This week’s Free Music Friday is dedicated to Stevie Martin, the Artist Also Known As Rainy Boy Sleep who was as lovely and warm as he was supremely talented. See the new issue of Hot Press for a full tribute to the 29-year-old who is very much in Team Hot Press' thoughts.

Bobby Basil of Dah Jevu fame has premiered the video for ‘Poppybella’, another excursion into the darker side of hip hop that finds him collaborating with fellow Dubliner Wastefellow. Meanwhile, Dah Jevu are appearing as part of the Trenchtown line-up at Electric Picnic, which is a definite must-see.

It’s not quite as good as actually flying down to Franklin, Tennessee for next month’s Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival, but the preview sampler featuring the likes of CAKE, Better The Ezra, Son Little, JD & The Straight Shot and Hall & Oates - with ‘Rich Girl’ no less! – is a little beaut. Also new and extremely tasty from Noise Trade is an acoustic covers EP from Austin alt. folker Rebecca Loebe whose take on the Big Zim’s ‘Forever Young’ features some serious high note-hitting.

The hip hop legend that is Kool Keith has teamed up with MF Doom on the phenomenal ‘Super Hero’.

Mixtape of the Week honours go to Nipsey Hussle whose Slauson Boy 2 collection includes Snoop Dogg, Buddy, Young Dolph, Young Thug and Mozzy among its impressive roll-call of guests.

Nipsey Hussle - Slauson Boy 2

To the streams now and the diva other divas call “the Guv’nor” Barbra Streisand; Oregon close-harmony sister act Joseph; Jimmy Lavelle’s ambient project The Album Leaf; piano trio The Bad Plus, and hotshot Americana outfit River Whyless all have new albums debuting courtesy of our American NPR chums.

Bad Brains, The Misfits, The Stooges, The Jam, Blondie, Billy Idol and Buzzcocks – we’ve told you before, there is no “the”! – get the dreamy acoustic treatment courtesy of Katy Goodman and Greta Morgan.

Oasis' 'D'You Know What I Mean?' gets a rebooted video ahead of its Oasis documentary re-release.
It's fair to say that a good time was had by all...

We’re loving the look of Danny Says, a documentary about Harvard dropout Danny Fields who moved to New York and became the Head of Hype at Elektra Records. Hitting cinemas and digital platforms on September 30, the likes of Alice Cooper, Wayne Kramer and Iggy Pop attest to his act-breaking genius. He also managed The Stooges, MC5 and The Ramones, which is a none too shoddy roster!

Maija Sofia has shot a gorgeous video for ‘Stains’ on Sandymount beach. That Magic Marker is going to take some shifting…

FMF is delighted to bring you the exclusive first listen to ‘Fado’, the lead tune from the new Eric Eckhart album, which is due later in the year. “The song is a deeply moody, electronica ballad which is quite a departure for me and I am happy to say, I have never been prouder of a song of mine,” enthuses Eckhart, an American based in Berlin but who also has strong Irish connections.

Kiefer Sutherland has made a country rock album – and it’s not half-bad! You can cop an earful of Down In A Hole at [link]consequenceofsound.net/2016/08/stream-kiefer-sutherlands-boozy-bad-ass-country-album-down-in-a-hole[/link]
We suspect that the 24 star may have listened to few Steve Earle & The Dukes records in his time!
Of course, many actors have gone the Nashville route before him including Billy Bob Thornton who played a memorable gig in Vicar St. in 2002.

Thank you #warnernashville ... To hold an LP in my hand... Unforgettable... pic.twitter.com/qu8XewcfOJ

— Kiefer Sutherland (@RealKiefer) August 14, 2016

HI NRG fans will love 'Blowing You Kisses', the new tune from Veda and her bezzies Angelina, Alicia, Regina and Pixie, which reminds us of the mighty Divine.

Our RetroVid of the Week is New Order's 'Bizarre Love Triangle', which will doubtless get a runout in a few weeks when the chaps and chapess headline Electric Picnic. We spent a very pleasant half-hour yesterday chatting to Gillian Gilbert, with the interview to be found in our Stradbally Eve issue.

And that’s where Free Music Friday takes its leave of you for another week. As ever, keep those links flooding in to @stuartclark66!