a daily basis; the new Crystal gallery extension to the Royal Ontario Museum. I got to watch the entire construction process while walking to class, on my lunch, or out library windows, from the massive steel frame, to the panels that enveloped the old, conservative design of the building.
The result of the new extension? An amazing juxtaposition between the conservative original building and the dynamic modern “Crystal” which looks as if it has landed and crashed the museum.

That being said, I was very surprised and excited to hear the Tate museum has just unveiled it’s new Egyptian-modern inspired extension. This is fantastic news considering the Tate is a massive concrete construction, and not in the flattering way. Check it out!

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Amazon Kindle 2 Review



Hey, it’s Dani from www.makeaquick.com. So I was talking with owner and founder of http://www.makeaquick.com, Egor K., and he saw the new Amazon Kindle 2 electronic ebook reader and insisted that I check it out!

Have you been debating getting an electronic book reader? Now just might be the time to pick one up. Amazon just launched the Kindle 2, which has some significant improvements compared to it’s earlier counterpart.

The Kindle 2 is cheaper, running at $359, and it’s a lot thinner, only 0.36 inches. The Kindle 2 hold about 1,500 books, compared to the original Kindle which holds only 200. It also has a longer battery life.

You can adjust the text size, wirelessly download books with the build in wireless capability without the need for a wi-fi hotspot or monthly service plan and I find that it’s not like reading off a computer screen, in fact - it is very similar to reading a book without the cumbersome weight.

In addition, people are developing all sorts of applications for the Kindle. For example, there is a new app that converts .PDF and .epub docs to the Kindle compatable .mobi format.

Pretty Cool! 
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Nintendo DSi hits stores today!



It’s Dani from http://www.makeaquick.com here with a pretty cool announcement. The Nintendo Dsi hit the stores today and I got to give it a test-drive to give you a firsthand review. So what are some of the differences between the Nintendo DS Lite, and the Nintendo DSi you might ask? The DSi is about the same shape and size as the DS Lite, it comes in a matte light blue and matte black as of right now. The screens are slightly larger and brighter and the DS games still play and look the same, but you can no longer play Game Boy Advanced Games.

There is a slot at the front that houses a SD card reader, this means that you can store photos and music on the unit. The most visible improvements are two cameras, one on the front of the DSI, and one on the back of the front casing. You can snap photos and edit them, as well as integrate your own face into games such as Mario Kart!

A new operating system allows you to go online and purchase/download games wirelessly with the newly launched Dsi shop. Finally, a music application allows you to record sounds and manipulate songs, which allows for some pretty cool functions such as the new KORG DS Synthesizer, my favorite function thus far.
Now, for the question you’ve all been waiting for? Can you hack it?

Not yet…

Price: $169.99 
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Mac Mod, Mac Tube?


 Hey,

It’s Dani from www.makeaquick.com writing to you about my current love: The McIntosh.


So I was surfing the internet a while ago, and found this really cool MacBook mod created by a guy named Eddie Zarrick. Thinking that it was relatively impossible to replicate this mod on my own, I gave it up. However, I just found out that Zarrick recently published a very thorough how-two, with a material list that only costs about $200. So if you’re brave, and not technically challenged, then this is a really cool mod to try out. Also, don’t worry if you screw it up too bad, a new clear logo LCD replacement for a macbook is only $10. Check out the How-To Here: http://edsjunk.net/tutorials.html

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Hottest new mobile radio for the Slacker



Do you like unlimited, free music? BUT are you download-conscious and feel that it’s unfair to download songs without fair compensation?

We have a wicked, new gadget for you. SLACKER is a new personal radio system for your computer or mobile device.

As far as I understand, Slacker has inked deals with all four major labels and indie labels / indie distributors to provide their users with a gigantic and almost limitless playlist of free music with album art and artist profiles. This means that you may not find that obscure new band your roommate was telling you about, but you will find something you haven’t heard before.

In addition, you can go through various songs and rate them by either marking them as your “Favourite” or by “Banning” them from your playlist. Slacker will then, based on your selections, provide you with more music that is similar to your favourites.

Slacker is totally free to use, with the exception of the purchase an optional radio player. However, if you have a computer with reliable internet or a Blackberry/ iphone, It’s not necessary. You can download the Slacker application from the web, directly to your phone. Viola! As long as you have internet, you have free mobile personal radio where you can find virtually anything you like and discover new music on the go.

Now that’s something NOT to feel guilty about! 
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Who the F#$%! Are People?




JIMMY YOUNG - VOCALS &GUITARS
MATT POWERS - BASS
MATT O. - DRUMS
GRANT RHODES - KEYS

The www.makequick.com team got a chance to check out PEOPLE at the Troubadour on Fri. March 20th in Los Angeles, California and we absolutely loved them. I heard of PEOPLE through a band called Semi Precious Weapons from New York, who I have seen several times over the past couple years. PEOPLE were supposed to tour with Semi Precious Weapons, but the plans tragically fell-apart after a death close to the band.

The bands claims that their music lies within the crux of 70s rock. Although tracks on their self titled release “PEOPLE” touch upon 70s attitude and vocal intonation say “Lil’ Bastard” or “1-330”, the reality is the band is relatively eclectic. With songs like the reggae inspired “Valentine” , “Double” a Mick Jagger/modern rock hybrid, or “A Night on The Town” 80s greatest hits, its hard to pinpoint the bands sound, but not their identity. With flamboyant outfits and 70s boyish good looks, the band is out to create a buzz again with a new album entitled “Cliché”. The new tracks seem to levitate towards the 80s direction, although we’ve only heard a few.


Look out for PEOPLE at the Viper Room on April 6th in West Hollywood, and maybe we will catch them on that Semi Precious Weapons tour sometime soon! 
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