MAG: WARPAINT DISCO//VERY KEEP IT HEALTHY OFFICIAL VIDEO

The Warpaint girls look ridiculous, prancing about each to their own — it's perfect. Off the masterful self-titled second album, they dropped this double-header music video today for two of my favourite tracks "Disco//Very" and "Keep It Healthy". It begins with the aforementioned prancing about for a full four minutes before darkness descends upon a skatepark, because why not. Have a watch and look out for appearances at Field Day, Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds.

MAG: SOHN DEBUT ALBUM TREMORS

From: SOHN

It's been streaming for a week (and has actually been leaked for almost a month) but today the debut album by SOHN "Tremors" was released and what a special record it is. A real showcase of inventive production and heartfelt songwriting, created by exceptional talent as multi-instrumentalist and architect of incredible sound. He visits London for a gig at Village Underground this month and I can't wait to experience the music live. In the meantime, enjoy his 4AD Session performances here, here, here and here.

MAG: SOHN LIGHTS 4AD SESSION

The fourth and final 4AD Session number is album track "Lights".

BLOG: BOSE SOUNDTRUE HEADPHONES

From: Bose

As of last week, Bose revamped their portable audio lineup with the revised branding called SoundTrue, covering new around-, on- and in-ear headphones. It's worth posting about because I'm a fan of Bose — their earlier on-ears were my first purchase and to this day my room is decorated by the Companion 5 system. They're very good.

But aesthetics have always seemed to be, not necessarily lacking, but somewhat misplaced if you know what I mean. They certainly don't have the clear visual identities such as that of AIAIAI's clean, modern pop; Beats' garish, colourful confidence; or the sleek maturity of Bowers & Wilkins. In my eyes Bose have always seemed a little outdated, with appearance design an afterthought to their unquestionably good sound qualities. (There was that commercial campaign where they claimed you no longer had to choose between sound and style — I never got where they were coming from at all.)

So they've launched the SoundTrue series, keeping the relatively new AE-2 and OE-2 models as they were, but encased in a fresh variety of styles. We'll start with the positive shall we, the matte black option is very tidy and I think a welcome addition as the main model to headline Bose's range. It has the right image of sophistication and direct appeal for what is ultimately a great set of personal audio equipment, highly competitive in its price bracket across the market. But sadly they didn't leave it there, and went on to include three more frankly ludicrous styles that simply emphasise that lack of identity, that confusion. These colours they've gone for in cheap white, stale blue and plastic mint appear woeful attempts of modernising their product to appeal to a broader market perhaps, but what a mess it's turned out to be. I mean the one on the right of the press picture above looks like a Beyblade toy. It's hard to know what exactly they were 'going for' really, what a shame.

Having said that, I would still recommend the all-black version of the on-ear style — still definitely a solid choice. You know, in case you were wondering.

MAG: SOAK THE MOTHER WE SHARE CHVRCHES COVER

Signed to their label and supporting the band on tour, SOAK has paid tribute to CHVRCHES with this unbelievably good cover of "The Mother We Share". I've had the pleasure to have seen her twice (at The Forum on both occasions) and I was blown away by the 17-year-old's such honest delivery — a uniquely impressive meeting of innocence and maturity. And I think that's what I'm so attracted to about this cover, of a song I'm already so deeply in love with, that she can communicate so effectively its sad, often brutal words in this beautiful, haunting number. Huge respect for SOAK, not that it wasn't there previously.

MAG: OCEAAN TO LOSE OFFICIAL VIDEO

Following the release of Oceaán's debut EP yesterday, he has today unveiled visuals for one of the moodier tracks on the record, "To Lose". Slow pans, studio smoke and angled silhouettes aplenty — ok, not the most innovative video ever — but it's a fitting enough aesthetic for the upcoming Manchester-based artist's great sound that merges rich, pulsating production with pure and simple vocal lines. This is really just the beginning of yet another British talent.

DIARY: BANKS LIVE AT KOKO

Fast stamping her name in R&B royalty, BANKS paid London's KOKO a visit last night as she embarks on her first headline tour. I'd seen her support The Weeknd last year so I was somewhat prepared for her sexy aura, but she turned it right up yesterday. It's as if she carries her music throughout her entire body, gently grinding and waving to every rhythm — and you can feel it resonate across the room as she releases that energy and that emotion from her voice. There's no filter from heart to throat and I was so drawn to that directness and raw, rough-at-the-edges quality. She's an incredible artist.

She performed all the tracks that are out there currently, spanning both the "Fall Over" and "London" EPs, as well as recent session covers of Aaliyah and The Weeknd — a real treat to close the show. In the mix were also a couple of unheard songs, gems from her upcoming album (said to be released in summer this year) including one called "Goddess" that was particularly memorable. She has a way of taking 90s influences and turning out unique blends of modern production and sultry classic, especially with her powerhouse number "Brain" which I've said before is my favourite track of the year and it sounded amazing live. She can deliver some big ass notes, I tell you.

It was a mesmerising evening, or experience even, and a perfect way to close a month of six super gigs. Plus I got myself some memento merchandise (of course) in the form of a BANKS t-shirt. Next up is SOHN later this month. Oh how I have fun.

MAG: SOHN BLOODFLOWS 4AD SESSION

As promised, the third track from SOHN's 4AD Session.

BLOG: NIKE ENGLAND WORLD CUP 2014 KITS

From: Nike Inc.

Newly unveiled today are the home and away kits that England will sport in Brazil this summer, the second release under new sponsors Nike. As clean and simple in aesthetic as anything, they paint a pretty silhouette of white and red respectively, designed with subtle features and finishes that we can appreciate. The details draw inspiration from knights' armoury from the pin stripes to the segmented panelling at the shoulders, made with a silver satin in the home kit that shines in the light, as does the Three Lions crest. The gallery image I was most drawn to is the new typography they will carry, designed by Neville Brody — a pioneer of the magazine industry with The Face in the 1980s and now programme leader of Visual Communication at the RCA (where I would love to study one day). On the footballing front, a feast of young English footballers have been in glittering form in the Premier League of late, from the likes of Sturridge and Barkley to the Southampton starlets Rodriguez, Lambert and Adam Lallana. It brings great hope to the future of the national team and they have my full support to go out in Brazil to showcase their talents and perhaps surprise a few viewers.

DIARY: CD SALE PURCHASES

Finally had a chance to pop into some record stores this week and I was delighted to tick off five albums off my list. Fopp had some reduced prices on Beach House and Metric, as well as "Trilogy" by The Weeknd at last down from £12 to £8 — reasonable for a triple disc collection that frankly includes some of the best music this decade. And on the same day, Sister Ray had put up some flamboyant red 'sale' signage that admittedly pulled me in, only to find Jessie Ware and Still Corners at just a couple pounds each. Bargain.

MAG: BANKS BRAIN TA-KU REMIX

Well this is just bigger than big isn't it. Before even hitting play, you knew this would be good — and it is, it so fucking is. Ta-ku remixes "Brain" by the incredible BANKS, injecting some brightness and twisting the intensity of the original, raw and sultry track in a two-chaptered transformation that shows the Perth-based producer's knack for flair and instrumental creativity to its max. I'll be listening to this one long into the summer for sure. It follows Fei-Fei's remix released earlier this week.

MAG: ELLIE GOULDING BEATING HEART OFFICIAL VIDEO

Ellie Goulding's been on the road pretty much non-stop since 2009, albeit to a global scale in more recent years, and she has said this week that come the end of the year she will be taking a break to rest and start work on a third record. That's a hugely exciting prospect given what she has blessed us with in her material up to now. So it seems this is one of the last projects we will see for the foreseeable future, as her involvement in the film "Divergent" reaches its climax with its UK premiere occurring this weekend.

Not only have four of her tracks been included, but her vocals were specially recorded with the orchestra across the score, weaved in throughout the film almost as the main character's inner voice. "Beating Heart" is her new song exclusive to the movie and its official video was released today, in which she looks beautiful, cut together with scenes from the film. It's a powerful number and I'm excited to experience at the cinema how exactly her sound has been implemented. Something tells me it won't be unsuccessful.

BLOG: LUMIX DMC-G6 PHOTOSET 03.14

To those (very few) of you who have (so kindly) been following this Blog, you will know that I used to round up miscellaneous photographs from the month, and I quite enjoyed doing that as a means of reminding myself of nice moments — as photographs should. There's been a bit of a gap since the last time as I've been adjusting to the presence of my Lumix camera and thus been fading out the iPhone 4. But I think it's been enough time now and I shall continue with more regular posts of random photographs collected from the month (or whatever time span feels right at the time).

This is for March. And no, I don't think I'll ramble on like this every time I put some photographs up. Just this once, I promise. Thanks.

BLOG: OCEAAN DEBUT EP

Streaming in full for the very first time is this debut self-titled EP by Oceaán. A young artist from Manchester, Oceaán is signed to Chess Club alongside a host of promising talents, including the likes of MØ and Jungle. Already so apparent in this collection of five tracks, his ability of producing these deep, devouring sounds is really amazing — not dissimilar perhaps to James Blake or SOHN — but with such a fresh sense of sophistication that stirs you inside. I've been consumed by it all day and it will no doubt continue for a few more. Love it.