best of 2013 by justin trosper

Artist with most play time on my stereo regardless of the year it was released:

Alex Degrassi!

New records I bought AND liked:

Janelle Monae “The Electric Lady”

Daft Punk “RAM”

MIA “Matangi”

Queens of the Stone Age “Like Clockwork”

Congo Natty “Jungle Revolution”

Adrian Sherwood “Survival and Resistance”

Neko Case “The Worse Things get…”

...and the Reissued LPs:

PIL 1st ed. (Light in the Attic)

I Am The Center comp (Light in the Attic)

Chrome “Half Machine from the Sun: The Lost Chrome Tapes 79-80”

Bl’ast “Blood” (Southern Lord)

Rodan “Fifteen Quiet Years” (Touch and Go)

Iasos “Celestial Soul Portrait” (Numero)

Apochryphal Hymns comp (Numero)

William Onyeabor “Who is…” (Luaka Bop)

Live stuff I saw and liked:

Western Hymn, Mira Billotte/White Magic, Nudity, Raw Geronimo, Darto, Screaming Females, Pinback, Hysterics, Obits, Octagrape, Streateaters, Hungry Ghost, Broken Water, Neko Case, Greys, Modest Mouse

Interesting stuff that I heard from people on the internet worth checking out:

Gregor Schellenbach Kompact mix on Soundcloud, Ben Lukas Boysen/HECQ, Fuck Buttons “Slow Focus”, The Knife “A Tooth for an Eye”, Darkside “Psychic”, Anciients “Heart of Oak” Death Grips “Government Plates”, Oozing Wound “Retrash”, Chelsea Wolfe “Pain is Beauty”, Julia Holter “Loud City Song”, Burial “Rival Dealer”, Jon Hopkins “Immunity” Tim Hecker “Virgins”, Gesaffelstein

Music related reading:

David Byrne “How Music Works” paperback

Morrissey “Autobiography” paperback

Best of 2011 by Justin Trosper

Discoveries of 2011 by jtro.

I never consume enough new pop culture every year to really be on top of things. Here is what I found out there:

TRAVEL

Travels in the Yucatan, Mexico. My significant other Sarah and I took a trip to the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. It was awesome. We ate lots of new foods, drank some interesting tequila, swam in Ceynotes, and mastered the art of Mexican combat driving. I reacquainted myself with Spanish (I had to ask directions often). Plus I like hammocks. I bought one and a hat and a guayabera shirt. It was the highlight of my year. I, like many others, decided I am going to travel more often to exotic and exciting places. Honorable mentions: Joshua Tree in winter, and “The Loowit Trail.”

MUSIC

“Sangue Freddo” Il Teatro Degli Horrori. Not to sound really cool, but you probably have not heard of this band unless you live in Italy. No, I don’t live in Italy. But I met the guitar player many years ago while traveling there and now he is in this band, which is very popular. They sing in Italian. I think this record is fucking awesome. It sounds like noisy post-hardcore stuff like At the Drive In, Jehu, and Unwound but super produced and with this really dramatic singer who sounds like Ozzy at times and others like Mark E. Smith. He is crazy sounding. I’m kind of clueless but I think they rock harder than any bands in the US (except for the Melvins, duh.)

“Let England Shake” PJ Harvey. PJ is the musician I have followed the most closely for the last ten years. I didn’t really listen too much of her stuff in the 90’s but ever since “Stories from the City…” I’ve been hooked. I dislike the production on this record but I think it is supposed to sound like early 4AD or Flying Nun or K. But, as usual, she freakin delivers the goods with her vocals. I like a good singer and there are not very many good singers so I listen to PJ Harvey because she is a good singer.

Honorable mentions: “The Hunter” Mastodon. Not even close to my favorite by them but it is one of the only bands I care about, so I bought it. Still, there are a couple real scorchers here. You can tell they love music. Retro: “The Power of Expression” Bl’ast (1986); “Souvlaki” Slowdive (1992); “Goat” Jesus Lizard (1991).

Wild Flag live at the Northern, Olympia. It was good to see some stellar musicians who have been around for awhile pull together some decent songs and rock out. I said to myself afterwards, “well, I better get going on this band thing I’ve been thinking about…I just have to think of a name and write a manifesto…”

Honorable mentions: Earth live at the Northern (Summer). Scratch Acid live in Portland (December).

BOOKS

“Savage Detectives” Roberto Bolano (2006). I don’t know how to explain this so I won’t. But it changed something in my brain. It made me want to feel nostalgic. It made me want to read literature again. It made me want write. It made me want to hang out in Mexico City. I don’t think I’ll do any of those things. Read it and weep.

Lots of Honorable mentions: “Nation of Rebels: Why Counterculture Became Consumer Culture” Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter (2004); “Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest” David Moskowitz (2010); “Young Men and Fire” Norman Maclean (1993); “On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society” Dave Grossman (2009); “Deep Survival” Lawrence Gonzales (2004); “Night Dogs” Kent Anderson (1999); “The Last Good Kiss” James Crumley (1988); “Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen” Christopher McDougall (2010); “On the Warrior's Path, Second Edition: Philosophy, Fighting, and Martial Arts Mythology” Daniele Bolelli (2009); “In Search of the Warrior Spirit, Fourth Edition: Teaching Awareness Disciplines to the Green Berets” Richard Strozzi Heckler (2007).

MOVIES

Kung Fu Movies on the “big screen” at OFS. The last couple of years I have been watching more kung fu movies. The good ones are better than any other movies out there and the bad ones are usually funny. The Olympia Film Society brought some dude from Portland twice (film fests) in to show these original prints. I won’t name them by name. It was awesome--if you were there you know. But you probably weren’t! HA-Ha-Ha. Speaking of martial arts…in 2011 I started practicing Doce Pares Escrima (Also known as Kali or Arnis), which is a Filipino martial art, primarily practiced using rattan sticks. I’m into it. You see, they teach you weapons first before you learn empty-handed techniques. That is reverse from most martial arts. The origins of Escrima come from peasant guerilla fighters (influenced by Chinese and Japanese arts and others), where as many other arts evolved in the upper echelons of societies. Get it? Anybody can pick up a stick (but you must learn how to use it). Common machetes and pocket knives are also emphasized. There are no holy swords here.

“Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” movie. In the summer of 2010 I read two of the books by Steig Larssen while working at summer wildfires. But I would have read them even if I was not getting paid. I saw the Swedish movies and enjoyed them too. Now there is an American film version. Despite my annoyance at this, I had to go. I said that as long as they retained the Swedish character of the novels then I’m ok. They did. A new drinking game was created. Every time the characters have sandwiches and coffee you take a shot. You could name it after the original title of the book “Män som hatar kvinnor” but guaranteed to not be popular.

“Kill All Redneck Pricks” movie. It made me laugh, it made me cry. That is usually a sign of a decent movie. I think it is worth watching. This is just the beginning of the Olympia history series…

Honorable mentions: Fugazi video on youtube.

Dude, this video is killer! --it reminds me of the crazy crowd energy of their shows--surging. No other band I have ever seen came close. They definitely stand the test of time for me. They just came out with an impressive live archive website. Check it out.

FOOD

Ninevah food truck. Olympia, WA. Finally, some decent middle eastern-type food in Olympia. Ever since I moved back from Southern California I have missed my falafel, hummus, and shawarma fix. Word!

Honorable mentions: shrimp tacos at Mad Taco truck in Lacey, Oaxaca Taco truck in Shelton, Al Forno Ferruzza pizza (next to Eastside Tavern—best beer selection in Olympia, yep, I go there sometimes, so what).

Best of 2008 by Justin Trosper

not so sure its THE BEST of 2008 (and it might have happened in 2007 or 6):






The Grand Canyon. I went to the GC with my class at Evergreen to study geomorphology, natural history, channeling Ed Abbey, etc. dude it was awesome!

Toumani Diabaté "The Mande Variations" African harp (kora). this is one of those albums that people call stunning and breathtaking. I guess it is and you don't even have to be a world music nerd like me.

Studying Haiku

Ross Lake/North Cascades canoe trip with Sarah. I did this same trip in the same canoe 25 years ago with my dad. Ospreys, box wine, alpine views, trout fishing, etc.

Metallica "death magnetic" its better than anything slayer or metallica have done for many years but not as good as anything pre-90's. especially if you block out the lyrics, there are killer solos and riffs.

Robert Wyatt "Comicopera" I probably put this on my list last year.

"No Picnic on Mount Kenya" -Felice Benuzzi. My favorite summer read. Italian POWS during WW 2 escape so they can climb a mountain. Totally absurd and true.

"Pilgrim at Tinker Creek"--Annie Dillard, my other favorite summer read. Like if Patti Smith was Thoreau.

"Life on Earth" with David Attenborough

Spending much of the summer cleaning up trash and giving people directions around Mt St Helens.

"Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms" Donald J Borror. If you're into science...

Beginning my snowboarding career at age 36 with bruised ribs.

Another year in Kamilche, WA with my S.O. and animal friends

Tomas Transtromer-swedish poet

I also enjoyed non-specifically: Wu-Tang, Teddy Pendergrass, Bee Gees (disco), Mastodon, Selda, Mitch Hedberg, Look Around You, socks, the world atlas, IPA, red wine with dinner, tequila on DJ nights.