best of 2013 by john root

Scenery outside the seen/scene, inside works 2013

Acquiring 7 months of sobriety.

The birth of my nephew Nico Dean Root.

Getting closer with my mom.

Returning to college after a 10 year absence.

Meister Eckhart selected writings

Popol Vuh (the band) + Meditating/Yoga.

Riding my bike to Napalm Death.

Reading the Cabalistic Keys to The Lord’s Prayer by Manly P. Hall.

Tripping out on William Blake paintings and Poems.

Resonating with words like “…the flame that kindles desire and illuminates thought never burned for more than a few seconds at a stretch. The rest of the time we tried to remember it." – Rene Daumal

best of 2013 by lizet ortuño

Looking back at 2013 I realized that I went through intense transitions. I moved three times, lived in three different states, and found my home in the most unexpected place; Houston, TX. I fell devastatingly out of love with punk, but with the help of incredible talks with old friends, inspiring art/music, and new friends... I found that LOVE again. With that being said, I didn't make it to as many shows as other years, or bought very many records/tapes/zines, but the music/art that I have mentioned have truly moved me.

1) Spending two months in my hometown of Santa Ana, CA. Every morning I was able to have breakfast with my Grandmother, and every night I shared a bed with my closest cousin, Monica.

2) Institute - Demo + Live in Houston

3) Hanging out in Olympia with Hayes Waring, Dave Harvey, and Tanar Stalker.

4) Art by: Sara Abruña + Emma Kohlmann + Daniel Ortuño

5) Spending my summer in Portland: hitting up the tiki bars, going to Tiki Kon, swimming at Hag lake, karaoke, bowling nights, dancing @ hip hop night, being taken in by my dear friend Anne Stark, and sleep overs with Sarah Williams.

6) Hysterics - Live in NY + singing me Happy Birthday @ midnight!!

7) Moving to Houston and discovering I love it and the freaky people in it.

8) Ivy - Demo

9) Las Cruxes + Farewell books in Austin, TX - I'm so happy these places exist and that they're run by amazing people. Kudos to Veronica Ortuño, Mikaylah Bowman, and Travis Kent.

10) The Ukiah Drag - Jazz Mama is Cryin'

11) Taking solo trips to visit Darby Crash's grave and Rozz Williams' urn

12) Crazy Spirit - Live @ New York's Alright Fest

13) Getting tattooed by Christina Gemora

14) La Misma - Demo + Live @ New York's Alright Fest

15) Having a Disneyland Annual Pass and going three times a month!

16) Una Bèstia Incontrolable - Live @ Nuts! #11 Release Party

17) Everything about living in the Highland Park neighborhood of LA, but especially Wombleton Records.

18) Milk Music - Cruise Your Illusion

19) Mystic Inane - Live in Houston

20) Drake - Live in the City of Syrup

Best of 2011 by Ben Trogdon

I’m not so good at keeping up with current bands’ recordings, so this
is a list of some of my favorite performances of 2011.

Nicki Minaj
Oracle Arena - Oakland, CA
Rick Ross and Lil Wayne played too, but I’m a huge Nicki fan and she
totally killed it! Special thanks to my buddy Jaime who won the
tickets on the radio and invited me to come along.

Crazy Spirit
Holy Mountain - Seattle
I was so excited to see this band I stage dove off the PA speaker, hit
my face on the floor and got a fat lip.

Russian Tsarlag / SHV
Stud Mansion - Olympia
Dang, maybe I was stoned but this night was hypnotic. Intense. I was
under the spell.

Ratas Del Vaticano
Monterrey, MX
The show was in a shell of a building in downtown Monterrey. It had no
roof and inside was a half pipe and a bar. Ratas were sick! It was so
cool to see them in their hometown. Afterwards they took us to a house
party where everyone sung along to Eskorbuto until 4 AM. I was so
tired from the long drive and everything, I fell asleep in the middle
of it all.

The Creamers
Club 1808 - Austin
This band is so cool. When they played that night they owned that room
and that city.

Transfix / Forced Laugh / Living Eyes
Quince and State St. House - Olympia
Transfix is my new favorite Olympia band. Their demo tape and Living
Eyes’ new 7” were two of my fave recordings of 2011.

Brilliant Colors
Grandma’s House - Olympia
It was like seeing The Beatles!

Vile Gash
Old School Pizzeria - Olympia
Violent feeling, totally awesome. Gotta even out that karma.

HPP
Le Voyeur - Olympia
Even though this was HPP’s last show it was super fun. Everyone was in
a great mood. RIP HPP

White Wards / Hysterics / Christian Mistress
I saw these bands many times in 2011. They are continually inspiring
as people, friends, and bands.

Best of 2011 by John Root

Best of 2011 by John Root

1. The last day of winter / first day of spring at SXSW during the "Super Moon" seeing Total Abuse then getting laid in my parents van.

2. swimming in "Agua Azul" with cave bats at Puente De Dios - Mexico

3. Club 1808 show in Austin,TX with Weird TV, Creaturas, & The Creamers

4. Sonskull at Nuts #8 release show

6. After party for the Weird TV show in Monterrey Mexico where members of Ratas Del Vaticano and other friends played covers for three hours

6. Femstival show in D.F. Mexico on the top floor of a 5 story squatted apartment.

7. Cream of the Crap Video grand opening w/ Knife to the Eye, Broken Water, Sewn Leather and AWOTT

8. Acephalix at the House of the Dead Rat in San Jose

9. Harsh Nayyar recording session

10. making $150 in LA after being filmed jerking off for a gay porn as "Richie Jacquelette". I was wearing a Hell Woman t-shirt.

Vote for yr fav female fronted band!!!

MR ET is asking for yr input for his BUST column on new female-fronted bands. The comment section is going crazy!!! Olympia represents! WEIRD TV!!!!! Vote for yr fav here