Filed under: Beats and Bobs. | Tags: horseshoe tavern, music, nxne, toronto, toronto music
By Nicki Borland
Upon venturing out for a night of artistic and musical delight, one should not only expect and hope for an experience previously unmatched, but most importantly, feel deserving of one. The LA band of experimental racket makers, HEALTH effortlessly displayed just that during their short but spectacular set at The Horseshoe Tavern for Toronto’s NXNE festival. With a compelling mix of seemingly noise derived melodies set to an array of heart-throbbing drum beats, the eerily executed yet calculated musings of lead vocalist, Jake Duzsik, offer solace in what would otherwise be a tangled mess of bodies, instruments and musical pleasure. Each song blends into the next and are together energized but subdued making for an unforgettably haunting performance of which each viewer cannot help but admire.
Whether in awe of each members’ apparent absorption in the very moment they are living or engaging in collective confusion regarding the message or intent of Jupiter Keyes’ Nickleback homage, not one witness can deny that they were bombarded with and intrigued by the unique and particular stylings of this California quartet.
To see HEALTH is an experience indeed for one must recognize that those they are watching are the direct personification of the music they are hearing. The band’s allure resides in their capability to be consistently spontaneous, fluidly experimental and endlessly enticing through talent and originality inherent to each member. Although simply listening to HEALTH is a perfectly enjoyable experience, it seems to be like reading a play: something that was created to be performed should be enjoyed as such.
Thus to truly understand and grasp the experience that is HEALTH, one must delight in the band’s permanently inseparable elements of music and performance as so many did this past Thursday during 26 minutes of sheer musical glee.
Filed under: Beats and Bobs., Film, Miscellaneous. | Tags: Almost Famous, AROWBE 3X, Charlyne Yi, Chunk of Change, Everly Brothers, Makeshift, Michael Angelakos, Micheal Cera, Nazareth, Paper Heart, Passion Pit, Photos, Saturday Night Fever, Take More, The Drake Hotel, Video Cake
By Nimo Awil Mohamed
We here at Daily Value are well aware that it is not February. We don’t see garish red and white cut outs, taste awful candy ‘be mines’ or find ourselves strapped to couches nurturing broken hearts. It’s not Valentine’s Day, but with spring at our feet, rustling hemlines and tickling in-need-of-a-tan toes, who’s to say love isn’t in the air?
So in that spirit we’ve compiled a few tastes of amour that you can substitute like Splenda. Here’s to your new spring fling.
1) Mixed Messages: A Disco Love Story
The ever lovable folks at The Drake are introducing a new series of parties to the stoically affected yet cheekily incorrigible Toronto crowds. The MIXED 
MESSAGES series, aptly named for the use of multiple art mediums in one event, debuts tonight with A DISCO LOVE STORY. This first instalment will feature the works of Makeshift, Take More Photos , Video Cake , AROWBE 3X as they take us through a club scene love story. Now, if this sounds a little like Almost Famous meets Saturday Night Fever to you, then we suggest you wrangle a dance partner (or two) and vogue on down to see for yourself.
Check the event here!
2) Passion Pit
Giving your lovely a mixtape as a token of your love- albeit it sweet, is hardly a novel concept. One V- Day, college student Michael Angelakos of Passion Pit decided to take things a step further by recording a set of original songs for his girlfriend that ultimately garnered more attention than the gratitude she likely remunerated him. The band’s sound can easily be categorized as electro-pop but the unique vocals and synched synths made their first EP, Chunk of Change, a permanent resident of our mp3 players.
Passion’s sophomore album Manners is set for release on May 19th, and while it may not still be dedicated to that certain lucky girl, we’re sure it’ll sidle up to our collective heart-place just the same.
3) Paper Heart
Just when we thought we’d seen enough documentaries about love (we get it, the Everly Brothers/Nazareth were right) we stumbled upon what could arguably be one of the most adorable renditions of awkward teen love captured on camera. While Paper Heart appears to be the epitome of indie meta (i.e. Michael Cera playing himself… again), it’s the concept that 
captured us. Pseudo-acted (it’s part documentary, part fiction) by real-life couple, Cera and Charlyne Yi, Paper Heart tells the story of a youth (Yi) struggling to believe that true love exists, and moreover if she’s even capable of loving. Aw, bless.
Peep the trailer here.
Filed under: Beats and Bobs., Quick-Fix | Tags: AC/DC, Hendrix, Mach22, Ontario, Rogers Sring Music Festival, Zepplin
As you’ve probably noticed, we here at Daily Value appreciate the sound of music (sans the von Trapps in this case). Our appreciation becomes sheer pleasure when a new band emerges that delivers what they promise- an experience. Based out of Philly, MACH22 pays tribute to the likes of AC/DC, Zepplin and Hendrix while introducing their own unique flair which has landed them in some of the Big Apple’s shiniest venues.
The boys of Mach22 will be introducing themselves Ontario on May 9th as part of this year’s Rogers Spring Music Festival.
Show up, and be sure to show Mach Love.
Oh to be young… and British… and talented.
La Roux, described by some as electro pop-synth and by others as “a bit high and a bit like Marmite” is comprised of the scarlett-haired (hence, “La Roux” which is French for exactly that) singer/synth player, Elly Jackson, and co-writer/co-producer, Ben Langmaid. If you were ever into the 80s (even ironically) the sound is unmistakeable: the band is a little bit Eurythmics, a little bit Depeche Mode and a lot amazing.
Filed under: Beats and Bobs., Quick-Fix | Tags: Creature, Famous Players, Golden Girls, Musebox, The Carps, The Phoenix, Woodhands
We here at Daily Value are like the excessively doting grandparents you wish you had. We cannot seem to resist showering our lovely readers with all things free and fun, so once again with Musebox in our corner, we cordially invite (some of) you to the Woodhands, The Carps, Creature, Golden Girls and Famous Players show at the Phoenix this Friday. Tickets are up for grabs, so all you have to do is answer the facetiously easy question below:
Which of the following is not listed on a general Nutrition Facts label:
– total fat
– cholesterol
– your mom
– sodium
– total carbohydrate
Same drill as the last contest. Email your name, number and answer to dailyvalue.mag@gmail.com and wait with breath that is bated.
Filed under: Beats and Bobs. | Tags: Artic Monkeys, Foals, i'm a rope, Island Records, london, Max Vitalie, Mike Crossey, Prodigy, tommy sparks
By Kiwi Awil Mohamed
Sex [seks]
-noun
The instinct or attraction drawing one sex toward another, or its manifestation in life and conduct.
Dance.
Dance.
Dance.
We believe that music should be sexy, grimy, explosive, intense, ridiculous, charming, revolting, hot, smutty, loud, brash, precious and filled with every filthy and fun thought your mind can create. Music that rips through your insides with bass booming so extreme your heart takes a misstep and murmurs.
Now we would like you to meet Tommy Sparks.
Hyper-pop? Meta-pop? Disco? Grunge? Label him what you like. But this super cool Scandinavian is out to save our summer with his synthetic modern mash-ups that will have you sing in your sleep, dance down the streets or strip down to your fancy panties. Sparks manages to some how surpass the super cheese that is Euro-pop and create music bursting with so much promise you can’t help but call it cool. Something we feel only the truly Nordic can pull off.
I’m A Rope, is the first single off of the new album, and has already had quite the cult following thanks to video director Max Vitalie, known mostly for his incredible work with the Prodigy. Sparks’ other tracks are equally aggressive, and assembled so frenetically it’s obvious that he has had an eclectic musical past. There are touches of grunge, techno, rock and rap all fused with almost scientific precision. With the only out side help coming from studio wizard Mike Crossey of Artic Monkeys and Foals fame, Tommy Sparks leaves us very excited and practically panting for more.
The debut album is out May 11th on Island Records and we can’t fecking wait
Note: I’m a Rope, can’t be embedded so be sure to catch the video on YouTube!
Filed under: Beats and Bobs., Quick-Fix | Tags: Sebastian tellier, The Mod Club, The Musebox
Lovelies,
We here a Daily Value are well chuffed with our consistently increasing readership and the feedback we’ve been receiving thus far, so we’ve decided to offer you a little treat. Joining forces with our friends at The Musebox, we’ve nabbed two tickets to the Sebatien Tellier show at Mod Club on April 8th*. The only catch is that you have to answer** two severely (almost insultingly) easy questions to win both tickets (for you and the requisite peep- we know noone goes to shows alone anymore) and a bonus CD.
Easy Question 1: What is Tellier’s country of origin?
Easy Question 2: What is your favourite culture/entertainment/Arts blog?
Send your intelligent answers to dailyvalue.mag@gmail.com along with your full name and a number where you can be reached in case you are deemed el Winnero.
*As the show is THIS Tuesday, the contest will only be open today, Sunday April 5th. Get on it.
**Standard first come first serve rules apply. There can only be one winner, so to those of you non-early birds and potential miss-outters… I would just bookmark us already.
Filed under: Beats and Bobs., Quick-Fix | Tags: captured tracks, little girls, lo-fi, mexican summer, paper bag records, post punk, the bitters, toronto music
So you want to know what we’re listening to over here at the Daily Value offices? No? Well we’re going to tell you anyways!
A new face (or lack thereof) has emerged from Toronto and we’re loving it. Little Girls, a band formed not too long ago and with very few expectations, is what we here at DV think you should be listening to! Or don’t take our advice, but when you see multiple releases this summer by this faceless, musical mastermind, don’t say we didn’t warn you!
p.s. Lookout for the split cassette by Little Girls and The Bitters!
Back for a 4th year – Stylus Group & Marc Ecko Watches Present the 2009 Stylus DJ Awards and SpinFest – May 29 – June 1/2009! Nominate for your favourite DJ’s in over 20 categories at www.stylusgroup.ca (voting open until March 30th). This Year Stylus will bring you 3 days of entertainment, conferences and concerts. It is the only award show in Canada made for the people, by the people! So support Canadian talent and give you DJ some mad love!
Daily Value 