ASHER ROTH PABST AND JAZZ

I just downloaded Asher Roth's on-the-house mixtape, or "project" as he prefers to call it, which was released this week. It makes me so happy to hear real hip hop making it back into today's music, following on from Common's heavily anticipated 9th studio album, this mixtape vibes goodness throughout. It's quite a treat for the festive season. Keeping this "project" separate from the mainstream market, he raps freely and truly, showing clearly his love for making music, which is something that always gets felt by the listener. He has an upcoming album with Def Jam and Loud Records, "Is This Too Orange?", in which he reunites with "Asleep in the Bread Isle"producer Oren Yoel, which is set for release in March 2012.

NIKE SB STEFAN JANOSKI MID PREMIUM INUIT

Another new year is around the corner and the upcoming releases are starting to appear. Nike SB are of course one of them having unveiled a bunch of January drops, but this particular one looks special. It's the Stefan Janoski Mids in a premium navy leather with some significant features. The faux fur lining and D-ring eyelets bring influences of a winter snow boot, and the brown highlights match elegantly. Finished with a white swoosh and outsole, it makes for an excellent Janoski sneaker with its typical urban lifestyle comfort but the look has an added sophistication that really works.

THE WEEKND ECHOES OF SILENCE

It's the second to last Thursday of the calendar year, and Canadian mystery-man The Weeknd has dropped his highly anticipated mixtape "Echoes Of Silence". This is the third set of the 2011 trilogy and as expected, it is huge.

Opening with a surprise cover of one of my personal favourites by Michael Jackson, Dirty Diana, "D.D." is as good as any I have ever heard. With his now infamous unique sound, he transforms this super song into a killer twin. The mixtape has a general trend of substantial drums, which we may have expected having heard the early preview track "Initiation", which adds a new authoritative texture to his original take of R&B. And undeniably, it is incredible. "House Of Balloons" introduced his beliefs and changed the genre, and "Thursday" took us deeper into his world, but "Echoes Of Silence" is a whole new game-changer for me. Love it.

Abel Tesfaye ends what has been a highlight year with a true gift, and I hope there's more greatness to come next year, after making a massive mark on the world's music scene. As always, it's a free download through his website, available now. XO indeed.

JAMES BLAKE x REBECCA HALL MUSIC VIDEO

James Blake today put out the official video for his song "A Case Of You", previously known in my mind as 'that ballad-like song after the Bon Iver one'. The track is listed on his EP "Enough Thunder", of course preceded by the excellent collaboration number with Bon Iver songwriter Justin Vernon.

It's a beautiful song, somehow playing with heartfelt ballad effects whilst keeping within his brilliantly original sounds, and the video is suitably just as good. It features English actress Rebecca Hall, most famous for "The Prestige", who looks amazing in this video as she displays the emotion throughout a relationship, and nails it. I reckon I could drink a case of her.. I promised myself I wouldn't write that.

BLUETREE THEKUBE2

Dubbed as the "smallest touch in the world", this is the second generation of Kube mp3 player by Singaporean technology company Bluetree Electronics. It unsurprisingly takes the form of a small cube, made with an aluminium body and one touch-sensitive sensor. Note this isn't a screen but purely present for player navigation, with touches and swipes allocated for all the necessary controls. If it were to be inevitably compared to an Apple iPod, this would be a Shuffle. Songs are stored on a micro-SD which slots in the back and it's charged via USB, and has a selection of customisable sticker skins if that's your kind of thing. I think the aluminium silver looks great to be honest though. It's currently only available in Singapore, but after going on show at CES 2012 in January next year, it will be on sale worldwide.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES OFFICIAL TRAILER

Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy is set to conclude dramatically next summer and the hype couldn't be hotter. Today, the first real look of the blockbuster movie (aside from that teaser) went viral as its first official trailer came out. It presents itself as any other Nolan picture, not just with regards to its visuals and cinema style, but this time also in terms of the cast. It could have been mistaken for an Inception sequel (except I wasn't called of course).

Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman all return, along side badmen Tom Hardy as Bane and Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, as well as appearances for Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard. I'm as fucking excited as anyone else, and this trailer really gets me drooling for more.

COMMON ALBUM THE DREAMER/THE BELIEVER

American rapper Common finally released his 9th studio album "The Dreamer/The Believer" today, after initially being scheduled for a spring date. But either way, I'm glad it's arrived, and it seems that opinion is shared worldwide by all. Hooking up with his longtime friend, and incidentally Kanye's mentor, No ID produced and co-wrote the entire 12 track album, which speaks volumes in itself in terms of how massive this release is.

For me, it's great to hear an old skool vibe fitting in with the current hip hop genre, complementing each other's sounds to produce something magical and quite unique in today's market. Almost ten years on from his debut, Common's roots stand tall but has evolved to a thing of beauty, music that I am loving. Lyrically too, he shows his time in the game with wisdom that you can't not respect, keeping positive to make this a proper feel-good LP. For sure, this is an album I'll be looping for a little while.

KITH RONNIE FIEG x PENDLETON VARSITY JACKETS

Ronnie Fieg drops another amazing collaboration range today, in the form of these incredibly cool varsity jackets with Pendleton, which has got everyone talking. Choosing four fabrics from Pendleton's selection, some beautifully crafted, stylish wool and leather jackets have been designed, featuring three wool body options and the slightly more expensive tan nubuck full body and sleeve piece. Varsity jackets have blown up and become a must-have item in recent times, but they've all been similarly formatted aesthetically, and this RF x Pendleton set boasts the unique timeless patterns and the highest of quality too to make sure it stands out well beyond the crowd.

Priced from $400, they're each limited to just 25 pieces and I believe went live just an hour or so ago. So head over to KITH and get yours now!

ADIDAS SKATEBOARDING JONBEE

adidas Skateboarding have this week unveiled their skate shoe, Jonbee. Arriving next year in four subtle colourways, the new model takes clear inspiration from the shapes of the prominent range by Nike SB, taking the structure perhaps of the Paul Rodriguez or Stefan Janoski silhouettes. The sneakers are fit for the skaters but also hold the aesthetics and comfort for stylish urban footwear. But adidas have added a twist, and a cool one at that, merging the typical skate shoe with features of the timeless boat shoe which works very well. Look out for their drop early 2012.

VICTATE WINTER '11

It's been a quiet few months for London's very own quality clothing brand Victate, but the team have been hard at work, that's for sure. They celebrate their two year anniversary with a bang, all set with their tailor-made garments, extending the line from what started back in late 2009 with t-shirts and hoodies. The drive and passion lives on, but their philosophy has matured beautifully (and at some speed too!) with quality and craftsmanship always on the up also.

The Winter '11 range features some exciting new ventures, but continues clear development of Victate's logo and the floral elements that were so successful in Summer. With a lovely new monogram pattern, young London-based artists to work with and a master craftsman on their side, the collection beams with excellence they might as well have made a tee with the word quality written across it. Aside from the Anniversary graphic and the re-released Certificate, one illustration stands out amongst others for me. It's a hand-drawn autumn floral that is superb, one I was lucky enough to have got printed as a bespoke sweatshirt. The detail is extraordinary and together with the comfortable cotton fleece crew neck, it makes for an amazing piece of winterwear.

I could write a fucking book on each item to be honest, so it's best to just check them out yourself. Winter '11 is completed with a monogram hood, embroidered sweater, oxford shirts and a leather cardholder. I got to see the collection first hand at their pre-release event yesterday, held at Robot Bunny in Whiteleys, and it just screams hard work, (occasionally obsessive) attention to detail and the finest quality. It's certainly the most impressive drop the brand has produced since its inception. It's set for launch on their online store at midnight today. I urge you to support and I'm already looking forward to what 2012 holds for Edd and the gang.

NIKE SB STEFAN JANOSKI MID PREMIUM BROGUE

Unveiled this week was another drop by Nike SB Zoom for their perfect Stefan Janoski shoe. This time, it's the mid-top quickstrike silhouette, coming in a chestnut brown colourway, made with premium leather and featuring the focus element of perforated brogue detail. The formal touch makes the already very versatile sneaker even more suitable for every occasion and it fits really well with the Janoski model. I hope the new feature will reappear in drops to follow, because this would look sexy in a darker tone of brown and I'd love to see a solid black option too. For now though, these babies are set for release next week.

DIAMOND SUPPLY CO HOLIDAY 2011

LA streetwear label Diamond have dropped their Holiday 2011 gear for the winter, including 100% heavyweight cotton tees and sweatshirts with some new and some old graphics.The super cool Smoke Ring design is back, printed on three crew neck sweats (and tees too I believe) available in navy, black and the pictured heather grey. The drop, combined with their Fall release, is pretty significant in range and sheer quantity, with a whole lot of styles and colours on a bunch of garments all on sale now.

SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH ON BBC ONE

I put up that John Lewis ad the other week, thought that was an excellent piece of media. This isn't too shabby either, made by agency RKCR/Y&R to celebrate Sir David Attenborough's iconic and soon-to-be-legendary coverage of Natural History on BBC One. Taking clips from his past documentaries, they've compiled a short video in sync with Attenborough's voiceover for the rather appropriately selected "What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. It's a touching homage that was released yesterday in conjunction with the finale of Attenborough's latest series, and perhaps his last, "Frozen Planet". I could watch it over and over.

NEW BALANCE FOR J.CREW HOLIDAY 2011

So having recently become available in the US, after initiating in Japan, the J.Crew x New Balance collaboration 1400 sneakers have two new colourways to make a cute block colour series of eight for the Fall/Winter 2011 Holiday pack. They are now available in mocha and the pictured wine.

I've never been a fan of New Balance, ever, just because I have this connection of lameness tied up with that fat N logo. I still don't really like it, it's not particularly slick, but I do have a weak spot for decent burgundy/maroon colours and this wine red colourway certainly looks appetising. Made of premium American suede, it makes for a good day-to-day piece of footwear. These exclusive kicks are out now for $130.

SUB FOCUS FEAT. KENZIE MAY FALLING DOWN

This is the first release from Sub Focus' upcoming 2012 album, a single featuring Kenzie May, 19 year old singer/songwriter from London who herself just released a very cool mixtape some months ago. Sub Focus of course collaborated on Nero's number one hit "Promises" and this new single shows signs of sweet material to come. With "Falling Down" she's composed a real club tune with classic dubstep elements in its pure beats. It's available as a free download so there's no excuse not to check it out, as is that mixtape by Kenzie May entitled "KYDS". A great pair of genuine upcoming British artists.

VANS VAULT DECEMBER 2011

VANS Vault have dropped this month's footwear collection to add to their Fall/Winter range. It includes two colourways for each of the SK8 Hi LX and Era LX models, all made with premium leather uppers and accented with suitably autumn features. The Eras have flannel constructs and nice metal eyelets, while the hi tops are finished to a cleaner look with simple contrast branding and cute seasonal laces. It's a strong foursome, up there in its design, quality and practicality too as they all make for great footwear both smart and casual. Drops like these help me through the coldness.

UNDEFEATED x PUMA CLYDE F/W 11

The minimalist Clyde Strip Off silhouette by Puma returns with its collaboration with UNDFTD for the Fall/Winter season in three autumn colourways. The premium leather sneakers come in tan, navy and orange, each with matching laces, white outsoles and contrasting tongue label and ankle branding. You know I'm a fan of all things simple and sleek, and these sure are. Elegant shoes with bold character and of course excellent quality in the leather upper and lux insole. They were released today, followed later in the week online too.

EPL: NEWCASTLE 0 - 3 CHELSEA

We've had a torrid season thus far for Chelsea's standards, slipping out of the top four in the league, struggling to qualify for the Champions League knockout phase, being knocked out of the League Cup. I went to watch the that defeat to Liverpool in the Carling Cup quarter-finals and I was really disappointed. Not so much with the result, but more so our dire performance. I can see that we're looking to play a passing game, connecting the ball through the pitch short and simple (which is great) but unfortunately there were too many misplaced passes and poor first touches. To add to it, there was very little creativity in attacking situations, lacking sharp decisions for the final move to get a chance on goal. And we deservedly lost 2-0.

But it appears Chelsea have bounced back well, recording a 3-0 victory earlier today against Newcastle away. We bossed the midfield, created a heap of chances and looked very good. I was worried with the amount of fruitless efforts, but we kept at it whilst defending well, and in the end scored three decent goals to put us into 4th and elevating confidence all round. Let's hope this kicks off an impressive December, continuing on Tuesday against Valencia and Man City the following weekend. Really, we need it to go well.

LOGICAL ART EMPTY MEMORY

It looks pretty right, this is the new concept of USB sticks by British design firm Logical Art, presenting the everyday mini drive as a piece of jewellery. Made with hand-polished 316 stainless steel, it's an aesthetically pleasing accessory of minimal design, finished with superb quality. It plays on the metaphor of filling the empty space with your memory, very smart and appropriate. They can be stylised as a slick necklace or key chain for instance, and let's be honest, they would look sexy on your Mac.

I was able to see these beauties first hand last night at The Temporium pop up store by Dezeen in Covent Garden at the Seven Dials Christmas Shopping Evening. The store itself was fucking amazing by the way, it's definitely worth a visit or two, open until December 24th. And for sure check out the Empty Memory USB-come-jewellery, they're available from £48.

EURO 2012 FINALS DRAW

So the draw has been made for the four groups at the Euro 2012 Finals next summer, hosted in Poland and Ukraine. Basically we have the weak group, the death group, the almost-death group and the mediocre group. Group B is sure to have some super football there, I can't wait to watch. But as an England fan, my attention will be with Group D as we face some tough opposition (of similar level I'd say) to really test our progress over the last couple of years. Of course, the World Cup was pretty poor but the stats have been impressive since, having remained unbeaten throughout qualification, as well as recording victories against Spain and Sweden most recently. France are the last side to have won against us precisely one year ago.

Having missed out in playing at all for the 2008 Finals, I'm just glad to be able to support a team next summer, but how far we go I have no idea. It is true we have improved as a team over the last two years, with some youngsters bursting with much-needed energy finding good form at the right time too. Assuming we make the quarter-final knockout stage though, we are set to face the likes of Spain or Italy, so a semi-final may be what would define our campaign a 'success', but it's going to be fucking difficult. We need to perform.

ALBAM POCKET SQUARES WINTER 2011

Albam Clothing have released new accessory items for Winter 2011, namely these Pocket Squares. Measuring 29cm x 29cm, they come in a variety of patterns and colours, all made with premium Japanese cotton. The designs are subtle but highlight colours effectively, suitably accompanying and enhancing any look both smart or casual for the upcoming seasonal evenings. They're all crafted in England with the highest of quality in both method and material, available at a justified £22.

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE TAKE CARE

Florence + The Machine did an exclusive performance for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge this week and their final song was this rendition of "Take Care" by Drake and Rihanna. I've been on Drake's album for a couple weeks now and it's pretty sweet. "Headlines", "Crew Love", "Doing It Wrong", there are some excellent tracks in there I can't get enough of. But this cover by Florence Welch is incredible. We all know the young Brit can sing, but she totally owns this song and transforms it into magic for me. Definitely watch if you haven't already, it's special.

MONSTER BEATS BY DR DRE COLOUR

I know you love them and you know I loathe them. Either way, it's a fact they're a popular choice of headphones and for the Holiday season, Monster Beats Studios will be available in six new pop colourways as part of their Colour Campaign. A smart introduction for an ever-growing product. Still hate it though.