My obilgatory best of 2009.

Everybody else is doing it, or so it seems. Figured I may as well make a post highlighting the... well, highlights of 2009 for me.

BEST GAME: inFamous
And my, what an impressive game it is. Beautifully animated and well planned, though not as planned as it could have been. It may be my game of the year but it isn't perfect. However, the few bugs and flaws that exist around the ravaged Empire City are easily ignored by the game's interesting story and intense, fun gameplay. Apparently a movie is in the making, and you know what that means; it will either glorify or ruin the game. Ah well. If it comes down to the latter, then at least there's inFamous 2 to look forward to. Maybe that time around Sucker Punch will nail it perfectly.

BEST MOVIE: Up
This may seem like an odd choice, but I'm an odd man. Of all the movie's I've seen this year, of all the laughter and action and violence I've experienced, why choose a kid's movie? My response is simple. It regained my hope in the tattered remains of the Disney franchise. With all the utter garbage they are spewing out, it was refreshing to see that Pixar can still produce a funny, entertaining, and most importantly moving film. It took me back and brought out the younger kid in me. And considering I already act like a 10-year-old, that's not an easy feat.

BEST ALBUM: Fact, "Fact"
Next to The Ghost Inside, this band has been one of my greatest last.fm finds. I came across them during a period wide-spread anticipation for the release of their first USA-release album on Vagrant. A few listens to their older material and I was psyched. When the CD arrived, it did not leave my listening cycle for a good few months. I even went as far as to use it for an Art Design project. Even now, I still can listen to the album the entire way through and be blown away just as much as the first listen. The perfect blend of pop-punk and metalcore, with all the technicality, melody and electronics to help the band stand out from the bland band crowd.

And now, in true Stephen Colbert style, I present my Tips of the Hat and Wags of the Finger. Honorable and not-so-honorable mentions to bands for actions in the past year.

TIP OF THE HAT TO...
Metalcore fathers Converge.
They released their absolutely stunning album Axe to Fall late this year, and my goodness, these guys do not disappoint. All the chaos, fury and efficiency of their previous work is totally overshadowed by this album, it's certainty their greatest release yet in my opinion. Not many bands can claim this kind of victory 18 years into their career. A tip of the hat to these men.
Those wacky japs in Fact.
Not only did they release their superb self-titled album this year (as previously mentioned) in April, but if you're a reader of this blog you'll also know they're releasing a new full-length album, In The Blink Of An Eye, mid-January 2010. Yes, a mere 8 months since their last mind-blowing release, they're releasing another whole album. And judging by the sound of the new single "Slip Of The Lip", we are in for a treat. I tip my hat to these hard-working boys.
A special honorable mention to No Harm Done.
Possibly the one of the greatest hardcore bands to ever exist split up this year, after a short and not incredibly successful 5-year career. Despite remaining prominently unknown to the world, those who did enjoy their music enjoyed melodic, pop-punk drizzled hardcore of the highest quality, jam-packed with aggression, passion, fury and emotion. I tip my hat to you No Harm Done, you will be sorely missed. RIP

WAG OF THE FINGER TO...
Intentional sell-outs A Day To Remember.
Shot to fame over the internet, it wasn't a surprise they were snatched up by Victory records. And with them even stating they always wanted to make it big as a band, their direction was clear from the start. But damngoddit, what an unnecessary disappointment Homesick was. The band used to be fun, catchy, emotional and somewhat original, borrowing the most effective aspects from hardcore and pop-punk and fusing them into a successful sound. However, upon signing to Victory and shooting up in the charts (#13 in top artists of 2009 on last.fm) they decided not to fuse the most effective aspects, instead fuse the ones that were the most user-friendly and marketable. The result was a mediocre at best album just oozing with pop-cheesiness and insincerity. ADTR, I am disappointed. Wag of the finger to you.

Now to you, my loyal (very sparse) readers, I present a gift. A summary of the music of 2009 according to yours truly. 25 tracks ranging through the prominent punk & hardcore in my library and also through reggae, post-rock, folk and indie. Enjoy!

25 tracks / 1.5 hours / 186 MB

Christmas: a time for losing sanity.

Well, that's the case for most people. However, thanks to Long Island metalcore band Stray From The Path my sanity has remained intact. I've been playing their latest album Make Your Own History a lot the last few days, and it's grown on me. They play a unique brand of metal infusing chaotic progressive technicality with simple hardcore sensibility. Think your average mathcore band, minus the illegibility and apocalyptic overtones and instead in it's place is good old, tough-guy-esque hardcore heart. The music borders on the unpredictable and the completely predictable, but never losing it's charm. The vocalist's voice is what impresses me most, the screams/shouts sound so natural, almost as if that's how the guy speaks normally. Definitely worth checking out.

One for all you Poké-nerds...

I'm quite proud of my Pokémon team. I've spent months, years, experimenting with different Pokémon before being able to craft my perfect team. Here's a rundown of them, their attacks and strategies.

Sciro, GLISCOR
Possibly one of the most devious Pokémon to ever exist, he's my first line of defense. EV trained in speed, he also boasts reasonable defense. This means he will probably get the first hit in, and probably last a good few hits from my opponent. This gives me a chance to throw out a Stealth Rock, damaging any Pokémon that switches in. He also knows Knock Off, dealing with any item my opponent may be holding. I also have Ice Fang and Earthquake in there for good measure. He carries leftovers to help ensure his survival. The thing I love about him is that most people confuse him for a Dark/Bug/Poison type, where in fact he is Ground/Flying. This deception and his stats are exactly why I throw Gliscor into the front lines.

Wukong, INFERNAPE
He showcases a berserker-like appearance and the stats and moveset to match. Which is perfect, since I've always been a berserk kinda person. Though lacking defense, through EV training he boasts huge speed and physical attack. His obligatory self-type move is Flamethrower, to exploit his superior special attack. Holding a choice band, his attack is highly boosted. Though this does lock him into using one move, he can choose from an arsenal of Flare Blitz, Close Combat, Rock Slide or U-Turn for a hasty getaway. His purpose is to charge in, guns blazing, and to go out with a bang leaving my opponent scorched and scarred.

CLAYDOL
Claydol, as with Gliscor, serves with a wall. However, I have developed a special strategy for my Claydol. He has high, well-balanced defenses and HP. His speed, whilst not great, is not terrible either. Despite these he has, quite frankly, awful general attack. Good thing I have no proper attacks then! First I launch Toxic at my foe to poison them. Then, depending on my situation I may use Sandstorm to cause more damage, or if my foe is more powerful than anticipated I may spam Cosmic Power to boost both physical and special defenses. If Claydol manages to survive for too long, it becomes a huge pain for my opponent, never directly attacking them, instead building up his defenses whilst wearing down their HP. And if things start to become bleak, I can always resort to Explosion, ensuring Claydol's defeat and hopefully, my opponent's too.

Sceptar, SCEPTILE
He's a sweeper like Infernape, except trained fully in physical attacks and agility. He houses high HP, reasonable attack boosted by a life orb and speed through the roof. Sceptile are renowned for speed, and are nearly guaranteed the first hit. A Detect off the bat will help me analyze my position as well as throw my opponent off guard. From there, it's an all-out assault against my weaknesses, as well as a broad spectrum of other types, with Rock Slide, Earthquake and the obligatory self-type move Leaf Blade. I must confess, Sceptile is in my team more for being a favorite than for his performace, but he is certainly not to be underestimated.

Geral, FERALIGATR
Just like Sceptile, Feraligatr made the team through being a favorite Pokémon of mine. Unlike Sceptile however, he also performs well. EV trained as a tank, his incredible attack and HP mean he'll stay on the battlefield for a good while and deal some huge damage during this time. He has somewhat low defenses and speed, but holds leftovers to boost lasting time. With a Swords Dance off the bat, he becomes a total powerhouse, ready to attack with Earthquake, same-type attack Aqua Jet to gain priority and Avalanche to surprise the faster Pokémon. He is by no means a superb Pokémon, but he will tear a great big bad-ass bite out of my opponent.

RAYQUAZA
The one legendary I will ever use, Rayquaza is a formidable foe. He is EV trained in physical and special defense to accompany Rest, and partnered with high HP and leftovers he becomes a regenerative wall. However, Rayquaza also boasts gargantuan physical and special attack, and as such can make great use of Flamethrower, Ice Beam and Earthquake. These moves cover his weaknesses as well as many others, leading Rayquaza to become a destructive weapon.

Chicho, CHIMECHO
Though first entered into my team for the cute factor, she also serves as a replacement for Rayquaza, or if I want a speedier battle, then Claydol. Her strategy is simple; throw out a Yawn, then use Psychic to deal damage or Recover for extra support. By now my opponent should be asleep, so I can really dig in with Dream Eater, regaining any health I lost until they wake up. Continuing this cycle generally remains effective, since my Chimecho is EV trained in speed, to make quick use of these moves, and HP, to give her some lasting time until the recovery starts to kick in. Boosting Dream Eater with a big root, Chimecho becomes a cute little pain in the ass.

Ursuma, URSARING
Ursaring acts as a replacement for one of the other physical sweepers for if I'm ever feeling a bit adventurous. His strategy is possibly the most complex and erratic of all in my team, and he re-invents the term "berserker". He is EV trained in mostly HP, with the rest equally spread over physical attack and speed. Overall, he has above average attack and HP, sub-par speed and very low defense. So why use him? Because with the correct setup, Ursaring becomes one of the most destructive Pokémon to ever exist. First thing is a Swords Dance to up his already high attack. He'll be quite slow in this turn and it's crucial he isn't KO'ed. After the first turn his held item, toxic orb, will activate, badly poisoning him. This may sound like a silly thing to do, but Ursaring's ability Quick Feet increases his speed by 50% when affected by status change, boosting it high enough to outrun any Pokémon that isn't speed-based. Now able to outrun nearly any Pokémon, he can make full use of Facade, which is not only receiving a same-type attack bonus, it's power is then doubled due to the poisoning. These stats are enough to blitz a Steelix, even out-gun and out-run an HP/defense EV-trained Skarmory. The only problem is Ursaring's inevitable demise, as he's being increasingly worn down by poison each turn. It's his purpose to go down kicking and screaming, hopefully taking down with him a foe or two.

Marie, FROSLASS
She takes the same position as Chimecho/Claydol, but can also replace Gliscor. A mysterious Pokémon, not only do you never see her in-game, I've never even seen anybody use her in battle at all. Which is a shame, since she can be an effective fighter. EV trained in primarily speed, she runs circles around a lot of Pokémon, giving her a chance to get out a Hail, enhanced by an icy rock. This activates her ability Snow Cloak, boosting evasion. With the following Thunder Wave, not only is my opponent partially incapacitated, they have a boosted-evasion nightmare on their hands, with high speed and decent HP and special attack. If Froslass is the lead for my party, by now some Spikes will have been laid. If not, I can dig into my foe with STAB Ice Beam. This being the only direct attack becomes a disadvantage for her, but against an ice-vulnerable Pokémon she deals plenty of damage.

HARIYAMA
He serves as half-wall, half-support. EV trained in HP and defenses, he provides extra girth for the rest of my team to hide behind. Armed with Knock Off to deal with any items, Brick Break as his self-type move, Stone Edge to cover weaknesses and Whirlwind just in case things start getting a little too heated. Though his meager speed means he will nearly always attack last, he has colossal HP and paired with leftovers he becomes quite an obstacle to topple.

Shellie, BLASTOISE
She shares the same purpose as Hariyama, except with more balanced stats. Though trained in a similar way, more effort was placed on defenses making her a well-balanced Pokémon, save for below-average speed. Leftovers works to keep her HP up. She has Aqua Jet as her self-type move for priority, Rapid Spin to free up the playing field, Protect to give something to hide behind and Avalanche to utilize her low speed.

Solwat, SWALOT
This big blob exists somewhat for the novelty of it - though he does make a decent team member EV trained for high HP and moderate defenses. Leading the team, he's rather unexpected and can destroy an opponent's hopes of setting up with Encore and Yawn, as well as put up the good fight with decent coverage using Shadow Ball and Ice Beam whilst holding on with leftovers. By no means a fear-inducing Pokémon, though he has the potential to cause some trouble.

Ampheon, AMPHAROS
I'm not much a fan of electric-types, but I've always loved Ampharos. She has somewhat low defenses and poor speed and attack. However this is made up for with superior HP and high special attack. Her same-type attack is Discharge which has a high paralysis-rate, and paired with her ability Static which has a high chance of paralysis on contact with Ampheon, the overall chance of inflicting this status ailment on my opponent is great. Paired with Substitute and holding leftovers, she can stall until the effect takes place. She also can make use of Focus Blast and Signal Beam to give type-coverage. She may be cute, but Ampharos are famous for packing a volt-drenched punch.


Lickaldo, LICKILICKY
He was originally added for the novelty of it, as I'd always liked Lickitung. However I managed to stumble upon quite a find with him. A sort of less-cheap Snorlax. With great HP paired with moderate defense, he makes good use of Rest. When sleeping I can use sleep talk, unleashing either Ice Beam or Earthquake upon my foe. Whilst his attack is nothing to brag about, he sure has some lasting time paired with leftovers, and with his ability Own Tempo to prevent confusion, he's even more of a task to take down.


Yeah, I'm a total geek. Deal with it. Take note that there are nearly no 1st-gen Pokémon. That's 'cause I'm not all like "ORIGINUL POKEMUN 4 EVURRR ITS DUM AZ NOW!!1!1", seriously people, get over it. Stop claiming the new Pokémon are stupid and ridiculous and take a look at Mr Mime. And all my Pokémon are males not by choice, but by pure luck (or unluck). I'll probably add to this as my team expands.

Thank you for keeping me sane,

Fact. Their music is interesting, basically extremely technical and melodic punk with metal riffs, occasional double-kicks and the slightest hint of powerpop. I personally think they're actually members from Rufio and Between The Buried And Me disguised as a generic "j-rock" band. Except they can't be generic 'cause practically ooze awesome. They released their 3rd full-length self-titled album in mid-April this year, and their 4th full-length In The Blink Of An Eye is due for release this coming January, a mere 8 months since their last. They've put the first single, "Slip Of The Lip" up on their myspace page, and judging by the sound of it, the new album will not disappoint. Prepare yourself for future ramblings from me about this band.

My top 10 "keep you wonderful" albums.

I recently said goodbye to a friend, as she is traveling down south to stay for a while. I'd told her of a million bands she'd like over the years, and so I burned all the albums for her. They consisted entirely of pop-punk/melodic hardcore, and the intention for them to all be upbeat, energetic and happy.

I'd noticed that they were pretty much the happiest and most uplifting music I own, so I figured I should recommend them to anybody in need of a bit of the warm fuzzies. Check out the standout tracks, and happy listening!

10: No Use For A Name, Keep Them Confused
A reasonably generic pop-punk album. It has a few stand-out tracks and one or two great ones, but give it the odd mindless listen and the warm fuzzies are inevitable. Standout track: "Part Two"

09: Set Your Goals, This Will Be the Death of Us
This album was pretty much a filler, to accompany Mutiny. A reasonably solid album, but as with previously, only really good for a mindless listen with a couple of great tracks. Standout track: "This Will Be the Death of Us"

08: Polar Bear Club, Sometimes Things Just Disappear
I apologize for all the fillers, but if you're gonna put 2 PBC albums in a list you may as well add the 3rd for their complete discography. By no means a bad listen, but sub-par to their other releases. Standout track: "Burned Out in a Jar"

07: This Time Next Year, Road Maps and Heart Attacks
Pretty much your average mainstream pop-punk band, minus the mainstream and excessive pop. Reasonably drivel-free and enough grit to allow them the title of a punk band. Standout track: "Rise & Fall, Curtain Call"

06: Good 4 Nothing, Kiss the World
A very solid and diverse album for a pop-punk band. Ranging from the lightning-fast "In the Mosh Pit" (clocking in at 0:56) to the pop rock anthem "Cause You're Alive", and everything in between. Standout track: "Opportunity All Around"

05: Polar Bear Club, The Redder, The Better EP
The best debut release from any band I've ever heard, each song is a gem. The fact that there's only 5 however, holds this release back. It's just too short to be considered a full-fledged album, however amazing it is. Standout track: "Election Day"

04: Ellegarden, Eleven Fire Crackers
Just like G4N's Kiss the World, this album is one of the most top-quality pop-punk albums to come out of Japan. Though not as diverse, Ellegarden have a certain flair that so many artists lack. A kind of unique ingenuity that I'm yet to see any other band pull off. Standout track: "Marie"

03: Polar Bear Club, Chasing Hamburg
Having gone up and down with the last two releases, this most recent album from PBC showcases a successful blend of indie/melodic hardcore, never diving too deep into either end, and remaining a diligently solid album throughout. Standout track: "Living Saints"

02: Set Your Goals, Mutiny!
Possibly one of the most passionate and soul-filled pop-punk/hardcore albums I've ever heard. With this release, SYG managed to prove their can be substance in a genre dominated by the bland and generic. Of all the albums listed here, this needs to be played the loudest. Standout track: "This Song is Definitely NOT About a Girl"

01: No Harm Done, Escape
Of all the albums here, this one probably verges more on the angrier melodic hardcore side of the spectrum. It may not necessarily impress upon first listen, but it grows on you, believe me. What begun as one of these frequent mindless-listening albums grew into a powerful release, diving into the angry, the heartfelt, the depressed and the energetic, never ceasing in force. After a listen to Escape, not only will you have the warm fuzzies, you will feel on top of the world. Standout track: "Festivus Yes, Bagels No"

Guess who's going to New York next year?

Well, probably the people doing lvl 3 Art Design in my year. I was, however an alternative opportunity has arisen. It was either $6,000 for me to go to NY for a week to browse some art/design museums, or $800(ish) for my whole family to schedule our holiday to Australia to correspond with Soundwave Festival 2010.

What, Soundwave 2010? Yes, Soundwave 2010! February next year I will be treated to such live acts as Faith No More, My Chemical Romance, Jane's Addiction, AFI, Placebo, Paramore, HIM, ALEXISONFIRE, Taking Back Sunday, Trivium, Sunny Day Real Estate, Anthrax, Eagles of Death Metal, The Get Up Kids, Motion City Soundtrack, Reel Big Fish, Meshuggah, All Time Low, A DAY TO REMEMBER, Escape the Fate, It Dies Today, Clutch, Anti-Flag, ISIS, Gallows, Enter Shikari, Shinedown, A WILHELM SCREAM, The Weakerthans, Anvil, SET YOUR GOALS, Glassjaw, Emarosa, COMEBACK KID, The Almost, Dance Gavin Dance, Four Year Strong, You Me At Six, Whitechapel, Architects, THE AQUABATS, Rolo Tomassi, BARONESS, THIS IS HELL, RX Bandits, Closure In Moscow and the Creepshow (I'm guessing you've figured out the more emphasis, the more excited I am).

Weekly "this artist keeps me sane".

It may be summer holidays now in NZ, but in less than a couple of months I'll be plunging headlong into a year of hectic schoolwork and stress overloads. And I don't know about you, but it's times like those that music keeps me sane.

And so, I have decided to start a weekly tradition of posting about my highest played artist this week on last.fm. I'll be doing this (most) Fridays, having survived a week-long struggle.

This week it goes to New York post-hardcore band Polar Bear Club. A few days ago I received my copy of their album Chasing Hamburg (along with records by Strike Anywhere, Ceremony and Ruiner) and it seems to have been on repeat since. Their eclectic mix of upbeat melodic hardcore with moody indie rock has enforced Chasing Hamburg as my summer soundtrack.

If I were in a post-metal band...

Cover art would probably look like this.

A not-so eventful launch.

Well I have decided to create a PROPER blogspot. Not a music one where I ramble about a few things and then it fizzles out. I shall be prominently using this in place of websites like myspace, posting little bits every now and then about me and the things I'm doing. Perhaps some design, projects, or music ramblings. Who knows.