Our favourite FMF thing this week is this fabulous acoustic Pixies download session comprising the new ‘Greens And Blues’ and ‘Silver Snail’ and 1989 blast from the past ‘Monkey Gone To Heaven’. We have to say that 1). Frank looks leaner and healthier than he has for years; 2). Pixies sound great with a violin and 3). There’s definite scope for a full unplugged album.

This week’s hot streaming action commences at [link]3voor12.vpro.nl/luisterpaal/albums.html[/link] where new albums from Moodyman, Maximo Park, Augustines, Danton Eeprom, Xiu Xiu, Les Claypool’s Duo De Twang, Orange Girls, Morgan Delt, Naive Set, Yuko Yuko, Painted Palms, Bibio, I Am Oak, Birth Of Joy and The Dirty Denims await; Cibo Matto, Eric Church, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Tinariwen, Temples and Thumpers are among the aural delights to be had at [link]npr.org/series/98679384/first-listen[/link] and depending on where you and your computer reside, [link]albumstreams.com[/link] can sort you out with Pink Mountaintops, Sam Roberts Band, Solander, Black Milk, St. Vincent, Polar, Radkey, Noah Gundersen, Fat Creeps, Kelela, Sydonia, Majestico, The Casket Girls, Beck, Total Slacker, Cheatahs, The Fleshtones, The Wytches, Katy B, The Notwist and lots, lots more.

If you like your garage punk shot through with a bit of soul and classic rhythm ’n’ blues, let us point you in the direction of the 12-track Bloodshot Records sampler, which features the rambunctious likes of Barrence Whitfield & The Savages, Deadstring Brothers, The Bottle Rockets, Lydia Loveless and Tuscon, Arizona’s Eddie Spaghetti who, one imagines, is sick to death of ‘Never Mind The Bolognese’ puns.

The insanely hip and happening San Fermin have confirmed an April 16 visit to the Hot Press Live Music Venue of the Year – congratulations Dave Allen and the gang! – Whelan’s. To whet appetites, here they are busking their way round the streets of Paris.

The National have conjured up a gorgeous cover of Perfume Genius’ ‘Learning’ to accompany the digital release of their ‘I Need My Girl’ single.

Lily Allen, Imani Coppola and Evan Dando are among those paying tribute on Life to Tarka Cordell, the cult singer who was tragically found hanged at his Notting Hill home in 2008 whilst assembling his debut album. Out on February 10, all proceeds are going to CALM, the charity set up to prevent male suicide.
Tarka’s brother Milo is a member of The Big Pink while his late father, Denny, was the legendary producer and A&R man whose notable successes included the Cranberries.

Three of our favourite Windy City rappers, Sasha Go Hard, Dreezy and Katie Got Bandz, join forces on the seriously rocking ‘Zeros’.

We’ve been quick to condemn Miley for her lame brain mental health jibes, so let us be equally quick to applaud her sublime MTV Uncovered take on the Arctic Monkeys’ ‘Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re Drunk’. Mmm, Miley + Alex; that’d be some pop rock power couple!

We’ve yet to determine on which side of Stanley Park their allegiances lie, but we’re giving them the benefit of the doubt and loving the debut single from Liverpudlian Wall of Pop Sound-ers We Are Catchers.
Their ‘Tap Tap Tap’ 7” trails their self-titled debut album, which follows on March 21.

Portuguese glitch merchant Sun Glitters has come up with this rather lovely remix of My Bloody Valentine’s seminal Loveless tune, ‘Sometimes’, which also features input from his Canadian pal Rob Boak of Cinemascope fame.

Edinburgh soul siren LAW is giving away her fabulous Haters & Gangsters EP, which to our ears sounds like Massive Attack fronted by M-People’s Heather Smalls.
You can catch her on Valentine’s Night when she opens for Young Fathers in Dublin’s Twisted Pepper.

We’re indebted to one philthy151 for posting this fabulous clip of Pearl Jam and Win Butler belting out Neil Young’s ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ together at the Perth Big Day Out.
Indeed, it makes us wish that Win and Arcade Fire would turn it up to ’11’ just that little bit more!

There’s some quality mixtape-ry to be had from Motor City duo Dale Earnhardt Jr. who are assisted in their down ’n’ dirty hip hop task by Murs, Chuck Inglish, Asher Roth and 112 member Slim.

Twitterers can unlock an exclusive Dave Matthews Band live track at http://tweet.davematthewsband.com while Pete Seeger gets the tribute treatment courtesy of his 1958 chestnut, ‘To My Old Brown Earth’.

Having relocated to Brooklyn, Dublin folktronica merchant Sorcha Richardson has joined forces with New Jersey hip hoppers Fortunate Ones under the CON VOS banner.
That it’s a marriage made in musical heaven is underlined by Cocoon Bloom, their debut EP which is available for free download. If you’d like to tip though, feel free!

And that ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls is where Free Music Friday sails off into the sunset for another week. As ever, don’t be shy to furnish us with your links @stuartclark66