Free Music Friday

It was mission accomplished last night as RTÉ’s ‘My Lovely Horse’-style ploy not to qualify for the Eurovision final and thusly eliminate any risk of having to stage next year’s competition went off without a hitch. To compensate for all the kitsch, cheese and general awfulness coming our way on Saturday night, we’ve a bumper Free Music Friday full of delights.

It’s straight in, no kissing with a free (but you’re welcome to tip!) sampler EP from former Dublin residents Rodrigo y Gabriela.
Once you’ve had your wicked download way with it, we can heartily recommend the duo’s new album, 9 Dead Alive, which had Rolling Stone branding them, “Today's best exposition of pyrotechnic, fusion-oriented guitar playing."

Also in benevolent mood is Chance The Rapper who treats us to a super-chilled new tune.

The week’s streaming action kicks off at[link]3voor12.vpro.nl/luisterpaal/albums.html[/link] with new records from Atmosphere, Jack Parow, Isabelle Amé, Liam Finn, Chromeo, tUnE-yArDs, Hollerado, Ought, Eno/Hyde and Eli Paperboy Reid; [link]www.npr.org/series/98679384/first-listen[/link] weighs in with Sturgill Simpson, Sylvan Esso, Mirah, Swans, Agalloch, Lykke Li, Dolly Parton and Le Butcherettes, the Mexican garage punk band fronted by the splendidly named Teri Gender Bender; depending on where you and your electronic device are residing [link]albumstreams.com[/link] can sort you out with The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Iamsu!, Tori Amos, La Sera, The Dublin Guitar Quartet, Bo Ningen, Frances England, Bec Laughton, 2 Chainz, Dawn Golden, The Black Keys and Eagles Of Death Metal/QOTSA offshoot Dearly Beloved; Baths, La Sera, Sculpture, Amen Dunes and Walter Martin, who’s joined by his pals Karen O and Matt Berninger, are all hanging at [link]pitchfork.com/advance[/link] but not for long; [link]www.theguardian.com/music/series/album-streams[/link] has an upfront listen to the new Blondie record and New Zealand folk-poppers Tiny Ruins are championed by [link]www.nytimes.com/interactive/arts/music/pressplay.html?_r=3&[/link]

New Machine, AKA Plan B’s Wexford-born right-hand man Adam Jordan, has conjured up a wicked remix for the super soulful Fabienne, which is available for free download.

We’re not sure that we should be encouraging such graverobbing but another song from the “new” Michael Jackson album, Xscape, has made its online debut. ‘Loving You’ dates back to 1987’s Bad sessions and has been given a modern production sheen by Timbaland and J-Rocc.

The Wasps Vs. Humans and Eat My Noise team up again for the release of the Karaoke Queen EP, which you can stream now and free download tonight and tomorrow. A veritable slam poem electronica delight, which is accompany by an equally tasty video.

Shirley Manson and Brody Dalle in the same recording booth? Yep, this magnificent meeting of musical minds happened when they joined forces to conjure up one of Garbage’s two Record Store Day releases, ‘Girls Talk’.
The accompanying video was premiered last weekend and packs a real punk rock punch.

Cian Nugent swung by America’s National Public Radio recently for an acoustic Tiny Desk Concert that’s available for free download.
“From an acoustic ragtime jaunt to an electric, basement-bar choogle to a sad-sack closer, the Dublin-based guitarist runs through his wild styles in the NPR Music offices,” reads the accompanying blurb.
While there also bag yourselves a similarly fab but altogether more plugged in set from Public Service Broadcasting.

Diplo celebrates his millionth Facebook follower with a tasty nine track bootleg pack. Enjoy!

A previously unreleased Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros tune is just one of the reasons to get your mitts on the Community Music Spring 2014 Sampler.
Other standout tunes come courtesy of crash, The Shoe, SoKo, Alexander Ebert, The Well Pennies and Cornelius.
Also new from the Noise Trade stable are a sampler of the acts playing at June 7’s Moon River Music Festival, a veritable orgy of Americana taking place in Memphis, Tennessee, and the bonus CIVICS CD that accompanied Erin McKeown’s latest MANIFESTRA album.

The Making of "CIVICS" - Part One: An Extraordinary Space from Erin McKeown on Vimeo.

Mixtape of the Week goes to Beyoncé’s producer pal Boots whose WinterSpringSummerFall collection is a smooth summer delight.

Ash celebrated May The Fourth… by giving away the belting ‘There Is Hope Again’ from their A To Z series of singles.
“Ash grew up with Star Wars,” the boys note. “We lived and breathed it. We named 1977 after the year Star Wars (A New Hope) was released. With new movies on the horizon we wish you Happy Star Wars Day and gift to you… ‘There Is Hope Again’.”

If you missed Ed Sheeran’s guerrilla gig on Monday in Vicar St. – it was an exceptionally well-kept secret! – you can watch a video rewind at [link]www.edsheeran.com/multiplyed[/link]
Playing acoustically with a tricolour draped from the mic stand next to him, Sheeran mixed old faves with tunes from his upcoming X album. 

Imelda May has premiered the video for ‘Wild Woman’, the latest single to be lifted from her Tribal
album.
Her multiple roles include mild-mannered office worker, rebel without a cause James Dean type and – our favourite! – a whip-wielding feline dominatrix.
The boys in the band also indulge in a spot of cross-dressing in a bid not to be played before the 9pm watershed.

Tinariwen and Warpaint are the latest acts to drop by the KEXP Seattle studio. Bound respectively for the Westport Festival and Forbidden Fruit, neither disappointed!

Free Music Friday is delighted to bring you this first look at the fabulous new video for Go Wolf’s ‘One More Night’.
Recorded and produced at Start Together studio by the workaholic Rocky O’Reilly of Oppenheimer fame, the single gets an iTunes release on June 2. Prior to that the much-fancied Belfast trio journey to Brighton for the Great Escape festival – our sharp-dressed Dublin friends, Gangs are also on the bill – and upon their return support provide Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival Marquee Stage support on May 8 to Wild Beasts.

And the video premieres keep on coming! Our Ms. Dwyer’s favourite Dublin twosome, We Cut Corners, partner with award-winning Spaniard Antoni Sendra Barrachina on the promo for ‘Blue’.
The tune is lifted from their Think Nothing album, which gets a live airing when the chaps visit The Button Factory, Dublin (May 9); Spirit Store, Dundalk (16) and SET Theatre, Kilkenny (24).

'Blue' We Cut Corners from The Delphi Label on Vimeo.

And that sadly is your Free Music Friday lot for another week. Enjoy the sunshine and keep those links coming to @stuartclark66