FREE MUSIC FRIDAY!

As FA Cup semi-final weekend approaches – Everton V Liverpool is a particularly sensitive issue in HP Towers – Free Music Friday is back with another selection of downloads, streams and videos, which are positively Nicica Jelavic-esque in their brilliance.

First to our old friends [link]3voor12.vpro.nl/luisterpaal/albums.html[/link] who have full album streams from Chromatics, Patrick Watson, Ben Caplan, Spritualized, M. Ward, Nicki Minaj, Deer Tick and Florence + The Machine; [link]npr.org/series/98679384/first-listen[/link] which adds Horse Feathers, Sidi Touré and Amadou & Mariam to the mix and [link]music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds#/1[/link] which pitches in with newbies from Monica, Counting Crows, Giant Panda Guerilla and Taproot.

The hot streaming action doesn’t stop there, no siree! Jason Mraz has his Love Is A Four Letter Word set (reviewed in next week's issue) available for your listening pleasure at [link]music.ninemsn.com.au/blog.aspx?blogentryid=1000424&showcomments=true[/link] while [link]stereogum.com/997542/stream-battles-dross-glop-remix-album/album-stream[/link] is home to the Battles remix album and [link]guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2012/mar/26/chemical-brothers-dont-think-soundtrack-stream?intcmp=ILCMUSTXT9384[/link] lets you try the Chemical Brothers live LP – well, “live” might be stretching it! – before you buy.

We’re also loving the [link]thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/features/listen-maps-atlases-beware-be-grateful[/link] stream of the Maps & Atlases elpee and the Dinosaur Feathers, Devin and Pelican albums residing at [link]music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds/spinner#/1[/link].

There’s a whole lot of love directed towards Leonard Cohen at [link]herohill.com/2012/04/herohill-vs-leonard-cohen-the-bard-of-montreal.htm[/link] which is home to a free tribute album, The Bard Of Montreal, featuring all manner of local alt. types.

There’s more unbridled generosity to be had at [link]spin.com/articles/free-mixtape-desert-session-spins-best-coachella-acts-2012?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=041212[/link] where Beirut, Black Lips, Givers, Neon Indian, We Are Beasts, Yuck and (her again!) Florence + The Machine star on a Best Of Coachella mix.

‘Death To My Hometown’ has been confirmed as the new Broooooce single. Here’s the accompanying live video culled from performances at SXSW and Atlanta’s Apollo Theater, and which features a guesting Tom Morello. Awesome doesn’t come close to describing it!

Not content with gifting us a Gorillaz, James Murphy and André 3000 collaboration in February, those nice Converse people have padlocked Foster The People, A-Trak and Kimbra into the studio. The resulting [link]journeys.com/pluginto[/link] download proves that their captivity wasn’t in vain.

Out On A Limb recording artistes Hidden Highways preview their self-titled debut EP at [link]soundcloud.com/ooal/sets/hidden-highways-hidden-1[/link].

The four-tracker hits the racks on April 21, not by coincidence Record Store Day, and includes covers of ‘Come Wander With Me’, which featured in a 1964 episode of The Twilight Zone, and Jackson C. Frank’s ‘Blues Run The Game’.

Next we have downloadable mix tape fun at [link]official.fm/tracks/358688[/link] from Grimes and [link]official.fm/tracks/129551[/link] from The xx’s Romy Croft.

Brandie new Birmingham indie rockers Since Monroe are giving away 'Matchstick House' at [link]soundcloud.com/altpr/matchstick-house[/link]. It's taken from their as yet unnamed forthcoming debut album.

Lana Del Rey’s ‘Video Games’ gets covered again at [link]soundcloud.com/jhnmyr/sounds-from-thursday-evening[/link] by John Mayer who makes a rather good fist of it. Lest we forget, Ms. Del Rey just happens to be splashed all over the current Hot Press.

[link]spin.com/articles/hear-oberhofers-lush-new-time-capsules-ii-album[/link] is the place to check out the new Steve Lilltwhite-produced long-player by Oberhofer while [link]soundcloud.com/dirtyhit/general-fiasco-dont-you-ever-1[/link] is the place to go for a stream of General Fiasco’s ‘Don’t You Ever’ single.

This week’s avalanche of videos starts with the promo Rufus Wainwright has shot for his ‘Out Of The Game’ single with Helena Bonham Carter.

The boy Wainwright also indulges in some backseat strumming at [link]blackcabsessions.com/?type&id=1334223648&sort=type&all=true[/link].

Not to outdone, Rufus and Martha’s pops Loudon Wainwright III treats fans to a preview of The Here & The Now at [link]newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2012/04/listen-to-loudon-wainwrights-new-album.html[/link].

The most surreal televisual sight of the week was a disdainful Jeremy Paxman introducing a piece about Odd Future on BBC 2’s Newsnight. Relive every wonderful moment below.

It’s also highly possible that you didn’t get to see Pulp playing a blinder t’other day on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

We were talking earlier about former (sob!) LCD Soundsystem man James Murphy who can be seen and heard mixing up a storm at [link]boilerroom.tv/james-murphy-50-min-mix[/link].

Which sadly brings us to the end of this special Toffees on the march to Cup glory Free Music Friday. Let us hope that Kenny & Co. are done up like a kipper tomorrow, and the FA comes up with an ingenious way for Chelsea and Spurs to both be losers on Sunday. Keep sending your links to @stuartclark66.