It may have been another calamitous week on the football pitch, but it’s been a tunetabulous 168 hours at HP Central as evidenced by all the Free Music Friday goodies we have for you.

Offerings from The Walkmen, Sterac, Vacationer, Chain & The Gang, Dent May, Mr. Day, Phon.o, MV & EE, Lorn and the newly-abbreviated Dexys make [link]http://3voor12.vpro.nl/luisterpaal/albums.html[/link] album stream heaven.

[link]http://music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds/#/1[/link] adds Bebe Winans, Nervo, lostprophets, Dirty Heads and Lit to the mix while Glen Hansard, Zulu Winter, Morning Parade and Smashing Pumpkins are all residing at http://music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds/spinner#/1[/link]

Talking of the current Hot Press cover star, his NPR Tiny Desk Concert can be viewed below and then downloaded from [link]http://www.npr.org/event/music/154947332/glen-hansard-tiny-desk-concert[/link]
We have to say that Mr. Hansard is in rare old form at the mo!

We are very much liking Orchestral Variations Vol. 1, a farewell to Setanta Records covers collection featuring the likes of Mark Lanegan, Paul Noonan, Martha Wainwright, Brian Molko and the Liss Ard-bound Joan As Police Woman.

"The Spice Girls and Marina Abramović on Mötley Crüe's tour bus” is how 21-piece female choir Gaggle are described at [link]http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2012/jun/18/gaggle-mouth-cave-stream[/link] where their new album is streaming.

[link]http://soundcloud.com/databoy/01-lotion[/link] is home to a free five-tracker from Austin, Texas’ answer to Calvin Harris, Databoy; Brighton label Tru Thoughts offer up 17 slices of funky/soulful/jazzy/beaty goodness at
[link]labelloveworldwide.bandcamp.com/album/label-love-vol-4[/link]; Aimee Mann is the guest chanteuse on Ivan & Alyosha’s deliciously understated [link]http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/mp3-download-ivan-alyosha-all-the-times-we-had-20120621[/link] giveaway; sign on the dotted [link]http://starsthenorth.com[/link] line to get the first taster from Stars’ The North album, which drops in early September; [link]http://thequietus.com/articles/08636-free-download-dj-shadow-dreams-of-a-piece-affectations[/link] kindly brings you two early DJ Shadow tracks and [link]http://soundcloud.com/saintsaviour/grace-jones-lovebox-2012[/link] is the go-to place for Saint Saviour’s ‘Grace Jones’.

Next to
[link]http://www.adultswim.com/promos/201206_singles/index.html[/link] where the titular American comedy channel will be releasing 12 download singles over the next few months from indie’s hippest and hottest.
To whet your appetite, Best Coast, E-LP, Wavves and The Hives are among the acts who have tunes archived from 2010 and ‘11’s run-outs.

Legendary dub man Adrian Sherwood has a suitably bonkers album mini-mix awaiting your [link]http://soundcloud.com/on-u-sound-records/survival-and-resistance-5min[/link] delectation.

Our old pals 79Cortinaz have a demo version of their upcoming single at [link]http://79cortinaz.eu/Mad_Song.mp3[/link]
Due in the autumn, it deserves – but probably won't get – copious amounts of airplay.

Nigerian-born, Dublin-domiciled rapper ShoBiz signs in with a [link]http://www.hulkshare.com/lccybdp9ed8z[/link] mixtape that includes a genius working of The xx. You’ll be reading LOTS about this young gentleman in an upcoming edition of Hot Press.

There’s more [link]http://www.datpiff.com/Chevy-Woods-Gang-Land-mixtape.359403.html[/link] mix-tapery from Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang member Chevy Woods and Slick Bullet, another Dublin-residing Nigerian who spits it out goodo at [link]http://www.mediafire.com/?7ybd25kompwwd8d[/link]

Parlay Staar who's worked with – scumbag alert! – Chris Brown has something going on at [link]http://www.datpiff.com/Parlay-Starr-Starrface-The-West-Is-Mine-Everything-In-It-mixtape.356670.html[/link] and Mobb Depp/G-Unit associate 40 Glocc (subtle he ain’t!) gives it away at [link]http://app.topspin.net/store/artist/14286?src=tw&theme=black&wId=150589&awesm=t.opsp.in_b00pl&w=300&h=80&highlightColor=0x00A1FF[/link]

[link]http://soundcloud.com/firerecords/mission-of-burma-second[/link] is home to a new tune from legendary US hardcore types Mission Of Burma; Cat Power previews her new LP at [link]http://www.matadorrecords.com/mpeg/cat_power/cat_power_ruin.mp3[/link]; [link]https://pages.umusic-mail.com/ume/jimmyclif[/link]f finds Jimmy Cliff being his usual legendary self; listen to one of the tracks from Bon Iver’s iTunes Session at [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LFe2xj7PDI[/link] and [link]http://soundcloud.com/slicingupeyeballs/peter-buck-10-million-bc-rem[/link] demonstrates that there’s life after REM for Peter Buck.

Kicking this week’s visual goodies off is the trailer for not one, but two appearances Metallica are making this weekend as part of the Orion Festival.
Saturday finds the chaps focusing on Ride The Lightening while on Sunday it’s The Black Album’s turn. Modest Mouse and The Gaslight Anthem, who’ll presumably be turning their amps up as far as they’ll go, also feature in the webstreams.

Ice-T makes his directorial debut with Something For Nothing: The Art Of Rap, which includes contributions from Kayne, Q Tip, Run DMC, Ice Cube, Eminem, Afrikka Bambaata and our old pal Mr. Chuck D. It looks fantastic!

Two Door Cinema muscle in on the album trailer racket with this teaser for Beacon, which will be with us on August 31.

Shia LeBeouf in the buff! Yes, it’s true. The superstar American actor gets ‘em out for the ladies – and a few laddies – in the new Sigur Ros vid.

Not to be outdone, Noel Gallagher plays the pervy taxi-driver as star of The O.C. Mischa Barton runs round LA in her undies. No, you're not dreaming!

Grimes makes what has become her weekly Free Music Friday appearance contributing vocals to Blood Diamonds’ ‘Phone Sex’.

[link]http://www.rollingstone.com/videos/rs-live/metric-strip-down-in-the-studio-acoustic-versions-of-synthetica-tunes-20120615[/link] is home to a new video session from Metric plus archived Paul Weller, Beach Boys, The Hives, Andrew Bird, Of Montreal, Craig Finn and The Cranberries goodies. Go on, fill yer’ boots!

Curtain Thieves have enlisted their fans' help to make this cracking promo for their new 'Animal' single.

There's another great vid from Sligo-based rapper Ahren-B featuring Alex Lacasse. With D12 man Bizarre batting for him, things are looking good for the expat Englishman.

Finally, the Free Music Friday Hall of Shame is proud/sorry to bring you these two covers from Brian Kennedy and Take That. Have you heard worse? Let us know…

All Free Music Friday links are gratefully received and should be sent before next Thursday night to @stuartclark66 who may have to change his moniker to @stuartclark12 if his brave England boys go all the way in the Euros.