JAMES MORRISON
GET TO YOU

So the soul man is going the re-release-route, it's fair enough, 'Songs For You, Truths For Me' has done massive things in Europe, and their out to squeeze as much juice out of it as they can. Haven't wrapped my ears around this fully just yet, but it sounds like classic James Morrison (although on slightly rockier form?) and we all know what a good thing that can be.

ADELE
MTV UNPLUGGED

I got this in an email from 'luen', and it's taken me a while to look through, but I love Adele, and if you do to, you'll love her in delicious, acoustic, on-form form. Stoked for her second album, which I imagine she's working on now. Love an artist that can bring it live like they can (or better than) on record. Here's your tracklist...

1. Chasing Pavements
2. Cold Shoulder
3. Hometown Glory
4. Melt My Heart To Stone
5. Right As Rain

KRIS ALLEN
CAN'T STAY AWAY

Entirely impressed with old Allen's new album...it's sort of a male version of Breakaway with less wailing and less hits. This, should be one of those hits though, and for sure the next single. It's very similar to Demi L's 'U Got Nothing On Me', and that's no bad thing, considering that one will probably never see the light of day. Take it on home Kris. In other news, if my big jawed pal AF is still appreciating the blog, I hope the healing is going well and you're staying out of trouble!

JOHN MAYER feat. TAYLOR SWIFT
HALF OF MY HEART

It's about time the fellas got a bit of face time on NixMix, the ladies have all but taken over. Timely then, that Mayer, legend that he is releases this slice of breezy, guitar tinged, Swift laced American pie. Nice to know aside from Twittering and squabbling with online blog twats Mayer can still fire out a great tune.

ONEREPUBLIC
SECRETS

I brought your attention to this track a few months back, but I've been waiting for a completed and HQ version of it for as long as that. So this track bares repeating, in full sonic glory. It's going to be a massive hit I think, but what do I know? I fell head over heals for All The Right Moves, and am currently falling head over heals for the epic, anthemic beast of an album that will be out next week.

CHERYL COLE feat. WILL.I.AM
3 WORDS

So despite selling a billion copies in the UK, I thought old Chezzer's first single was kind of lame. Bland vocals, bland song etc. etc. The second single (the title track from the album) is, against all odds, very cool. It's original, edgy, and Willy's never sounded better. Interesting stuff.

PATTY GRIFFIN
YOU NEVER GET WHAT YOU WANT [1996]

I forgot how long it's been since I've done one of these, some I'mma dusting it off and giving you one of P-Grif (not Peter Griffin, or his wife) feisty classics from her first, best and mostly acoustic album. What a treat.

BRANDI CARLILE
BEFORE IT BREAKS

Grey's Anatomy along with Brandi...what a great combination. It was a sad episode, helped along BC's swelling and emotional testimony playing alongside some of the episodes final scenes. This song is taken from Brandi's Top 30 new album Give Up The Ghost, I suggest you buy it. Keep voting on the MixVault, will let you know what wins on Monday.

LEONA LEWIS
OUTTA MY HEAD

Happy is great song right? It'll be sure to hit number one in the UK next week on account of her big X Factor performance tomorrow night, but it doesn't seem to be setting the world alight. Not really sure where the disconnect is coming from, but this Max Martin penned track seems like the most popular option for single number two.

MIX VAULT: VOTE

In order to encourage a little more crowd participation, I've devised this ingenious little thing. Basically, I'm always working on mixes, that's my thing, so I always have them at the ready. They always follow a theme and strict set of criteria. I thought you might want to decide which one you get by voting for it. I'll give you three choices, the most popular one will actualize on these fine pages, the other two may disappear forever or live to fight another day in another 'MIX VAULT: VOTE'.

To reiterate...vote for the mix you'd most like to see out of the following options.

BMix

This mix features b-sides, bonus tracks and generally those lost in internet land. Jordin, Beyonce and OneRepublic all encourage to vote for this one, you may find songs you never even knew existed. Rare, exclusive, and only available on NixMix

ACOUSTIX: VOLUME 3

I started this series at the start of 2009...the premise was simple. A small 12-track set of big, thumping, production-heavy songs stripped down to their barest form, usually with just an acoustic guitar and vocal to carry them. To make up the content I've had to scour, rip and remaster live tracks from YouTube and do my detective work on my iTunes account. If it gets the vote, this will be the third mix of the series.

NO CIGAR

As in 'Close but...', I've been dreaming up this mix for a while. It consists of tracks that I and/or most people expected to be huge, to hit the big time, the summit of The Hot 100 and instead faltered at the first hurdle never to heard from again. This mix is amazing, but quite sad seeing the wasted potential of songs that never made it. For the masochists out there.

To quote that freaky 'Saw' guy, make your choice...

ALEXANDRA BURKE
THE SILENCE

Part of me thinks this might be one step to far (in terms of the familiar chord-structure, ballad beat ballad) and the other part thinks it's a nice melody well sung by a singer who's very nice and is doing very well. Plus, and not to push the issue here, but its Wintery and likely to be the second single.

PAOLO NUTINI
NO OTHER WAY

Old PN's clearly been watching Death Proof. Having covered heavily-featured song 'Down In Mexico' by The Coasters in some of his latest shows, he's written this track which sounds like it could come straight from the film's soundtrack. It seems his people have decided Pencil Full Of Lead is the perfect single for Winter, and any of you who have heard that song, know what a dumb dumb move that is. This is in fact, the song that should be the single, and reach as many ears as possible.

P!NK
I DON'T BELIEVE YOU

I didn't care for Funhouse, not one bit. I just thought it was all a bit awkward and stale, thus a bad choice for a single. Thankfully things seem back on track, again here I've got a whole host of autumnal ballads, on this stripped back track P!nk gives one of her most honest vocal deliveries to date.

WINTER BALLADS

So Halloween is over (did anyone dust off their HexMix?) and winter is truly a part of us. Today I'm going to launch upon you three winter ballads from three of pop music's finest ladies...one is definitely a single (albeit only in some parts of the world), one definitely isn't (but could be at a later date) and one definitely should be (and might be since the ill-advised single before it flopped like a fat kid at waterworld). Enough with the riddles (although see if you can figure out which one is which), and on to the three ballads that I hope will keep you warm as the weather gets colder. These ladies might serve as inspiration for a more extensive WinterMix, we shall just have to see how I'm feeling.

JORDIN SPARKS - THE CURE

BEYONCE - BROKEN HEARTED GIRL

LA ROUX - COVER MY EYES

COVERTRAX VOLUME 6

Christmas has come early folks, I know how popular these things are. It's now the longest running mix series in our blogs history. Again a variation of artists spanning a whole bunch of genres...some twist it up, some play it straight, some are live, some are studio. Paloma blows me away, The Gaslight Anthem mellow up KC (and guess what, I prefer their version), Paolo takes on one of my favorite songs, and Jamie T geeks up Beyonce. A good time for all. By the by, you all are getting quiet out there, holla back!

PALOMA FAITH
SEXY MINX [AKON/DG COVER]

There's room in your life for one more retro-pop soul female right? Right? Because whilst Adele and Winehouse are taking their breaks, feast your ears on this chic. She mainly caught my attention for being a diamond of a person...seriously watch her in an interview, she's charming as a snake charmer. Only she charms us, the people, rather than snakes. Will get you involved in her original stuff this week, but for now enjoy this bizarre but brilliant cover.

RIHANNA feat. YOUNG JEEZY
HARD

Despite what some poisonous gossip bloggers are saying (it all boils down to Rihanna's new material not being 'gay' enough), Rihann's music is evolving, it, like her, is harder, more edgy and grown up. This is cool, I'm feeling all the new stuff to be honest. The era artwork is awesome too, no complaints here.

TIMBALAND feat. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
CARRY OUT

Well this is blazing hot. Real cool, pop culture making lyrics...they're both at their sleazy best working their food sex metaphors for all they're worth. Production, lyrics, vocal, melody all top notch . Welcome back to the two of them, I'm hoping all of SVII is this good.

WYCLEF JEAN feat. EVE
SUICIDE LOVE

Too of my favorite artists, both have been struggling of late, together on this breezy little track. It's a hard time to be a hip hop artist, with the world of Top 40 being full of color and dance, but if these guys keep doing what they're doing there'll always be a place for them. Keep hustling guys.

DJ KHALED feat. VARIOUS ARTISTS
FED UP

Quick role call - Khaled, check, Usher, check, Young Jeezy, check, Rick Ross, check, Drake, check. With that melting pot of R&B/Hip Hop royalty, you'd be forgiven for getting pretty excited about this. And is exciting, at the same time it's not incredible, nor does it go anywhere new, but it would sound great in a club or in your car and sometimes that's enough.

NIXMIX WALLPAPERS

Thought I'd give you something to decorate your desktops. I have to warn you, since I'm entirely loyal to macs, the dimensions are suited to those with the superior home computer. Which one will you pic?

ALICIA KEYS
TRY SLEEPING WITH A BROKEN HEART

I don't know how she keeps doing it. This is amazing. Fresh and different but classic and timeless at the same time, I loved the first single but I might just prefer this. Got to love the artists like her and Bey who never let up, just quality and hustle all the way. The vocal production sounds very late 80's/early 90's, and that's the best thing about a song already littered with great things.

MISSY ELLIOT feat. TEYANA TAYLOR
PUT IT ON YA

Both Missy and Teyana are hip hop artists having a hard time getting their respective projects off the ground. It's a hard time for Hip Hop and R&B so it's good to hear Missy's old school flavor alongside her new school production (with a Neptunes assist). Ching A Ling was hot, Best Best was hot, this is hot. Let's get this one in the air.

LIFEHOUSE
HALFWAY GONE

While Kelly might have her ass out the door, Lifehouse only seem halfway there. This track is the new single from their new album, and features far more commercial twist than I've heard of them for a while, it seems they've been Daughtryised. Which is no bad thing, and despite the verses actually being stronger than the chorus, the whole is better than the sum of its parts.

ONE REPUBLIC
ALL THE RIGHT MOVES [LIVE ON ELLEN]