There may or may not be updates to Pastepunk before Monday, January 3rd. Former Pastepunk Metal Editor/current Editor Emeritus Alex Harisiadis has chimed in with one of his video themed “Best of 2010″ lists (it’s sitting in my inbox… and it’ll probably stay there for a little while). Longtime occasional contributor James Hepplewhite is working on a list as well. James has been studying in Rome for the past four or so months and has seen a number of US hardcore and punk bands touring over there or in Europe in general. I hope he decides to write about some of those shows. I don’t think it will ever happen, but I would really love one day to be able to see bands like SICK OF IT ALL and IGNITE play to thousands in Europe. Anyway, thanks for sticking with us in 2010 and supporting us in what is now our 13th year!

Stuck In The Past hardcore blog recently tossed up a review of a four song EP from Switzerland straight-edge vegan metallic hardcore band UNVEIL. The review compared the group to ONE KING DOWN crossed with HARVEST. Mid-90s bonanza! Two songs from the EP are streaming on the band’s MySpace page, as well as some material from the band’s earlier releases.

From the inbox:

THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS and Magic Bullet Records have teamed up to issue 10 very special copies of the ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS album When the World Comes Down with ALL proceeds benefiting Charity: Water!

Beginning December 28, we’ll be auctioning off one Charity: Water edition copy of When the World Comes Down per week via eBay.

• Each copy is autographed on the cover by all 4 members of the band

• Each copy is on limited blue vinyl to represent water

• Each copy is hand-numbered out of 10!

Stay tuned for each week’s active link. Copy #10/10 is up now : Click here.

O PIONEERS have awakened from their slumber to post a new song titled “Oak Island” to their Bandcamp page. The tune is from their eventually-to-be-released split with ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD. The group will be touring with HOSTAGE CALM for most of January and the beginning of February – dates are listed at opioneers.com.

The1stfive.com has assembled an impressive free download mixtape for its readers which includes unreleased songs from Mockingbird Wish Me Luck, Sonic Avenues, Future Virgins, Gravebound, and Machines Are People Too. Other artists represented include The Sainte Catherines, Pacer, Imadethismistake, Trophy Scars, and several more. You can grab the compilation along with some PDF art here.

Of the 25 entries below, 20 different record labels are represented, including several smaller labels that have cracked the Pastepunk Best Of list for the first time. If I had assign a theme to 2010, it was the emergence of a new class of nimble, up-and-coming independent record labels that are finding their own way [...]

Includes brand new songs from LATE NITE WARS, ALL TEETH, and more. There’s also a contest involved with the sampler that’s giving away a Sony record player and lots of music packages.

Runner Up Records is streaming the debut full-length from Philly indie/emo rockers HIGHTIDE HOTEL via Bandcamp. It is also available as a pay-what-you-want download, and contributions of $10 or more include a vinyl copy of the record, due out this February.