Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling and Dharohar Project EP

This one's for the iTunes users only, apparently, as a four-track EP created by Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling goes up for download this week. There were a few teething problems on the planned launch date, but Mumford & Sons say everything's in place now and working just fine.

Actually, iTunes might be the only place to buy the EP, but it's not the only place you can hear it - all four tracks are currently available on Spotify, so you can get a preview before deciding whether or not to splash out on a digital copy of your own.

Predators

The first pure Predator movie in two decades opens in cinemas this week, and this time they're not coming to us - we're going to them. Predators takes the action to an unknown planet used by the eponymous hunters as a kind of massive game reserve. Their prey remains the same, however, as a group of Earth's finest and least trustworthy adversaries is selected to pit their skills against the maw-faced aliens.

Predators is the third film in the franchise proper, with the original released in 1987 and Predator 2 out three years later. Two Alien vs. Predator movies brought the dreadlocked hunters back to our screens in 2004 and 2007 and, like Aliens did for Alien, this latest movie brings them back once more with the weight of numbers behind them.

Django Reinhardt - "The Rome Sessions" Vol. 1 (1949-1950)

Django Reinhardt - "The Rome Sessions" Vol. 1 (1949-1950) kinda blows a-ha's 25-year anniversary edition of Hunting High and Low out of the water in terms of recent classic releases (if 'recent classic' is even possible...) - as the name suggests, this is 60 years old or more.

However, if you're a fan of jazz and blues, and you like that crackly old sound, it's still a good option. This is the kind of thing you'd expect to hear in the background at your local jazz club while nobody's performing on stage (what do you mean, you don't have a local jazz club? Manchester's Matt and Phred's is mine). If you're rich - or just have aspirations of being high-class - bung it on at your next barbecue and serve the wine really well chilled. People will think you're upwardly mobile.

Kvelertak - Kvelertak

I'll level with you, the main reason I was attracted to this release was for the psychedelic album art featuring a betentacled owl embracing two raven-haired nymphs, while trying to beat you in a stare-off. You don't see this kind of stuff every day, but honestly it's kind of beautiful.

Kvelertak are a hardcore metal band from Norway. Formed by a group of friends in 2007 , they made a name for themselves playing a series of frenetic, high energy live shows, the highlight of which was the 2009 Roskilde festival. Their brand of heavy yet melodic punk-metal won them a dedicated fanbase in their native Norway, and an album deal with Indie Recordings was their reward.

Tired Pony - The Place We Ran From - out July 12th

Saddle up, boys - it's almost time for Tired Pony's album, The Place We Ran From, to hit the stands. This has got to be the supergroup of our generation, surely. Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody takes the kudos for putting together an enviable team of main protagonists, with even more special guests adding to the talent.

Richard Colburn, drummer from Belle & Sebastian, adds to the musical showcase, with Snow Patrol collaborator Iain Archer also on the credits. Producer and remixer Jacknife Lee, REM guitarist and co-founder Peter Buck and REM collaborator Scott McCaughey are also amongst the confirmed contributors.

If you're a Spotify Free user, you've probably heard Tired Pony in your adverts recently - and if you're a Spotify Premium user, you can already hear the album. The rest of us will just have to pre-order and wait for July 12th.

DVD & Blu-ray Round Up - Ashes to Ashes Series 3

The fantastic Ashes to Ashes Series 3 is my pick of the DVD and Blu-ray releases this week. The BBC drama builds to an epic conclusion as Alex Drake (the fragrant Keeley Hawes), prompted by the arrival of sinister Jim Keats from Scotland Yard, finally unravels the mystery of DCI Gene Hunt. It's a shame how Gene Hunt became so much the centre of the show in the last two series, as Alex's quest to return to her real life (and daughter, remember her?), was sidelined to afford Philip Glenister's snarling alpha male character more screen time, but it's worthy end to the journey none the less. For box-set fetishists there's also a Complete Collection with all three Ashes to Ashes series, but no sign yet of an Ashes-Life on Mars tie-in.

Doctor Who Series 5 Volume 2 might have been vying with Ashes to Ashes for my top pick of the week, but the way the BBC insist on releasing 3 episodes at a time (for the price of a full series) has put me off. Suffice to say, Series 5 was another thoroughly enjoyable ride through the weird and wonderful Doctor Who universe. Matt Smith's innocent, boyish Doctor was a breath of fresh air (less stagey than Tennant, just as eccentric), while Karen Gillan as Amy Pond was probably the single best thing to happen to the franchise since...well, ever. If you can't wait until Christmas for the special, then you might just have to give in and shell out for the DVDs.

Mystery Jets - Serotonin

Serotonin is the third full length release from Chiswick-based indie rockers Mystery Jets. Following on from the critical success of Twenty One, Serotonin marks another sublte evolution of the Mystery Jets' sound.

Always a band to wear their influences on their sleeve, Serotonin seems to evoke by turns The Police (see the dreamy vocal harmonies of 'It's Too Late'), Kinks (the storytelling of 'Dreaming of Another World') and The Who (the Baba O'Reilly-esque intro to 'Flash a Hungry Smile').

But this isn't an album suffocating under the weight of it's creators' record collection. Instead Mystery Jets use these as touchstones around which they have built something that seems simultaneously contemporary and classic.

a-ha - Hunting High and Low: 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

You could be forgiven for thinking you've just stepped back to the 80s but, yes, Hunting High and Low by a-ha is out today. It's a newly packaged double-disc homage to the band's great album, which produced four top-ten hits in the UK. Indulge yourself in a childhood-reminiscing journey through Morten Harket's vocal landscape, get lost in the epic synth track of The Sun Always Shines on TV, wish you had the video to watch while listening to Take On Me.

Once you're done, hit play and listen all over again. Or just put it on a loop. It's been looping for 25 years and it didn't get old yet, so there's probably not too much to worry about. These are classic tunes that defined a generation - and created some landmark moments in sound and video alike.

Kylie Minogue - Aphrodite

Take a deep breath, readers, because today's a big day - it's a Kylie Minogue album release date. If you've been counting down the days to July 5th, you shouldn't be disappointed. Aphrodite continues the anthemic dance-pop resurgence that the antipodean pixie has enjoyed in recent years, and it's a pleasure to hear more from one of music's most inventive and persistent performers.

Unsurprisingly, Aphrodite opens with a powerhouse performance in the form of All The Lovers, which was released as a single on June 11th. If you didn't pick it up then, this is a good second chance to do so, as it fairly well sets the tone for the entire album. If you like All The Lovers, you'll like Aphrodite. That's my opinion, anyway.

Sound of Guns - What Came From Fire

It's been a big year for Liverpool's Sound of Guns. A breakthrough set at last year's Radio One Big Weekend, an appearance in the Guardian's 'New Band of the Day' series, and tips for big things from Q Magazine, and Rocksound have all contributed to the buzz ahead of their debut album What Came From Fire.

Comparisons to global superstar stadium rockers U2 have become obligatory when describing SoG's sound, and the parallels are certainly there to be hear. Big reverbed guitars, soaring rock vocals, and a penchant for the epic.

First single Architects was released on the 21st June, preceeding the album by a week, and it's a perfect example of what SoG are all about. The sheer scale of Archtitects is impressive, it's a song designed to blast out to a stadium full of fans.