Free Music Friday

Ireland’s love affair with Leonard Cohen is set to continue courtesy of his beyond gorgeous 13th studio album, Popular Problems.
Get a sneak listen at [link]www.npr.org2014/09/15/347480040/first-listen-leonard-cohen-popular-problems[/link]
We don’t want to be putting too many demands on Mr. C, who after all is 79, but some more Irish shows would be just lovely.
Also streaming at [link]www.npr.org/series/98679384/first-listen[/link] are newbies from Tweedy, Perfume Genius, Mapei, Sondre Lerche, King Tuff, GOAT and Moon Hooch; [link]3voor12.vpro.nl/luisterpaal/albums.html[/link] have Avi Buffalo, The Wanton Bishops, The Drums, Gregory Page, Generationals, APRIL, Camera, Myrkur, Sticky Fingers Mazes and Paul Collins for your aural delectation; depending on where you and your device happen to be residing, [link]albumstreams.com[/link] lets you check out The Crooked Brothers, Mr Twin Sister, FAE, Made In Heights, Odessa, Alt-j and Erasure; [link]www.theguardian.com/music/series/album-streams[/link] has a well nifty mixtape from Rio newcomers Nossa Gang and [link]www.nytimes.com/interactive/arts/music/pressplay.html?_r=0[/link] has a live set from Gary Clark Jr. and Imelda May’s Tribal, which is only just receiving its Stateside release.
It’s often forgotten that before becoming a Hollywood big deal, Minnie Driver was a not half bad country balladeer.
Along with her four-track sampler, Noise Trade can sort you out with free – but you’re welcome to tip! – music from The Hush Now whose Trapeze Falls Without Regret is equal parts Modest Mouse, Pixies and Guided By Voices, and Ronnie Fauss who has a bit of a young John Prine thing going on.




Mixtape of the Week honours go to Big K.R.I.T. whose See Me On Top Vol. 4 augments his standard yo-ing, ho-ing and bitching with some delicious southern fried funk.

Also floating the Free Music Friday boat this week is Young Hot Ebony, a brilliant calling card from young Atlanta rapper Father.


The Bronx come over all Mariachi El again with ‘New Beat’, a hot steamy belter of a tune that trails their upcoming album.

There’s been much poo poo-ing of Pixies’ new Indie Cindy album, but we’re loving the new promo for standout ‘Ring The Bell’.

Not content with being splashed all over the new edition of Hot Press, Interpol have premiered this pugilistic clip to go with new 45 ‘Twice As Hard’.

Dropping by the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge the other day, HP cover star Hozier had the supreme good taste to cover Arctic Monkeys’ ‘Do I Wanna Know’.

Also gracing our new issue is James Vincent McMorrow who was in fine fettle when he popped into KEXP Seattle recently.

Also making us go “wow!” rather loudly are the station’s Little Dragon and Shabazz Palaces sessions. The latter is introduced by a DJ so grizzled he makes Larry Gogan look like an embryo.

Luluc’s download session for NPR makes us wonder why Zoe Randell and Steve Hassett aren’t a whole lot bigger than they are. If we all gang together maybe we can change that!

And that, dear friends, is where we take our Free Music Friday leave of you and head to Connolly Station. Keep those lovely links coming to @stuartclark66