The country will probably be brought to a standstill tomorrow by snow storms, but for the time being Ireland is partying in the sun! Free Music Friday is delighted to supply the soundtrack for all this al fresco frivolity which really has us in the festival mood!

We’re delighted to have a struck a deep vein of live radio session gold!
Future Islands, The War On Drugs, Pixies, Lucius, Augustines, Temples, Chvrches and our very own James Vincent McMorrow are just a handful of the acts who’ve paid a visit recently to KEXP Seattle or had one of their camera persons at their gig.
So, go on, fill your boots!

As usual there are streams aplenty this week with Woods, Chad VanGaalen, Wye Oak, Prins Thomas, Thee Oh Sees, Jungle By Night, Pixies, Bob Wayne, The Menzingers, Satan’s Satyrs, Robbing Banks and FLOOR making their [link]3voor12.vpro.nl/luisterpaal/albums.html[/link] bow;
[link]www.npr.org/series/98679384/first-listen[/link] offering pre-release earfuls of the new albums from Jeremiah Jae, Brody Dalle, former Dublin residents Rodrigo y Gabriela whose 9 Dead Alive is a thing of thunderous guitar joy and The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger, AKA Sean Lennon and his fashion model better half Charlotte Kemp Muhl; depending on where you and your computer lay your hat [link]albumstreams.com[/link] has treats from The Lipstiks, Slayer, Gambles, ZHU, Hannah Diamond, Jasmine Thompson, Old 97s, Courtney Love, Floor and Ramona Lisa and [link]pitchfork.com/advance[/link] brings Olga Bell, Wovenhand, Ought, Ex-Cult, Nat Baldwin, Survival Knife and Howlin’ Rain to the party.

Not content with announcing a summer visit to the Dublin Academy, the mighty Slayer have a seriously vicious new tune, ‘Implode’, available for free [link]slayer.net/us/implode#thankyou[/link]
“Share this with your friends, mutherfuckers,” they say and, indeed, we have.

Lily Allen has unveiled the title-track from her soon-to-be-released Sheezus album.
The Electric Picnic headliner recently ‘fessed to her last couple of singles being “a bit beige”, but this is a pearler with such great couplets as, “Ri-Ri isn’t scared of Katy Perry’s roaring/Queen B’s gone back to the drawing/Lorde smells blood when she’s about to slay you/Kid ain’t one to fuck with when she’s only on her debut/We’re all watching Gaga lol and ahaha/Dying for the art so really she’s a martyr/Second best will never cut it for the divas/Give me that crown batch, I wanna be Sheezus.”

Dublin’s always-on-the-money Psychonavigation label is giving away a free 15-track sampler featuring tracks from upcoming releases. If you’d care to tip though they won’t in any way be offended!
The suitably bounteous affair includes the likes of Letters Of Utrecht, Johnny Yesterday, David Harrow, Sean Quinn, Kevin Nolan, Simon MacHale and Bruno Bavota.

Elaine Mai, who earlier this year spoke very eloquently about the Pantigate controversy in Hot Press, has made her excellent Known/Unknown EP available as a free download.
Full of summery electropop goodness it includes ‘Lay With Me’, ‘Another You’, ‘EDC’ and the title-track.

The Trinity Street flags are flying at half-mast following the news that Croupier have decided to split after six years of fighting the good fight. As a “thank you” to fans they’re giving away their entire back catalogue.

Mixtape of the Week comes from Gucci Mane & Young Thug whose Young Thugga Mane La Flare is a gangsta tour de force.

Delphic debut some new tunes on their own Get Familiar mix which goes from blessed out to bangin’ and back again!

The Felice Brothers treat us to Cherry Licorice & Four Amigos, a five-track sampler that trails their new album, which FMF is liking the sound of very much.

And that ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, is where Free Music Friday slathers on the Factor 30 and starts serious work on its 2014 suntan. Don’t forget to keep those links coming to @stuartclark66