"You know I'd like to say that I can spend a day at home with it left off. How strong is your will?" from Stand Still by Gorilla Biscuits

"American culture. Disneyland freak-show. The screen in your living room. A window for your tomb." from Artificial Life by Operation Ivy

"Decide where you stand. Inside with the rest of the mannequins or outside with a brick in your hand." from Standing in Front of Bulldog Records by Charles Bronson

"People my age don't go to the show unless it's on a weekend." from People My Age from Defect Defect

"Peace is coming. Courtesy is king. Love is power. Take that to the fucking bank!" from H.S.M.P. by Man Is The Bastard

"I may not know what a friend is. All I know is what you're not. Because you're one of them." from My War by Black Flag

"And I'll die the day I find I'm fucking useless." from The Great American Going out of Business Sale by Dillinger Four

"Esta voz es mi arma y te voy a disparar!" from No Me Van a Callar by Tragatelo

"I never want to walk alone. I never want to see the sun come up and it's all because of you. I never want to feel the pain. I'm never going to be the same again and it's all for the memory of you." from 15th and T by Swingin' Utters

"And if they pick me for their team will I play?" from Noxzema by FYP

"Give em a Big Mac and some Nikes and they're happy. I can't relate to 99 percent of humanity." Seymour in Ghost World

Number 2

Hygiene: Town Centre: EP (Static Shock Records)
Have you ever come across a record that draws your attention with just the cover art alone? I like skateboarding demons and abstract Nick Blinko style artwork just fine but every now and then I'll come across a record whose simple, black and white, subtle yet meaningful images speak out to me as if to threaten to curse me if I pass up on it. I'd been seeing it in several distros online and in the record bins at stores a few times. I was expecting some sort of  obscure, midwestern hardcore nugget but instead I was taken by surprise by a very roughly recorded post-punk 7" from the UK worthy of being praised by punks and "part time punks" alike. The Fall minus the arty parts. The Slits without the estrogen. Gang Of Four sans the musicianship. Everything that makes all those other bands who they are (were) combined with a penchant for public spaces/transportations makes for a band that caught and then held my attention for the remainding half of the year. The completist nerd in me forced me to go and find the other three Hygiene EP's that were floating around out there and I'm anxiously anticipating more to come.

Number 3

Mean Jeans/White Wires: Split: EP (Dirtnap Records)
One song seven inches never quite do it for me. It's usually not enough to sink your teeth into. You're either unimpressed and move on from a record or you're captivated and wish there were more to listen to. Having been already familiar with Means Jeans and their retardedly fun approach to punk rock (and life, for that matter) I was more than positive that I would not be let down by their tidbit. And yes, of course it's solid gold! Or maybe just armpit crust yellow that turned gold after the seventh or eighth binge drinking spree. Sounds so much like a Misfits song floating face down in a wading pool full of empty tall cans and Kool butts. Ace. Ottawa's White Wires were an unearthed treasure up until the minute I dropped the needle on their side. Basic, but not boring, mid tempo punk with a soft surfy vibe. Much more simplistic in style than Mean Jeans but still catchy as fuck. I've been picking up everything and anything with their name on it since then including a recently released LP also on the mighty Dirtnap. This picture you're looking at is of the cover to the Mean Jeans side of their split with White Wires but is of the version released on P Trash which features both bands covering each other's songs. Worth tracking down but not as essential as the Dirtnap version.

Number 4

Masshysteri: Self-titled: LP (Feral Ward Records)
It comes as almost no surprise that Masshysteri would come through with yet another masterpiece of a punk rock record. Their debut from a couple years ago was nothing short of amazing. I guess when you add a member to an already solid lineup, things can only go up from there. Brooding punk with a brush of darkness just so that not every song sounds the same. There's a bit more of instrumentation on this album (synths, acoustic guitars) than before but it does nothing to dull the attitude or urgency of the music. Might I also say that these Swedes get my vote for "Best Looking Band" of 2010. Yes, I'm talking about the guys too. I'm comfortable with my sexuality...

Number 5

Catburglars: Self-titled: LP (Criminal IQ Records)
Judging by the cover alone, you'd guess these guys were going to shimmy and shake their hips all over the place. Luckily, such is not the case here. Chicago seems to continue to bless us with gifts in the form of bands who break up long before their due was given. Raw as fuck, bloody knuckle punk rock is what we are treated to on this start to finish full length gem. Lyrical diarrhea if there ever was such a thing but it complements the music perfectly. If I lived in Chicago, I'd buy these guys a round of beers and then stiff them with the bill. I'm sure they'd appreciate such dickhead behavior.

Number 6

Walls: Stare At the Walls: EP (Iron Lung Records)
What we have here is a superb example of what present day hardcore ought to be: a sum of a band’s counterparts, where every component is just as crucial and key in the process of creating such vile yet endearing sounds. Walls are the kind of band whose members magnify each other’s presence instead of outshining either the instrumentation or the vocals. I was witness to this: they are fucking wrecking balls live. And the great part about this record is that the madness captured onto vinyl is just as intense as seeing them in person. Yeah, I heard Rorschach got back together and did some live shows. Walls are what Rorschach would have sounded like if they had decided to take it to the next level. 

Number 7

Mata Mata: Self-titled: Cassette (Silenzio Statico/Crepusculo Negro)
The cassette is a format which its relevance and necessity is often disputed. But when the music dubbed onto it is as insanely pulverizing as this it could be recorded onto a four track and I would still bother to listen to it. South Central Los Angeles apocalyptic hardcore crust punk. Doom and Discharge on a Four Loko induced bender. Music to throw piss filled bottles at the cops to. I see great things in store for this band so long as they can stay together long enough to not self-destruct. And by the way, South Central kids... give it up with the fucking Ska-core already. This is where it's at.