Houston: Day 1 with Slim Thug and Bun B

In Houston, I'm staying at the aloft hotel on Westheimer, and it's pretty sweet. I'm a sucker for a hotel with Bliss products in the bathroom. I stashed a few extras to bring home, because I'm like that.

My first thing to do in Houston was to visit the famous Athena Elliott who is the wonder woman of nails in Houston. She recently did Estelle's nails for her latest music video. Athena gave me what's all the rage right now- the 3D nail.

As a demo, Athena worked her magic to create the stiletto 3D nail look first for camera and then filed them down because this girl gotta work.

With my nails all done up, I was ready for a full-night out. Slim Thug came to pick me up at the hotel in his swanky ride and we literally drove just down the street to Club Roxy where a party for his artist J-Dawg was being thrown.

The next morning, Slim Thug met me for some chicken & waffles and catfish & grits at the legendary Breakfast Klub. This was the one must-hit that Slim said I had to absolutely try and he wanted to personally introduce me to it himself. Rumour is that the Breakfast Klub just may make the move to Toronto... and we need it.

With a heavy stomach, I left the Breakfast Klub to head to the north end to Takeover Studios where Bun B is making the finishing touches to his upcoming album Trill OG.

I'm gonna say it right now. Bun B is the dude. Within seconds, Bun's infectious charm and hospitality had me staying at the studio for hours. We went through the history of hip hop in Houston as well as every detail of his new album. 

We also talked about how he got introduced to Drake long before Young Money, and the collaborations with the Canadian rapper on Trill OG.

Slim Thug came by the studio to record a verse for Bun's new album. Seeing how tight the Houston community is amazing.

Afterwards, we went to the Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark.

There's a great view of the Houston skyline from the Sabine Bridge just across from the skatepark.

To end my health kick in Houston, we visited City Crescent Beignets where they make 'em fresh to order. 

Houston: Day 2 with Bun B

Day 2 started at Mo Mo's Chicken & Waffles in the historic 5th ward. In true Southern hospitality, after spending a day in the studio, Bun took me out for some real chicken & waffles at his new favorite joint.

We chatted about the revitalization of the neighborhood while I cleaned up my plate.

Bun is incredibly motivational and such a positive force. It's inspirational to see him speak with so much passion about remembering his roots and working as much as he can to help the youth of Houston so that the next generation of music-makers have a strong base to jump off of.

Afterwards, Bun got some chicken & waffles to-go and went to meet his wife for a Death at a Funeral movie date. So cute.

Austin: Day 3 with Shearwater and Grupo Fantasma

Day 3 started with a visit to Thor from Shearwater's incredible home. Actually, "incredible" is an understatement. There is no way if you're driving by his street that you will miss it. Every inch of this space was made from scratch by Thor himself.

Inside, Thor got a bunch of Rio Texas grapefruits and made me the most deliciously sweet grapefruit juice I have ever had.

Meanwhile, Jonathan helped set-up an acoustic performance that was just made perfect by the peaceful homey surrounding.

After leaving Thor's, Jonathan was super stoked to take me to the Natural History Museum at the University of Texas. Jonathan, who graduated from UT, is a huge nature nut (their latest album is called The Golden Archipelago) and it was amazing to see his passion and curiosity of all living things, past and present.

Then, we drove over to South Austin Music where Jonathan had a guitar that needed to be dropped off for mending.

For our final stop, we thought it would be cool to go visit Mohawk's where Shearwater played a lot of their early shows. On our way downtown, we made a pitstop at the original Sandy's where Jonathan treated me to an old-fashioned vanilla cone. The hospitality of the people here in Austin continues to blow me away.

At Mohawk's, Thor joined us as we walked around the venue and recounted some good gigs that took place there.

After a full day with Shearwater, we went and got our bbq fill at Iron Works. When in Austin, baby!

Watch the Shearwater Guide to Austin (starts around the middle mark):

And just because I didn't eat enough, I met up with Adrian and Greg from such bands as Grupo Fantasa, Brownout! and Ocote Soul Sounds, at Polvo's for some true Mexican. I highly recommend the fish tacos and margaritas here.

To end my last night in Austin, the lovely ladies from Giant Noise and the Austin CVB set up an evening at one of my favourite Austin spots, Hotel Saint Cecilia, for drinks with Zoe (the "it" girl of the U21 scene in Austin), Mother Falcon, and the beautifully talented singer-songwriter, Amy Cook. Her new album is called Let The Light In.

Thank you Austin for another unforgettable stay! xx

Austin: Day 2 with Octopus Project

Day 2 started with perfect weather. About 23-25 celsius, sunny with an occasional cool breeze. Since I'm not used to this ideal weather, I wanted to take full advantage of it by visiting the Auditorium Shores by Lady Bird Lake. There's a really rad bike trail and a great space to take your dog in for a dip.

The iconic Stevie Ray statue is located here, so I took my best tourist shot right by it.

Next, I met up with the Octopus Project (whom I saw perform the night before at the Highball) at Prototype Vintage. You know I 'm a sucker for a good vintage find, so I picked up a pretty suede clutch. Yvonne scored a pair of killer cream-colored leather boots. I may or may not have had an influence in that purchase. "Forget it, just get it."

To make sure we got the best of this weather, it was a must to hang out at Barton Springs. It gets pretty hot here in Austin in the summer, so this is the spot where the locals come to cool off. The waters stays around a sweet 65 degrees, even in the height of the heat.

At Barton Springs, we chatted about the new album Octopus Project is working on (they've done the writing and about to head into recording).

After soaking up some much needed sun, we headed to the most badass cinema there is- the Alamo Drafthouse.

It takes old school to the max. They've got a great selection of big box office flicks mixed in with independent and international films... AND you can order, drink and eat right at your seat- they bring it all to you.

Just down the street, was my food highlight of the trip so far: Uchi. Trey who is the head chef at Uchi was also on Iron Chef (where he was robbed of the title, as any Austinite will tell you). It's a bit of a splurge, but so worth it. We tried about 7 different dishes and every one of them, I completely ate my share and loved.

The dishes are not typical of a sushi restaurant. It's Japanese with an Austin fusion. For example, the M aguro Sashimi is prepared with goat cheese with cracked pepper, fuji apple and pumpkin seed oil. Imagine that for a second... and it's about ten times more delicious. I wish I could take Uchi home to Toronto with me.

The awful picture above is from my bb of the Machi Cure with maplewood-smoked baby yellowtail with yucca chips, Asian pear, marcona almonds and garlic brittle. This dish was created by Chef Trey on Iron Chef, and was so popular that it made it as a permanent feature on the menu at Uchi.

Austin: Day 1 with Yeasayer and Ramesh Srivastava

This is my fourth time coming to Austin, Texas for a lengthy amount of time, but my first not for SXSW. Even though, I've been here three times before, I've never felt like I had the chance to really get to know this city. So, my mission for this trip is to tackle the real Austin through some of my favourite Austinites, who also happen to make amazing music.

On our first day of shooting, I met up with Brooklyn's Yeasayer (Ira previously lived in Austin for 10 months) and we went to Jo's Coffee for lunch (they threw a party the night before at Lambert's where they busted out the best 90's hits). I'm so happy for them and the positive feedback they're getting for their new album Odd Blood (they were in Austin to play two back-to-back sold out shows at La Zona Rosa). We chatted about all the changes that have happened since the last time we talked, which was for their album All Hour Cymbals- the album that no one cared about except for MTV Canada, Ira joked. The boys are still as fun as the first time I met them, constantly bringing out the comedy.

Afterwards, we drove to meet up with Ramesh Srivastava from Voxtrot, who's working on a really amazing project that I can't talk about yet. Funny enough, Ramesh and I had planned to do a night life piece, not realizing that we were going to see each other the previous night at the Vampire Weekend show and subsequently experience a sneak peek. I asked Ramesh to play me a song first before we ventured out again. Hearing him play acoustic is such a beautiful thing.

After showing me around his spotless apartment, we went to the Red House for a drink, and then to the Highball to see Octopus Project play. At the Highball, which is a concert venue, karaoke bar, bowling alley, and restaurant, we met up with some of Ramesh's friends and we crashed a karaoke party, played some skeet ball, and I got my fortune read... you know, your average night. 

To end the night, we went to Yeasayer's second sold out show at La Zona Rosa. 

Day 1 was definitely a success. Met up with some old buds and got to see what the night life is like outside of the downtown core. I'm staying at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Centre, right by the University of Texas.

When I arrived in Austin the night before, the lovely Beth Krauss from the Austin CVB picked us up and took us to this fabulous restaurant called Parkside. We ordered up some po boys, crab fritters, oysters, beet salad, and this cinnamon-sugar doughnut with brandy-citrus mascarpone, saffron caramel, and honey ice cream. 

After that, I went to see Vampire Weekend at my favorite outdoor venue, Stubb's, where I had a pretty sweet balcony spot.

Here's some helpful info if you wanna get down with what I did, the next time you hit Austin:

• AT&T Executive Education and Conference Centre

• Jo's Coffee

• Red House

• Highball

• Parkside

In The Kitchen with... YOU SAY PARTY! WE SAY DIE!

Last night I met up with my old pals Krista and Becky from Vancouver's You Say Party! We Say Die! Both ladies are huge health nuts and wonderful cooks, so as soon as they drove into Toronto from Chicago, they were eager to make some gluten-free tacos with me.

We had a slight culinary detour because our avocados were not ripe enough for guacamole, so we altered the recipe to a avocado-tomato salad that turned out deliciously. For more photos from our cooking session, check out my flickr.

Veggie 'n Gluten-Free Tacos

Ingredients:

• Gluten-free corn tortillas
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1.5 tsp sea salt (1tsp for the beans and the 1/2 for the avocado)
• 1.5 tsp ground black pepper (1tsp for the beans and the 1/2 for the avocado)
• 1 tomato, chopped into small cubes
• 1 small red onion, chopped into small cubes
• 2 avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped into small cubes
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 2 limes
• 1 cup of shredded cheese of your choice

Directions:

Heat up a non-stick pan with oil and add black beans, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika - mash together while cooking (about 5 minutes). Set aside.

Lay corn tortillas on a cookie sheet and bake at 325F for 3-5minutes just to warm up.

In a bowl, mix together the chopped and cubed avocado, tomato, onion and cilantro and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the juice of one lime. For some heat, add your favorite hot sauce.

Add the beans and "avocado salad" to the corn tortilla. Top with shredded cheese and more lime juice.

In The Kitchen with... THE BESNARD LAKES

For my next "In the Kitchen With..." I met up with Olga Goreas from The Besnard Lakes to cook up some pan fried tilapia in fresh sage and butter, along with an arugula salad with blackberries and avocado. Since the band reside in Montreal, we used our friend Shamus Mather's (Hostage Life) stunning kitchen that he built himself. Olga doesn't mess around. This lady has mad skills in the kitchen, which a lot of were learnt from growing up with Greek parents who owned and ran a restaurant. Needless to say, when the meal was finished and plated, I pretty much devoured the entire thing.

Tilapia with Sage Butter

Ingredients:

• 2 filets of wild tilapia
• Sea salt and ground black pepper, to your preference
• 2 tbsp of butter
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 sprigs of fresh sage
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup of mayo
• 1 tbsp of sriracha

Directions:

Wash the tilapia and pat dry. Season with the salt and pepper. With the cast iron pan on medium heat, warm up the butter with the peeled garlic clove and sage. Add the filets on top and pan fry until golden - about 3 minutes on each side. For the dipping sauce, just mix together the mayo and hot sauce and serve on the side. Squeeze some lemon juice on the tilapia and enjoy!

Super Easy Arugula with Avocado and Blackberry Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 small box of arugula
• 1 small box of blackberries
• 1 avocado
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Basically, throw together the arugula with washed blackberries and sliced avocado in a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic. You really can't mess this up.

In the Kitchen with... BORN RUFFIANS

On Friday, I went to Mitch from Born Ruffians house, where he and Luke were eagerly awaiting to shoot the first "In the Kitchen with...". Waiting for me and the crew was some homemade dip that Mitch made, with veggies and chips. What a sweet host. "In the Kitchen with..." is a new segment that I created where I visit the kitchens of some of my favourite local bands and cook their favourite meal together.

The boys were so much fun as we tackled Mitch's strip loin steak sandwich recipe. For more photos, check out my Fickr.

Afterwards, Luke performed a song off their new album "Say It" called Oh Man. The album's out June 1st and it's damn good. Like really damn good.

Look out for more "In the Kitchen with..."! Great bands, good food, and sweet tunes. Why didn't I start this earlier?!

Check out the cooking sesh and recipe below:

TRAVEL JOURNALISM AWARDS...

So, they happened, and... I won! The award was for Best in Broadcast for my UK special MTV News Pounds Britain, and the event took place in New York.

The lovely folks at VisitBritain wined and dined us at Daniel, and I returned back home to Toronto with the very British ceramic bowl below.

I absolutely loved putting together this series, and looking forward to mixing travel and music soon again.

RED BULL BC ONE in NYC

Last week, I was in New York for the Red Bull BC One competition at the Hammerstein Ballroom. I spoke to the 16 b-boy competitors, all of whom showed me an essential move, all of which I have now forgotten and still sore from.

Watch my embarrassment, I mean pure b-girl prowess, on MTV News this week.

Red Bull planned a pretty sweet itinerary for us during our stay in New York, that included a broadway show (In the Heights), a presentation with Carlos Mare139 Rodriguez, and a personal historic hip hop tour with Grandmaster Caz around the Bronx, Queens, and Harlem.

Graffiti canvas of my name by Carlos Mare139 Rodriguez

Grandmaster Caz at 5pointz in Queens

The evening of the actual BC One competition, KRS-One MC'd and Talib Kweli performed. The spectacular set-up was designed in Gladiator style with the audience circled around the artists and b boys.

Of course, I can't leave off without my food highlight. I'm in New York quite often but this was the first time that I got to experience real local soul food in the city. We dropped by Sylvia's in Harlem and I'm just starting to digest my massive meal now. Best collard greens ever.

MTV NEWS POUNDS BRITAIN

The promo for my UK special, MTV News Pounds Britain week started airing yesterday. Here it is:


After Nov 30th, I promise I won't mention the UK for at least a little while :)

LONDON DAYS 8-10

Before meeting up with the Big Pink, we made a mad dash to the Tate Modern for the Pop Life exhibit featuring works from some of my favourite artists: Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, and Takashi Murakami. The highlight for me was Warhol's diamond dust oxidation work. There is a whole section dedicated to it, and I want them all. Hirst also has an interactive element with live twins who sit for hours doing the same thing. So hard not to be entertained by that.

With my webcam buddies the Big Pink who had a couple of hours to recover from last night's post-show partying at Rough Trade on Portobello Rd. Both Robbie and Milo are from the Notting Hill area where the record shop is located.

Milo guided us along the area, pointing out all the bars, restaurants, and shops that they regularly go to, including a friend's clothing store. Robbie scored a sweet studded vintage leather jacket at the market. The Big Pink tour Canada next month.

Our hotel was super close to all the vintage shops in the east end. So we spent the morning of our last day hitting some of them (Beyond Retro, Marcos & Trump, and the Sunday Up Market on Bricklane). I picked up a cool silver spiral ring from a local designer that had it made in Mexico at the Up Market.

Then, a quick bite at the Luncheonette where I indulged in everything deep-fried. Thankfully, the restaurants near our hotel at The Zetter in Clerkenwell were heaps fresher- faves were St. JOHN near Smithfield Market (sadly, by the time we'd wrap shooting it would be too late to check out the market in action but a night time stroll around the grand space is still pretty incredible), Cafe Saffron (really enjoyed the Indian dishes here), and The Modern Pantry (which was packed every night) right beside The Zetter.

Also on Bricklane is an incredible Oxfam exhibit by Jamie Hewlett called Under Water Colours. Jamie is the guy behind Tank Girl and Gorillaz, and he recently visited Bangladesh with Oxfam for climate change. The experience inspired Jamie to create a series of watercolours.

Limited edition prints of the watercolours are available to purchase on the Oxfam site in aid of their work in Bangladesh and Nepal. This is just one of the unique art exhibits running around the area. I love that you can pretty much walk anywhere in London and bump into a free art exhibit.

Speech Debelle met me at Shoreditch House where they make her favourite cocktail. Speech recently won the prestigious Mercury Prize award and spoke candidly about her life up to this point. She also cleared up the whole story about her sales going up 4000% since the win as well as a potential Kings of Leon collaboration.

To close our 10-day UK trip, we headed to the HMV Forum in Kentish Town where the New to Q music event was happening. I did some On the Radar's with Mumford & Sons who had a kick out of interviewing each other, and Paloma Faith, who drew from her days of being a magician's assistant for her interview.

Hope you got some good ideas from some of our favourite bands for your next or first trip to the UK.

Good night 'n back to Toronto xx

GLASGOW DAY 6 & 7

Kenny, our adorable driver in Glasgow sent me some photos from yesterday's clarsach lesson at the Royal Concert Hall.

This morning we got a guide around the breathtaking Glasgow School of Art. Below is the library where Belle and Sebastian and Franz Ferdinand have shot at. Also, the Frightened Rabbits recently performed just around the corner.

Next, we hit the Gallery of Modern Art which currently has a spectacular exhibit called Shout that showcases art work concerning LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered) issues.

 This is the studio in the GoMA where workshops are held.

Catching up with our buddies in Glasvegas at Mr. Ben Retro where Caroline actually used to work for years and where she met James, and became friends. The rest is band history. Glasvegas recently came off arena tours with Kings of Leon, Oasis, and U2, and are about to head to L.A. and Malibu to record with Rick Rubin. Apparently, the album will be more upbeat and see the introduction of keys.

Inside the Mono, which has the best record shop in Glasgow, according to Rab. The band also like to enjoy a quiet pint or two here. Denise, their manager, gave me some vanilla tablets, a Scottish speciality, and now I'm hooked. It's PURE sugar.

King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, where it all began. This a legendary venue in Glasgow that has housed many career marking gigs. Alan McGee signed Oasis on the spot at King Tuts, and discovered Glasvegas here as well. *Note: Our tour with Glasvegas continued through to the evening/early morn sans camera where we hit Firewater, Caroline's flat for some pre-drinks, a Juliette Lewis and The Licks show at the Garage, a really beautiful restaurant/bar that served perfect fish and chips that I can't remember the name of because that's what a good time in Glasgow does that to you, and of course, last but not least, a few hours stop/nightcap at the casino.

Back to our day shoot... we also checked out the stunning Glasgow University grounds.

And climbed hundred of steps up a narrow tower to get a breathtaking view of the city. It was my workout of the day and well-worth it to see the beautiful autumn leaves in full-effect.

Next stop, LONDON.

VISIT BRITAIN: LEEDS (DAY 5)

Victoria Quarter where there's everything from Harvey Nichols to Paul Smith.

Leeds City Market for some "snowballs".

Afternoon tea at Oulton Hall

Leeds United played Norwich and won 2-1.

The Stylus, located in Leeds University, for the Noisettes.

Tomorrow, we're leaving at 8am for Glasgow!

VISIT BRITAIN: LEEDS (DAY 4)

This morning we made our way to Leeds to meet up with Wild Beasts who are based in Leeds. We started at the Brudenell Social Club which has staged many underground and indie gigs.

After the interview, Wild Beasts also gave us the honour of playing their latest single, All the King's Men for us acoustically.

Then, we went to the Henry Moore Institute, the Hyde Park Picture House, and the Harmonium Museum in Saltaire. Saltaire is just outside of Leeds and is absolutely stunning. It was incredibly cinematic, especially as we got there as the sun was just about to set.

The boys were particularly blown away by the quality and history of the Harmonium Museum and hope to record with one of the organs one day.

I love that my hotel room came with an iMac with internet access, and a little cute note welcoming me to Leeds.

VISIT BRITAIN DIARY: SHEFFIELD (DAY 3)

Today, I spent more than I should have at Boots. I just can't resist. Every time I come to the UK, I stock up on all the brands I can't get back home - spray deodorant, body lotions, bath gels... a TSA nightmare.

Having heard that I'm a huge shopper, the Crookes suggested that I hit Cow, a vintage shop on West Street. I found an amazing leather belt with huge brass grommets and tiny studs.

We then headed to the High Green area in Sheffield where the Arctic Monkeys grew up and still reside. The other place that the Arctic Monkeys suggested that we drop by was the Yellow Arch Studios in Neepsend where they have recorded and spend practice sessions at.

Tonight, we ended our Sheffield jaunt at the Bat for Lashes gig at the Octagon.

VISIT BRITAIN DIARY: SHEFFIELD (DAY 2)

DAY 2 IN PICTURES

The sun decided to come out in full-force today for our tour of Sheffield with the Crookes. The Crookes, the lovely gentlemen that they are, spent the whole day with us today driving us around to their favourite spots in the city.

THE GREEDY GREEK DELI

THE BEAR PIT IN SHEFFIELD BOTANICAL GARDENS

GRANELLI'S SWEET SHOP

THE GRINDSTONE

THE BOARDWALK

THE HARLEY

Tomorrow, we hit the Botanical and Winter Gardens, University of Sheffield, and the Yellow Arch Studio where a lot of artists here record.

VISIT BRITAIN DIARY: SHEFFIELD (DAY 1)

Flew into Manchester on the red eye this morning and got picked up by our handsome driver, Keith who drove us about an hour and half's trek straight to Sheffield.

Once in Sheffield, we made our way to the Sheffield FC's practice space. As soon as we hit the field, the first thing came to mind was, "This is SO Bend It Like Beckham." Whatever, I love the movie and it's amazing. 

We were greeted by the incredibly friendly Sheffield FC staff who presented me with my very own jersey. 

Sheffield FC was founded in 1857 and is the world's first football team. Unlike most football teams, Sheffield FC is beloved by most and has no rivalry. 

I shockingly surprised myself by nailing the kick pass.In classic British hospitality, instantly as soon as the practice wrapped up, we were invited to come over to the pub next door called the Coach & Horses which is actually owned by the team. 

I was absolutely blown away by the welcome we got at the pub. We were treated to a tasting sample of their best brew, and when in Yorkshire, you gotta try their pudding. It was the perfect introduction to our 10-day trip. 

A NIGHT AT THE DANISH CONSULATE'S HOUSE?

the regal invite

I got an invite from the Danish Consulate General a couple of weeks ago to his house to see a band named The William Blakes perform. I didn't know that we had a Danish Consulate General, but thought, hey, I love the Danes, and there's free booze and a band that's intrigued me with their rather interesting choice of Wayne Coyne as their album title.

the william blakes setting up in the living room

The evening turned out to be a lot of fun... it was like a college house party, albeit in the middle of Rosedale. The band was super-charged (I counted 8 members including a fierce drumming DUO) and performed like they were having the best time of their lives. The house was also absolutely gorgeous (I chickened out of taking a photo of the bathroom that was the size of my studio apartment), and made me wonder why I didn't become a Canadian Consulate General in say, London, and live in a government funded mansion in Hampstead Heath, where I could throw parties and show-off my favourite new Canadian bands. I have feeling the Consulate does a little more than that, but who knew, right??

RiP! Available Online Now

For this week only, Pitchfork is making RiP! A Remix Manifesto available to view. It's a really fascinating and smart look into the world of fair use in music.

Gregg Gillis (AKA Girl Talk) is the central character, and interestingly enough, a clip of my interview with Gregg from 2007 is in the SXSW chapter of the film. I remember when the director, Brett Gaylor, was following Gregg around during our interview in Austin, and can't believe that it was almost three years ago.