"Blog Not Found"

I doubt if anybody noticed, but my entire blog went missing for the better part of last week. One moment I was checking my email on my mobile phone, the next I was locked out of my Google account, due to what they termed suspicious activity. I immediately tried to view my blog, only to be greeted by a heart-warming "Blog not found" message.

I've only been blogging for about a year and a half now, but needless to say, I wasn't exactly keen on watching all that time circle down the drain.

The first thing I did after getting the message (aside from panic of course) was to google around for a solution. At least I wasn't locked out of their search engine. And it didn't take very long before I realized my problem wasn't unique. The general concessus was that it would eventually sort itself out.

So I basically had to log in from a PC and do an account verification (the same kind you do over the phone when creating a new account) in order to regain access to my Google account. Then I had to play the waiting game. Each time I tried to view my blog and I received that dreaded message (about a hundred times in all) was like a slap in the face.

But just like magic, I tried viewing it sometime on Friday, and there it was, as though it never went missing in the first place. It has been back ever since.

The whole experience has got me thinking about putting something as important as my author platform in the hands of a third party. I mean, what would happen if they decided to close up shop one day?

Have any of you ever experienced anything like this before? If so, what can you do to prevent it from happening again?

Top Ten Movie Countdown Blogfest

It's been a while since I participated in a blogfest, and there's no better way to prepare for next month's A-Z challenge. So today, I am doing the Top Ten Movie Countdown Blogfest, hosted by the ninja captain himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh. Participants are expected to list/count down their Top 10 movies. Mine are as follows:

10. Drive (2011)

I must admit, I was a wee bit skeptical going into Drive. This was due in part to my experience with director Nicolas Winding Refn's previous movie, Valhalla Rising. But the same deliberate pacing that made Valhalla Rising a barely-watchable snorefest works beautifully in Drive, largely because of its 80s-inspired soundtrack and atmosphere.

9. Superbad (2007)

Following in the footsteps of American Pie, Superbad tells the story of a group of teenage boys hoping to get laid before getting shipped off to college. Highly original, I know. But what sets it apart is a number of geniune, laugh-out-loud moments that stick with you long after the credits roll.

8. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

This movie excels as not only a horror film, but as a decent action film too (unlike the recent string of Resident Evil movies, which fails at both). I especially love the way the zombie apocalypse is introduced in the beginning, and how the tension surrounding the survivors continues to build until the very end.

7. Scarface (1983)

Scarface caused quite the stir following its original release. It easily pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable in terms of violence and profanity (even though most of it would be considered tame by today's standards). So in a way, Brian De Palmer effectively paved the way for directors like Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez.

6. Inception (2010)

Inception fell just shy of becoming my favorite science-fiction movie of all time. But Christopher Nolan's tale of a near future where ideas can be extracted through shared dreams very much deserves a place on any Top 10 list. Rarely is a sci-fi movie executed with as much precision. The result (as a friend of mine would put it) is a 2 hours 30 minutes movie that feels more like 1 hour 30 minutes.

5. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

In this dark fantasy movie, Guillermo Del Toro paints a portrait of the world as seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl. I've always loved the director's visual style since movies like Hellboy and Mimic, but never has that vision been as fully realized as it was here. A visually striking work of art that belongs alongside the Mona Lisas of the world.

4. The Godfather (1972)

If ever there was a movie that lived up to its reputation, then surely that movie must be The Godfather. It is one of those rare gems that manages to do its source material justice, a book I recently had the pleasure of reading. It is every bit a movie about family values as it is about organized crime, and we get to watch a reluctant (and quite young) Al Pacino step into his career-defining role.

3. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

I love a good revenge story as much as the next man. So from the moment I heard about Quentin Tarantino's take on the fall of the Third Reich, I was immediately sold. Only someone like Tarantino could set what is essentially a sphagetti western in Nazi-occupied France, and make it work.

2. The Matrix (1999)

Once upon a time, a pair of little known filmmakers envisioned a movie that would not only raise the bar for special effects, but tell an awesome story too. It's anybody's guess why the Wachowskis have been unable to replicate the success of The Matrix ever since, but there is no denying that what they left us with is a landmark science-fiction movie.

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

The final part of Peter Jackson's the Lord of the Rings is also my favorite movie of all time (till date). There's a reason why it won all 11 academy awards back in 2004. Put simply, The Return of the King (and the trilogy as a whole) is not just a movie, it is an experience.

I can't help but wonder whether the current trilogy of Hobbit movies has any hope of finishing anywhere near as strong. Only time would tell I guess.

IWSG: The 2013 A-Z Challenge

It's the first Wednesday of a new month, which means it's time for another round of IWSG postings. The IWSG was started by Alex J. Cavanaugh, where members can share their writerly insecurities with one another, and also offer some much needed encouragement.

I received my very first form rejection this past weekend. It wasn't from an agent or a traditional publisher as you might expect, but from Amazon Publishing. I'd submitted a short story to their Kindle Singles program, an exclusive listing reserved for shorter works i.e. short story, novellas etc. It was a spur of the moment decision, and in retrospect, I guess it was a long shot, since the program favors non-fiction. And of the seventy-something fiction titles currently listed, most (if not all) of them appear to be works of literary fiction.

Still, it was an avenue worth exploring, and I can at least say that I gave it a shot. Now I can get back to my current project, and also start scheduling my posts for the Blogging from A-Z Challenge next month.

That's right, I finally signed up for the challenge, even though I wasn't going to until I'd written a good number of my posts beforehand. Right now, I only have a vague idea of some of the 26 books I'd be highlighting for the challenge. I would ideally love to stick with books under the speculative fiction umbrella, since that is what I love to read and write. Hopefully, the challenge wouldn't take away too much time from my current project, another reason why I need to start scheduling those posts. I'd better get to it then.

What about you? Are you doing the 2013 A-Z Challenge? And if so, are you going with a theme?

The 85th Academy Awards

The 2013 Oscars have come and gone apparently. And while I didn't watch the actual ceremony, I followed the media coverage surrounding it with keen interest. It is also worth noting that out of the 10 Best Picture nominees, the only one I'd seen prior to the Oscars was Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, one of my favorite movies of the moment.

But I guess that's what these awards ceremonies are there for, to highlight the cream of the crop and give those of us who'd missed out on their greatness a reason to go back and revisit them.

Let's begin with some raw numbers.

Going into the ceremony, the movie that had the most nominations was Spielberg's Lincoln (12 nominations). It was closely followed by Life of Pi (11 nominations); Les Misérables and Silver Linings Playbook (8 nomination each); Argo (7 nominations); then of course Django Unchained, Skyfall, Zero Dark Thirty and Armor (5 nominations each).

By the end of the night though, the big winners were Life of Pi (4 awards); Argo and Les Misérables (3 awards apiece); then Django Unchained, Lincoln and Skyfall (2 awards each).

The first award of the evening went to Christoph Waltz for Best Supporting Actor (Django Unchained). Quentin Tarantino also won for Best Original Screenplay (Django Unchained), his second win in that category since he won for Pulp Fiction (1994). On the technical side, Life of Pi won for both Best Visual Effects and Best Cinematography, much like Hugo did last year.

Best Actor went to Daniel Day-Lewis for his performance in Lincoln (surprise, surprise), while Jennifer Lawrence took home the award for Best Actress, for her role in Silver Linings Playbook. Equally predictable was Adele's win for Best Original Song (Skyfall), an award she shares with the very talented Paul Epworth.

Somewhat surprising though was Brave's win for the Best Animated Film award, over the much-better-received Wreck-It Ralph. Maybe it is just the gamer inside of me that's complaining. I am yet to sit through either movie, so I guess whatever opinion I might have is highly irrelevant.

Rounding off the ceremony were the most important categories: Best Director and Best Picture. Ang Lee won his second Best Director award for Life of Pi, while Ben Affleck finally got some much deserved recognition, winning the overall Best Picture award for Argo.

So there you have it. The breakdown. Needless to say, the two movies at the top of my must-see list right now are Argo and Life of Pi. What about you? What Oscar movies did you miss out on and would most likely go back to see?

My Thoughts on the 55th Grammy Awards

So I finally managed to crawl out of bed today, having stayed up all night watching The Grammys. I was pretty excited about watching this year's awards for two main reasons. First off, my favorite band of the moment, fun., was up for a total of six nominations (including four big ones). Secondly, there were a string of high-profile performances from the likes of Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Rihanna and the aforementioned band to look forward to.

But of course, it is usually the low-profile performances that end up stealing the show. Lady Antebellum did it in 2010. The Civil Wars did it last year. This time around it was Miguel's time to shine, who was joined by Wiz Khalifa for a performance of his break-out single, "Adorn." Another standout performance was Carrie Underwood's, wherein her dress was overlayed with digital images to mesmerizing effects. In the same vein, Frank Ocean gave a technically-impressive performance of his highly-controversial song, "Forest Gump."

Unlike last year, where Adele swept all the major categories, there weren't really any clean sweeps this time around (except Skrillex, who won all the electronic categories for a second year in a row). fun. took home the Song of the Year award (in addition to Best New Artist), for the song, "We Are Young" and Gotye (with Kimbra) won the Record of the Year award for "Somebody That I Used To Know."

The Black Keys won most of the Rock categories, but lost out on Album of the Year to the British indie/folk band, Mumford & Sons, who took home the night's top honor for their sophomore album, Babel. This would mark the second year in a row where a British act took home that award (last year it was Adele's 21). And while I wished it had gone to The Black Keys (or dare I say fun.), I really can't say I didn't see it coming.

IWSG: Lazy Days

It's the first Wednesday of a new month, which means it's time for another round of Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) postings. The IWSG was started by Alex J. Cavanaugh, where members can share their writerly struggles and triumphs with other members. My post today would have to be relatively short, since I don't have anything to say really, other than how lazy I've been lately.

Last month, being the first month in a shiny new year, I announced all my writerly goals for 2013. But since then, I have drawn no closer to attain any of those goals. There's no excuse really, I've just been lazing around, waiting for something to happen. I don't even know what exactly. A spark of inspiration perhaps.

On the bright side, I did manage to dust off my Xbox in all that downtime. It had been relegated to the bottom of the shelf for the past year and a half. Since then, I've plowed through my long-forgotten copy of Fable 2 and presently have my sights set on that equally-forgotten copy of Skyrim. That could be considered as research, right?

IWSG: Goals and Resolutions for 2013

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a swell holiday season, and that you're not too hungover from the festivities. Me? Well, let's just say I am still reeling from the speed with which the year went by and leave it at that.

This time last year, I was busy announcing my goals and resolutions for the year 2012. Now that 2012 is in the rear-view mirror, and those goals have been met, it is time to pull out the road map once again and chart a course for 2013. And what better place to do so than here, in the presence of the members of the Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG). The IWSG, for those of you who don't know, is a bloghop hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, author of science-fiction space operas CassaStar, CassaFire, and the upcoming CassaStorm. Members of the group are expected to share their writerly successes and insecurities on the first Wednesday of every month, and to offer words of encouragement to one another.

My sole resolution last year was to find time each day to write something. And while I didn't quite manage to churn out 1,000 words every day like I hoped, I still managed to write some 80,000+ words overall, making 2012 my most productive year since I started writing in 1998. So this year, I'll be raising the bar a bit and aiming for at least 100,000 words. Assuming I write at the leisurely pace of 500 words a day, and for 5 days a week, I should be able to reach that goal within the span of 10 months, with two whole months left to be spent on other equally important stuff (or just goofing off like I tend to do). Which brings me to my main resolution for the year.

In 2013, I have every intention of catering more to the business end of being an independent writer. What that means is that I'll be doing more to market my existing body of work. One of the many mantras in self-publishing circles is that the best form of promotion is a new release. The only fly in that ointment though is when you consider the fact that your book must compete with literally millions of other books. Don't get me wrong, it's all well and good slaving over a book until it gleams and sparkles, then proceeding to the next one the moment it is out there. But what's the point if nobody is able to find it in the ever-growing sea of self-published books? After all, no one is going to buy that book if no one knows that it exists. Hence the need to market my books, and the need to be proactive about it. In other words, no more goofing off.

So how do I plan on achieving any of this? By setting some measurable goals. Those goals are as follows:

Goal #1: Write the next book (and its inevitable sequel)
That book is called Proxies, a project that has undergone too many rewrites and incarnations over the years to count. The current one places it in a post-apocalyptic setting, with a dash of alternative history thrown in. Needless to say, it would mark my return to writing science fiction, after spending the past couple of years writing epic/dark fantasy. It would most likely be written in serial form, though I don't see any real reason to publish it that way, except the stars happen to align and it is accepted into the Kindle Serials program. That's right, I'll be submitting it once the first two episodes are written and crossing my fingers thereafter.

Goal #2: Explore other publication avenues
I have never written a query letter before, and probably never will. But that doesn't mean I can't look into a more traditional means of publication for subsequent books, namely the various Amazon Imprints. I am aware that those Imprints (and programs like Kindle Singles and Kindle Serials) only accept books either already proven to be bestsellers or considered to be the cream of the crop. But it never hurts to try. All my books thus far have been self-published through Amazon and Kobo. This year I'll also try to get them up for sale on as many distribution channels as I can: Apple, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords etc.

Goal #3: Use social media to the fullest
In addition to this blog, I am on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+. I also spend disturbing amounts of time lurking around readers' forums like Kindleboards. But I haven't had much success in using any of these avenues to sell my books or connect with potential fans. Then again, I haven't exactly been very active on any of these platforms. I am hoping to change all that this year. I'll be joining groups, doing guest posts, participating in blogfests, hosting competitions and giveaways, and basically doing all that I can to get my name (and my books) out there. I had so much fun doing the A-Z Challenge last year, so I'll probably be doing that again as well.

Goal #4: Do NaNoWriMo 2013
Last year, as much as I wanted to participate in my first ever NaNoWriMo (short for National Novel Writing Month), I was unable to due to prior commitments. This year, no excuses. Come rain or shine, and God willing of course, I'll be slogging it out with thousands of other writers around the world. I did manage to write 50,000 words last February for a similar writing challenge, during which I learnt the importance of having the story outlined beforehand, in which case I already do. So I see no reason why I shouldn't be able to do so again come November.

Goal #5: Be Happy (No matter what)
And once again, I must cap off my list of goals with a reminder to be happy no matter what. Whether sales start to surge or completely tank. Whether my books become critically acclaimed, or are showered with one-star reviews. Whether I become rich and famous, or languish into relative obscurity. Provided I am still able to tell stories worth telling. And if for whatever reason I stop being happy to be a writer, then it's time to move on to something else. Until then, I'll keep doing what I enjoy doing most. Telling stories.

I realize (now that I've put them down) that some of my goals and resolutions stand in opposition to J. A. Konrath's resolution for 2013, which is to write and try not to worry about much else. But one needs to consider the years he'd spent getting his name out there and building up a fan base (and of course his current body of work), which is why he can afford to take such a stance today. For the average independent writer like myself though, still struggling to break out, more work needs to be done. We all hope to get to that point one day, when we can focus solely on the writing.

2012 in Review: Looking Back

It's the last Friday of the year, which means it's time to round up my week-long "2012 in Review" series of posts. A quick recap for those just joining in. On Monday, I revealed my favorite books for the year. On Tuesday, it was favorite songs. On Wednesday, favorite albums. And yesterday, I short listed my favorite movies. Today, I'll be looking back at the year as a whole.

Okay, so the fact that you're over there reading this means the world didn't end on the 21st of December after all. Or maybe it did, and everyone just got left behind or something. Either way, it is clear that those Mayans made pretty shoddy calendars. I bet there must be thousands of disappointed survivalists right now, wondering what to do with that lifetime's supply of tuna. Take heart, my friends, I'm pretty certain a new end of the world date would be predicted soon enough. And to those of us still happy to have civilization soldiering on, enjoy it while it lasts.

The biggest event that (actually) took place this past year was of course the London 2012 Olympic Games. The British media had been going on about it for the last eight years, and for that reason I'm quite glad the whole thing is done and over with. I never actually watched any of the games, due in part to my dislike of television and my indifference towards sports. But I was just as excited to watch the opening and closing ceremonies as everyone else. Danny Boyle really went all the way to create the grandest opening yet, and the closing ceremony reminded us just how awesome British music has been over the years.

I remember setting some major writerly goals at the start of the year. 2012 was to be the year that I embraced the possibility of becoming a full-time writer. So I decided to complete my epic fantasy series, Guardians & The Lost Paradise, and to self-publish it on Amazon and other online retailers. After taking part in a Kindleboards writing challenge in February, running a month-long crowdfunding campaign in June, and serializing the individual books in the series between July and December, I am pleased to announce the realization of those goals. It's amazing what you can achieve once you set your mind to it.

It's been a fun, wild and eventful week (and year at large). I look forward to doing this again next year. For now, thanks for being a part of the madness, and see you again on the other side.

2012 in Review: Favorite Movies

Marvel's The Avengers

The year is practically over, so I guess its official that Marvel's The Avengers is the highest grossing movie for 2012. But I'm sure you already knew that. Which is only fair, considering how highly anticipated the movie was. But I always knew it had little hope of surpassing the records set by Avatar and Titanic, not with such stiff competition. The thing I like the most about Avengers is its lighthearted and comical nature, because truth be told, the story wasn't any more complex than the likes of Transformers. These aren't shortcomings, but rather limitations imposed by the movies' source materials. The fact that he was able to circumvent those limitations and create a film that pleased fans and critics alike is a testament to Joss Whedon's magical touch. Michael Bay take note: when you spend the climax of an entire movie (Transformers) showing a city getting blown up due to a fight between giant robots, the sequel (Transformers 2) needs to acknowledge that the event took place. That was one thing that was handled very well in The Avengers. The aftermath.

The Dark Knight Rises

The last movie in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy might not be the best, but there is no denying that it was a movie that exceeded all expectations. The acting was superb, as should be expected; Michael Caine needs to be considered for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award next year. Then again, we've always known he was brilliant, haven't we? Tom Hardy on the other hand gave one of his best performances, showing us a darker side that was barely glimpsed in Warrior. At almost 3 hours in length, the movie is the lengthiest Batman till date. But what I've always loved about Christopher Nolan movies is getting to watch all the clues and seemingly disconnected scenes slowly coming together at the end of everything. The only thing missing in this case is the Joker. A brief appearance or even a slight reference might have solved the problem. But as things stand, it was very hard for me to imagine that level of chaos taking place in Gotham without the Joker having any part to play in it.

Prometheus

I might have broken some sort of record by watching this movie too many times to count. Most of those viewings were spent trying to decipher the point behind the movies plot. But the good thing about movies like this is that everything doesn't necessarily need to add up. At least not immediately. Isn't that what sequels are for? So, right around my eleventh viewing, I decided to stop looking for what was clearly not there, and focus instead on those aspects that I really enjoyed. First off, the visuals are nothing short of breathtaking, and the movie is worth experiencing for that alone. Then Michael Fassbender gave a simultaneously chilling and heartfelt performance as the team's resident android. Lastly, the infamous alien child birth scene has quite possibly set a new standard for realistic blood and gore. For a movie that tries to tackle a question as staggering as the origin of life on Earth, I think it did okay. Sorta.

The Hunger Games

I confess, my first viewing of The Hunger Games didn't exactly leave me impressed, so I can totally empathize with those that felt it was dull and over-hyped. But once you get over the fact that the movie wasn't made in the style of the typical blockbuster, you'll see that there's much to love about the movie's direction. For example, I love the movies gritty look and feel, reminiscent of Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men. We aren't constantly bombarded with unnecessary special effects, just because its a science fiction movie and such things come with the territory, once again like the typical blockbuster. Then Jennifer Laurence did a decent job portraying Katniss Everdeen. All in all, a solid start to a promising new series, though I am still rather baffled by the studio's decision to split their adaptation of the final book into two movies, considering the fact that the three books are roughly the same length.

John Carter

Watching John Carter left me wondering one thing: what went wrong? I mean, here is a pretty decent science-fiction movie that should have kickstarted a new franchise that could rival the likes of Star Wars. I was really rooting for it too, mainly because it marked Andrew Stanton's first foray into directing live-action. Analysts blame the movie's poor performance at the box office on the studio's failure to market the film properly. But I feel moviegoers simply assumed the movie was going to be highly derivative and stayed away as a result. While I am not familiar with the source material, I was still very much impressed with the story, and the visuals really brought that story to life. It's the sort of series that can only get better from the first movie onward. Shame we might never see the sequel that it truly deserves. Oh well.

And the winner is

The Dark Knight Rises

While many consider Marvel's The Avengers to be the ultimate superhero movie (for now), I think that honor should actually go to The Dark Knight Rises, when considered in the context of the overall story told in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. It ends with a sense of closure lacking in most superhero movies today. I understand that the movie makers need to keep the doors open for potential sequels, but it would be nice if they at least tried to resolve all ongoing story arcs before moving on or rebooting the franchise! I feel sorry for whoever it is that would have to take up the task of rebooting Batman though. The bar has been raised so high now that anything short of brilliant would most likely be laughed at. The safest bet would be to tackle the story from a totally different angle, though I haven't got the faintest clue what that angle might be.

2012 in Review: Favorite Albums

fun. - Some Nights

Being a fan of so many different musical genres, there is nothing I love more than when two seemingly disparate genres are fused together to create something fresh. But very rarely is that fusion handle as well as on Some Nights, the second full-length album by the indie rock band, fun. Their decision to go with a hip-hop producer (Jeff Bhasker) has effectively shaped and helped realize one of the year's best albums. Highlights include Some Nights, We Are Young, Carry On and All Alright.

Imagine Dragons - Night Visions

Another pairing between an indie rock band and a hip-hop producer. This time around, its the Nevada-based Imagine Dragons and the English producer Alex Da Kid, who come together to build upon the success of their Continued Silence EP, a record that originally spawned their current hits, Radioactive and It's Time. Other highlights include On Top of the World, Amsterdam, Underdog and Nothing Left to Say/Rocks.

Zedd - Clarity

By and large, this is the most impressive debut by an EDM artist I've heard. The German producer, Zedd, came to fame due to his remix of Lady Gaga's Marry The Night, a song that had one of the meanest rubber duck basslines ever. With Clarity, Zedd has shown the world that he indeed has other tricks up his sleeve. Why he wasn't given a Grammy nomination for Best Electronic/Dance Album is anybody's guess, but that does not change the fact that Clarity is one of the year's finest EDM offerings. Highlights include Spectrum, Lost At Sea, Fall Into The Sky and Follow You Down.

Usher - Looking 4 Myself

I lost my taste for straight-up R&B some time ago, which might explain why I wasn't too excited or impressed by Usher's previous album, Raymond V Raymond. But with Looking 4 Myself, Usher has not only pushed the boundaries of the R&B genre, he has also ended up with quite possibly his most praise-worthy album till date. Nothing can ever take away the feeling of wonder I felt the first time I heard the title track, a song that is as far away from straight-up R&B as you can get, without losing any of the genre's soul and groove. Highlights include Climax, Lemme See, Looking 4 Myself and Numb.

No Doubt - Push and Shove

It's hard to believe that it's been 9 years since No Doubt's 2003 greatest hits album (The Singles 1992-2003). Maybe it's because we've been blessed with two Gwen Stefani solo albums between then and now. Either way, their latest release sounds just as good as the older stuff, and its nice to see a band that isn't trying to conform to the current electro pop craze. Highlights include Looking Hot, Push and Shove, Undercover, Sparkle and Heaven.

Madonna - MDNA

The queen of pop is back, and its a testament to her versatility that she is still relevant in the music industry after nearly 30 years. After the more urban sound of her previous album, Hard Candy, MDNA marks a return to the familiar dance-pop oriented sound of her 2005 album. She hooks up with past collaborators, Stuart Price and William Orbit, and current-generation hit makers like Benny Benassi and Martin Solveig, and together they've been able to produce a worthy successor to Confessions on the Dance Floor. Highlights include I'm Addicted, Love Spent and Masterpiece.

Robbie Williams - Take the Crown

It is no secret that British singer, Robbie Williams, is my favorite male recording artist. And if it was, well, now you know. Taking a step back from the more electronic sound of his recent efforts (including his infamous 2006 album, Rudebox), he has decided to craft an album composed solely of pop/rock hit material. The fact that he has finally scored (with lead single, Candy) his first UK number one single since 2004's Radio means he must be on the right track. Highlights include Be A Boy, Candy and Not Like The Others

Ke$ha - Warrior

A rather late entry in a year of great music, but one that is very much worthy of inclusion. Ke$ha introduced the world to her electro pop, heavily-autotuned (not to mention highly-addictive) madness in her debut album, Animal, and its follow-up EP, Cannibal. With Warrior, she tries to prove that she isn't a one trick pony. She even dropped her usual autotuned vocals for a couple of choice songs, making it apparent that she sings with a bit of a country drawl. She drew inspiration from genres like old school rock 'n roll and country, and the way they've been infused into her music is nothing short of amazing. Highlights include Die Young, Crazy Kids, Wherever You Are and Supernatural.

deadmau5 - > album title goes here <

A definite forerunner for next year's Best Electronic/Dance Album Grammy Award, especially after losing the same award to Skrillex's Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites this past year. deadmau5 is an artist that never ceases to amaze me, and his latest album is chuck full of moments of Progressive House glory. While probably not his best since the superb Random Album Title, > Album Title Goes Here < is an album that packs more highs than lows. Highlights include Channel 42, The Veldt and Professional Griefers.

Bruno Mars - Unorthodox Jukebox

One of the year's most eagerly awaited albums manages to sneak into my list of favorites following its December release. And already it is apparent that Bruno Mars has cut another record just teeming with future hits. It was fun watching his previous album (Doo wops and Hooligans) churn out hit song after hit song, and I am fairly confident that Unorthodox Jukebox is prime to follow suit. Highlights include Locked Out Of Heaven, Gorilla, Treasure and Natalie.

And the winner is...

fun. - Some Nights

While I had somehow managed to not crown the lead single, We Are Young, as my favorite song for 2012 yesterday, there is no denying that the complete set deserves today's top honor. After all, it is the only one on my short list of favorites that is also vying for an Album of the Year Grammy next year. It has some fierce competition though, from the likes of The Black Key's El Camino and Mumford & Sons' Babel. But you never know with these things, so I'll be rooting for the underdog once again. Hopefully I won't be disappointed a second year in a row.