It is possible the recent changes and enviroment has made this behavior come out in him but like PayItForward said cats are independent and since he is now reaching a year of age he is settling into his likes and dislikes.

Just remember that there are some cats that do not like to be picked up and only want to be pet or touched when they choose. It sounds like this little guy is going to be one of those cats. Who knows, when he gets more adjusted and settled into his new home he may relax a bit.

If his behavior keeps getting more aggressive you might want to try using Feliway. You can buy it at PetsMart and other pet stores. It comes in a spray bottle or plug-in (I use both the help my oldest cat to feel less stressed around our newest cat). Here's a description of Feliway:
Feliway uses synthetic feline facial pheromones to end urine marking and scratching and to comfort cats in stressful, unfamiliar situations.

Hope this helps.