Former British newspaper editor, Brendon Grimshaw bought an island in the Seychelles in 1962 and has lived there permanently since 1972.  He’s the only person living on the island and has planted over 16,000 trees and reintroduced giant tortoises to the island.  A new documentary called A Grain of Sand, follows his struggle to stave of development and ultimately have the island declared a national park by the Seychelles government. Surprisingly, after living alone on an island all these years, he seems pretty normal! via Boing Boing 

Watch the trailer above or the whole documentary at agrainofsandthefilm.com

And a BBC news clip here:

BANGKOK, THAILAND
Words and Photos by Shane McCauley

Whenever I get through the Bangkok airport and into a taxi to go into the city, I get a rush of excitement in me that gives me goosebumps. It’s everything about the place–the warmth, the smells (both the good and bad), the music, the people–all of it. It has almost become a tradition for Sean Agnew (R5 Productions) and I to take an annual trip to this city. Both as a starting point to further explore South East Asia, and as a place to revisit again and again, always finding new reasons to love it there.

WHERE TO STAY:

Aloft Bangkok:

Lately we have been staying at the Aloft Bangkok hotel in the Sukhumvit neighborhood. It is a brand new, well-crafted boutique hotel, and although a chain, it has all the amenities of a five star hotel. One of the many great things about Bangkok is that you can stay at world class hotels for a lot less than what it costs in most Western cities. (Prices at the Aloft run around $65 a night.) There is a pool with a bar and a state of the art gym. There is also a decent cafe downstairs although the breakfast buffet is sub standard compared to some others I have had in other high end South East Asian hotels. It’s across the street from the Bed Supperclub, a popular Bangkok nightclub, that’s very futuristic where everything from floor to ceiling is white and the building itself is a long circular tube.

The Grand Millennium:

Another of the better-known posh Bangkok hotels is The Grand Millennium. It runs around $75 a night. The rooms are huge and clean and they have an EXCEPTIONAL breakfast buffet with American, English, Japanese and Indian breakfast options. It’s quite glorious.

Dream Bangkok:

The Dream Bangkok is another chain hotel. (They recently opened up a location in NYC near the Meatpacking District.) It’s really nice, and they have all the same things that Aloft has, but there is something a bit neon seedy about it that reminds me of a brothel, but that might just be the neighborhood.

Wild Orchid

Unlike the other hotels, which are located in the Sukhumvit, Wild Orchid is on the other side of Bangkok in the Khaosan Road/Soi Rambuttri area. This area is a very different vibe than Sukhumvit. Khaosan Road is the notorious backpackers area of Bangkok. Accommodations are way cheaper over here, but nowhere near as nice. Wild Orchid is one of the nicer ones of this bunch. The set up is sort of backpacker guesthouse style. There are modest rooms with a bar and restaurant downstairs that is set up to be comfortable and social. The rooms run around $10-15 dollars a night.

SUKHUMVIT VS KHAOSAN ROAD:

While there are other areas to stay in Bangkok, these two are the two most common. There are pros and cons to both. Sukhumvit has nice hotels, but there is not much to actually do other than get cheap massages or cheap dental and health care. Khaosan is cheap, but the places are generally not very nice. The accommodations are budget and the throngs of dirty hippy backpacker kids can be a bit annoying.

If you are vegan or vegetarian, Khaosan has some great spots. Our favorite is Ethos, in an alley right next to the end of Khaosan. They have both Western and Thai food as well as Indian. They also make breakfast and fresh juices as well as their own kombucha. There are three other vegetarian places right next to Ethos that are all strictly Thai. May Kaidee’s is really good also and they also offer vegatarian Thai cooking classes.

There are a lot of cheap bars on Khao San as well as good street food. It’s good to come hang out over here even if you are staying in Sukhumvit. The taxi ride is only about $3-4 USD, but the problem is that it can take forever if the traffic is bad (and it usually is).

Many of the people who stay in Sukhumvit are there for two reasons–medical tourism or sex tourism. Sukhumvit is home of the Soi Cowboy and all the sketchy brothels, “massage” parlors and strip clubs. There are also tons of dental clinics and Bumrungrad International Hospital in Sukhumvit.

Once I got a piece of cotton stuck in my ear the day before leaving for Asia. At first, I tried to ignore the problem, hoping that it would come out on its own. After trying several alternative methods of getting it out I went to Bumrungrad to find out if they could take it out. I went into the emergency room and told them my problem. I put my name into see a specialist to look at my ear. The wait was only an hour and half. I put my name in and went and got lunch. When I came back they saw me right away and my bill was only about $29 USD. In the States that same situation would have been at least five hours and $1000 USD. The hospitals are all clean and state of the art. There is even a McDonalds and a Starbucks in the lobby for your convenience.

I honestly try and wait till I am in Bangkok to get any dental work done. The medical and dental facilities here are world class. Getting your teeth taken care of in Thailand is nothing but a great idea. Cleanings are about $15 USD. Cavity fillings are about $15-20 USD a piece. The dental offices are every bit as clean and professional as ones in Europe or the States.

WHERE TO DRINK AND PARTY:

The first night I ever spent in Bangkok was on tour with a DJ. We played a show in a club area called the RCA that is mostly frequented by wealthy Thais and ex-pats. The particular club where we played is no longer there, but there are still plenty of dance clubs on the RCA to check out. I was badly jetlagged on this particular club date, so I asked for a Red Bull to try and snap out of my exhaustion, and I went on to have two or three more. Red Bull originates in Thailand and it comes in small glass bottles. What I didn’t know was that the Red Bull in Thailand is approximately 2-3 times stronger than the ones we get in America. Needless to say, this kept me wired long after everyone else went to sleep that night.

Not quite sure what to do with myself, I went out for a walk at around 4am and discovered another Bangkok novelty–the pop-up street bar. Not only is it legal to drink on the street in Bangkok, its legal to set up a card table and some chairs with a handful of bottles and have a street bar. At this hour, the bars were full of ladyboys and weird old chubby white dudes hanging out with teenage Thai girls.

On my last trip I discovered another cluster of good bars near Soi 55 in Sukhumvit. My particular favorite was one called Iron Fairies. It was a speakeasy type place similar to those popular in NYC nowadays. This one had a colonial Thai charm to it though with boxes of peanuts on the bar and the shells on the floor. Great classic cocktails and music.

Shane McCauley is a photographer,  filmmaker and former photo assistant to Annie Leibowitz. He lives in New York City and spends his time documenting music scenes around the world. He recently released a book called 128 Beats per Minute: Diplo’s Visual Guide to Music, Culture and Everything In Between on Universe/Rizzoli which chronicles the DJ and producer Diplo’s travels around the world.  Buy it at Amazon. 

We are all in Miami this week for WMC, Ultra and mayhem, and we are all hungry. Here’s a list of some of our favorite places to eat in this crazy city by the sea. Miami has a huge dining scene and this is just the tip of places to check out. All other dining suggestions welcome and encouraged in the comment section below!

Versailles

Versailles is an old school, Cuban restaurant in Little Havana. Don’t let their tagline “The World’s Most Famous Cuban Restaurant” scare you.  The food is great, the portions are huge and the atmosphere is fun. It kind of feels like your at a banquet hall.  Bonus: A scene from Scarface was filmed here.
http://www.versaillesrestaurant.com/

David’s Cafe II

David’s has two locations, but the one off Meridian and Lincoln is our favorite. Great Cuban food, reasonably priced and open 24 hours. We like the churrasco steak with chimichurri sauce and their Cubano sandwich is great too. They also have a walk up window for delicious Cuban coffees and pastries.
http://www.davidscafe.com/

La Carretta

Another established Cuban restaurant with several locations throughout Miami, including the airport. We’ve only been to the location on SW 8^th Street (across from Versailles), and the food was just as delicious, if not better than Versailles!
http://www.lacarreta.com/

Photo c/o Yardbirds

Yardbirds

Yardbirds brings Southern style, comfort food to South Beach. This place serves a farm fresh menu of seasonal veggies, fried chicken, biscuits, shrimp and grits and lots of other tasty choices. They also have a full bar with bourbon, cocktails, beer and wine.
http://runchickenrun.com/

Michael’s Genuine

Michael’s comes highly recommend by our good friend Emily Betty Elrich and she swears by their brunch.  Michael’s is big on the whole slow food movement and supporting local farmers and growers. The menu is always based on what’s in season and is constantly changing.
http://www.michaelsgenuine.com/

The Standard  – Bayside Grill

We love the outdoor Bayside Grill at The Standard. It’s a perfect place to chill on the dock and have a drink for happy hour at sunset, or come early for a sunny lunch by the sea.  Since the hotel is also a spa expect to find a lot of healthy and light salads, appetizers, fresh sandwiches, fish and chicken dishes on the menu. They also serve tasty burgers, fries and steaks for those who aren’t trying to detox.  Afterwards, you can take a dip in their stunning infinity pool!
http://www.standardhotels.com/miami/

Andiamo Pizza

We live in New York City where we have some of the best pizza in the world, but we will go on record as saying Andiamo is very, very good. We love the Vesuvio pizza with salami, hot and sweet peppers and the Capricciosa with ham and artichokes.  It’s located close to the Design District, so it’s a nice change of pace from the beach and they have lots of outdoor seating.
http://andiamopizzamiami.com/

Shake Shack

Yep, the same one they have in New York, although surprisingly with less lines! Great burgers, shakes and fries for those of you who have never been. Do yourself a favor and order a double!
http://www.shakeshack.com/

Toni Sushi

We came here years ago when we first started coming to Miami, and we always try to go back whenever we visit. Toni’s is a low-key, Japanese spot serving super fresh sushi and traditional dishes. It’s unassuming from the outside, but the vibe inside is super chill and they have semi-private booths along the side that are cool for groups.
http://www.tonisushi.com/

Le Sandwicherie

This place has been serving up delicious sandwiches and smoothies since 1998. They are open until 5am every night, so it’s also a favorite spot for late night party goers on South Beach. It gets great reviews everywhere and for good reason. Try the pate sandwich!
http://www.lasandwicherie.com/

Food Truck Circle in Tropical Park

Hit up a bunch of Miami’s food trucks all in one spot every Thursday from 5:30-11!

Here’s a list of this week’s trucks:

BITE Gastrotruck
Boba Station
Che Grill
Chef on 4 Wheels
Cold Stone Creamery
Daddy’s Grill
The Fish Box
gastroPod
Grill Master Cafe
Kitchen Kabab
Latin House Grill
Lobster Monster
Malanga Cafe
Mangia Mia
Miami Spice Grill
Monster Burgers
Ms. Cheezious
Overload Extreme Street Food
Palate Party
Porkalicious
The Red Koi
El Rey de las Fritas
Rincon del Coqui
Rio Samba Grill
Zombie Ice

http://miamifoodtrucks.com/

Other Recommendations:

Joe’s Stone Crab

El Palacio de Jugos

If you’re heading to Austin, TX this week for anything SXSW, and you really can’t deal with another day full of everyone asking “Where should we eat?” and “What else should we do?”, here is a short list of “Other Stuff to Do in Austin” to make your life easier.  These are non-music recommendations, including eating and drinking spots to consider when you’re over tracking down another wristband or sneaking into another party.

For all music-related suggestions, the professionals at Oh My Rockness have created a site specifically for SXSW, so visit sxsw.ohmyrockness.com and go crazy planning your schedule.

EATING:

Hula Hut
3825 Lake Austin Blvd
www.hulahut.com
This giant Polynesian themed, Mexican restaurant is located right on the lake and serves a mix of “Tiki-Mexican” food alongside oddball tropical drinks. Try to get a table outside so you can watch all the turtles swim underneath the dock and check out the weird floating art.

Magnolia Cafe
1920 South Congress Ave
www.themagnoliacafe.com
This 24 hour cafe has been featured on numerous cooking and travel shows and serves breakfast all day long and a mix of Tex-Mex, soups, salads, burgers and really good house specials. It’s pretty large and good for groups.

Texas Chili Parlor
1409 Lavaca Street
This no nonsense spot serves other things, but you should just order the chili (or anything with chili on it). Levels of spiciness X through XXX!

Shady Grove
1624 Barton Springs Road
www.theshadygrove.com
A quirky, casual restaurant with tons of outdoor seating with lots of vintage furniture, old signs and a rustic feel. They are known for their burger and specials, so that’s a good place to start on the menu.

La Condesa
400A West 2nd St
www.lacondesaaustin.com
Upscale, Mexican street food and tequila bar. Great mix of appetizers, ceviches, taquitos and sides. A good place for groups and shared plates.

La Reyna
1816 South 1st Street
Super casual, Mexican family style restaurant. This place gives you free chips and salsa when you sit down, gigantic bottomless iced tea, and extra large portions. Great, cheap lunch specials too.

Taco Cabana
Various Locations
www.tacocabana.com
For late night drunk cravings or to get your fast food drive-thru fix, this is the place. Cheap tacos, fajitas and quesadillas with a killer salsa bar. It’s open 24 hours a day and it’s cheap as hell and good in the middle of the night. Stick with the basics and you’ll be fine. They also serve beer!

FOOD CARTS:

Last year, I put together a list of food carts in Austin. This year I’m defaulting to the locals and suggest you check out the fine folks over at Austin Food Carts and Food Trailers Austin.  Austin Food Carts also has a great iPhone app for locating the carts by map and food type.  It’s free and available over at iTunes.

Here are a few of my favorite food carts:
Pig Vicious – All bacon everything.
Torchy’s – All taco everything.
Chi’lantro – All Mexican and Korean everything.

DRINKING:

Yellow Jacket Social Club
1704 E 5th St
www.yellowjacketsocialclub.com
Great outdoor drinking spot with a nice beer list and cocktail menu. They also serve a good selection of food like meats and cheeses, sandwiches, salads and brunch options.

Dog and Duck
406 W 17th St
www.dogandduckpub.com
A proper British neighborhood pub in downtown Austin. Good pints, decent pub food.

Cheers Shot Bar
416 E 6th St
The best place on 6th Street for Jagaerbombs, Jello shots, Mind Erasers, Flaming Doctor Peppers and anything in a test tube. Go here with a big group.

Hotel San Jose
1316 South Congress Ave
www.sanjosehotel.com
The enclosed, well manicured courtyard garden area is a great place to have cocktails and chill out when you need a dive bar break.

Mansion at Judges Hill
1900 Rio Grande
www.mansionatjudgeshill.com
The original building was built in 1900 and turned into a grand mansion in the late 1920s. This historic restaurant and bar serves a mix of upscale American and bar food and is a good place to check out if you feel like classin’ up your SXSW week.

OTHER STUFF:

Barton Springs
If you have time and it’s really hot outside, you really need to visit Barton Springs. It’s a natural spring pool located in Zilker Park and it’s only minutes from downtown. It’s cheap to get in and you can swim and sunbathe all day! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Cliktrips is featured on the music homepage of YouTube today. We curated a collection of travel themed music videos that emphasize the connection between music and travel. From the ancient ruins of Petra in the Sisters of Mercy video, to the English Riviera featured in the Metronomy video, to the lights of Singapore in the jj video, these videos focus on the location almost as much as the song and the artists themselves.

Watch the intro video above and then go check out the playlist on YouTube.

PLAYLIST:
Metronomy – The Bay
Klaxons – Echoes
Tame Impala – Lucidity
Poolside – Take Me Home
Tough Alliance – A New Chance
Lemonade – Lifted
jj – Los Angeles en Asia
The XX – Le Flaneur
Sisters of Mercy – Dominion
Siouxsie & The Banshees – Arabian Knights
Duran Duran – Rio
Morrissey – Everyday is Like Sunday

Loving this new travel series called Far Out on VICE. It’s a show about people who live way outside the traditional lines of civilization. I especially like this episode about an 81 year old badass named Faustino who lives alone in the mountains of Patagonia.

Vivian Host aka Star Eyes from Trouble and Bass and queen of all things Brooklyn bass-related, created this well-rounded video of fun stuff to do in San Francisco.  Star Eyes grew up on the West Coast and called San Francisco home for several years while working as the Editor-In-Chief of XLR8R Magazine and spinning at clubs and raves all around Cali.  In this video, Star Eyes takes us to eat at Rhea’s Deli and St Francis Fountain, shopping at Painted Bird and Paxton Gate, and boozing at Pop’s and Uptown.  Read more over on the Mishka blog.

http://www.stareyesforever.com
http://www.troubleandbass.com/

2012 WINTER SPECIAL $250/night

Dune Road – Westhampton, NY

Located in the village of Quogue on Dune Road in Westhampton, NY, this three bedroom, two bath renovated beach cottage is only steps away from a private stretch of beach along the Atlantic Ocean.  The house also has a large, outdoor patio with a lounge chairs and a gourmet gas grill. Inside there is a large living and dining area for hanging out with friends and family and a chef’s kitchen with all new appliances.

DETAILS:
Three bedroom
Two bathrooms
Gourmet Kitchen 
Private Patio
Outdoor Shower
Private Beach Access
Two hour drive from NYC or take the LIRR to Westhampton

RATES:
Winter 2012: $250/night; $1600/week; $3500/month
Summer 2012: Vary
Available nightly, weekly, or monthly

CONTACT:
Jen Amadio  jamadio@mironproperties.com

thishotelsucks.tumblr.com

Our buddy Jonathan Krenik is AKA JK, sound man extraordinaire to The Rapture and The Presets and an electronic artist in his own right. Jonathan just launched a new Tumblr about all the great, and not so great hotels, he’s visited around the world. It’s only in the beginning stages, but we can’t wait to see it all come together!

Throne of Blood is The Rapture‘s record label and over the last two weeks we’ve posted Part I and Part II of the Throne of Blood European tour diary written by Andrew Potter (right) of Populette.  This week, we wrap up the tour as we follow Populette and label boss, James Friedman back to London for the final gig of the tour.

Words by Andrew Potter of Populette

LONDON: THE END

Once in London, we split up for a little and I took a cab to my friend’s flat in Islington. I lucked out and had the most wonderful cabby on the way there. We chatted it up the whole way. He was a typical bloke and a retired clubber who spoke fondly of Acid House and the old Ibisa. Now he is settled down with a wife and kids—not a bad look at all.  I wouldn’t recommend getting around in cabs though; it’s insanely expensive.

After catching up with my friend,  we went to eat at an old gastropub in London.  Everyone there seemed to know each other and the food and vibe were quite good. I missed out on a Turkish feast with the rest of the Throne of Blood crew at Mangal, which comes HIGHLY recommended.

Photo c/o The Shacklewell Arms

From dinner, we took another wallet-busting cab to the venue, The Shacklewell Arms for the closing gig of the tour. It was a Throne of Blood showcase with many of our European counterparts like Mat Playford, Bicep and Mugwump.

It was like coming home in some ways, since there were so many old friends from the road, London friends, and NYC ex-pats. The Shacklewell Arms is a converted pub where dudes used to play dominoes and stuff, and was described by friends as a “Rave Pub.”

After nine late nights in a row all over Europe, I felt like my nine lives were up, and I spent the next couple days sleeping and putting the pieces back together. The flight back to NYC came quick in the end and I was going home! At Heathrow airport with James, I popped into an electronics store and finally found the exact camera I had broke at the beginning of the tour. Go figure.

It was a really special and unforgettable trip. It was so much more than the places and the parties.  It was really the PEOPLE that made it what it was. And hopefully, I will be able to thank them all in person one day. One person who deserves immediate thanks is James Friedman, who made all this shit happen,  “Thanks, Homie!”

Check out music by Populette on Soundcloud.