Song of the Day: #30

Tanlines are an indie-rock/pop duo hailing from Brooklyn, New York and they are prepping for the release of their debut album Mixed Emotions on March 20th. I think the guy on the left is my favourite because he's wearing a Mariah Carey t-shirt. Yeah, definitely the guy on the left.

Song of the Day: #29

There must be something in the water in Sweden because the amount of amazing pop music to come from the Scandinavian country in the last couple of years cannot be a coincidence. Amazing pop acts such as; Lykke Li, Robyn, Icona Pop and Rebecca & Fiona, to name a few, have shown the talent that is brewing in the country, and now Amanda Mair steps forward to continue the countries strike rate.

Song of the Day: #25

Gorillaz, Andre 3000 and James Murphy on one track?! That shit cray! The genius' at Converse have struck gold again.

Song of the Day: #25

It is a travesty that J. Cole isn't featured on the MTV Hottest MCs list this year. Cole World: The Sideline Story was one of the best rap debuts in 2011, so for someone of J. Cole's calibre and talent to get ignored is quite simply not acceptable. Must try better MTV.

Song of the Day: #24

For real, I don't think it's possible for G-Eazy to make a bad song. The latest song from the rapper, sees him in a rather reflective mood and it's brilliant. The song also features a fantastic chorus from Dominique LeJeune.

Rihanna & Chris Brown. Round 2.

CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE

Mixtape: The Weeknd x Chi Duly - Balloons of Haus

The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) was a very busy boy in 2011, releasing three full-length mixtapes; House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence (all of which you can download for free at his official website). All three mixtapes were received with much acclaim and have set The Weeknd up nicely to enjoy a very successful 2012, where we will hopefully be graced with a debut album.

Video/MP3: Mikey J & The UK Female Allstars - Rock The Mic

Jeeeeeez, this track goes hard. The females in the UK rap scene are killing it right now, with 'Rock The Mic' confirming that they're going in just as hard as their male counterparts. The video for 'Rock The Mic' comes nearly three months after the UK Female Allstars debuted the song at the BBC 1Xtra Live Tour in December of last year, and it was definitely worth the wait.

FACEOFF: Lil Wayne vs. Demi Lovato vs. Justin Bieber

Following on from the previous 'Rihanna vs. Nicki Minaj' faceoff, I have decided to continue this feature. This faceoff will be between 'Best Rapper Alive' Lil Wayne, 'Previously Troubled, But Now Recovered' actress-come-singer Demi Lovato, and 'Little-Known Singer Of Songs' Justin Bieber (trust me, this kid is going to be huge).

Mixtape: War of Words - Free Your Minds

OK, everyone makes mixtapes nowadays, but this mixtape from War of Words is simply brilliant. Featuring classic tracks from SNAP!, Black Box, TLC and Rosario Ralphi, as well as three tracks from the duo themselves, pop perfection is the only thing on the agenda. War of Words are set for a magnificent 2012 ("isn't everybody?" you say), but tracks like 'Panic', 'Battleground' and 'Sympathy' speak volumes for the girls' potential to be the next big thing in pop music.

MP3: Bashy - Heart of Stone (Feat. Dot Rotton, Lady Leshurr & Black The Ripper)

A track from Bashy's The Crunchie Mixtape was my Song of the Day the other week, and now I'm bringing you another track from the brilliant London rapper, and this tune is straight fire. Bashy has teamed up with Dot Rotton, Lady Leshurr and Black The Ripper, to create 'Heart of Stone', an impressive track, where everyone goes hard. The track comes from the upcoming The Great Escape EP, a collaborations project that Bashy has been recording in-between filming the movie The Man Inside, in which he has secured the lead role.

Free EP: Ed Sheeran & Yelawolf - The Slumdon Bridge EP

There must be something about Valentine's Day that makes musicians feel very generous. Following Charli XCX's freebie giveaway earlier, Ed Sheeran let this collaborative EP, with Eminem affiliate Yelawolf, go on twitter. The Slumdon Bridge EP see Ed and Yelawolf trading verses over an acoustic guitar backing. While not really being a fan of either artists' solo work, Sheeran's + and Yelawolf's Radioactive, I found myself thoroughly enjoying all four tracks on this EP. You can download the EP below, and the tracklisting is as follows:

Free EP: James Blake - Live Album

One of my friends saw James Blake live at Benicassim, last year, and I said to her, "I like his music, but I'm not sure how good he'd be live." She assured me that, in fact, he is brilliant live. Finally, I have been given solid proof. The James Blake fan tumblr, has put together an entire EP of live performances, and it features songs from all of his releases. Blake's voice is completely hypnotic and you can't help but be mesmerised by it. Even if you're not a massive fan of James Blake, you have to appreciate the talent that this young man has. You can download the entire live album below. The tracklisting is as follows:

Song of the Day: #14

Dubstep remixes should always be approached with caution, with many of them tending to focus more on how many wobbles they can fit in and how they can create 'The Sickest Drop Ever 2012', rather than trying to enhance the songs ability to entertain.

Ever since the passing of Biggie, his legacy has been prodded and poked with numerous posthumous albums and remixes. Die-hard fans of Christopher Wallace will no doubt feel sick at the release of mash-ups with Miley Cyrus (that song is my jam), but as someone who never felt a strong affiliation with B.I.G., I'm open to mixing things up a bit and this remix of 'Gimme The Loot' of off his debut album, Ready To Die, is very pleasing to my ear. The person behind this remix goes by the name of Superginger (brilliant) and they have created the perfect balance between remaining true to the songs roots, and bringing something new and fresh. Listen to, and download, the song below.

Cover/mp3: Arctic Monkeys - Katy On A Mission (Katy B Cover)

Let's just get this out of the way. Arctic Monkeys are my favourite band ... of all time. They could release an album of dubstep-infused club bangers and I'd still be telling everyone they're the best thing since sliced bread. So yeah, I'm pretty biased when it comes to the Sheffield band.

Nevertheless, when Alex, Matt, Jamie and Nick made a rare UK radio appearance in the BBC Live Lounge they adhered to the house rules and played a secret cover, choosing to tackle the 2011 dancefloor staple 'Katy On A Mission', originally by Katy B. As Alex crooned over the minimalistic and mellow backing from the band, it was clear that they had managed to (excuse the X Factor judge cliché) "make the song their own". You can watch the performance below and download the mp3 here (right click / Save as...).

Brilliant, right? Right.

It is always a pleasure to here Arctic Monkeys take on other peoples songs, as they don't do it very often, but when they do they are always fantastic. I have compiled a list of the covers they have performed in the past. Have a listen and let me know which were your favourites in the comments section below.

• 'Baby I'm Yours' (Barbara Lewis cover)
• 'Put Your Dukes Up John' (The Little Flames cover)
• 'Diamonds Are Forever' (Shirley Bassey cover)
• 'Love Machine' (Girls Aloud cover)
• 'Red Right Hand' (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds cover)
• 'You Know I'm No Good' (Amy Winehouse cover)
• 'The Lovers' (Rod McKuen cover)
• 'Take It Or Leave It' (The Strokes cover)