With the country collectively seething over Brian O’Driscoll’s omission from the final Lions test – Warren Gartland may want to steer clear of Dublin 4 for a while – it’s Free Music Friday’s job this week to put smiles back on faces. Obviously you’ll be the judges, but we think we’ve cracked it!

The very wonderful Laura Mvula dropped by American National Public Radio for an acoustic Tiny Desk Concert that’s available for free download. Free Music Friday’s said it before and we’ll say it again; she’s a star!

The Electric Picnic-bound Franz Ferdinand have officially debuted two of the tracks from their Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action album, which drops just before they visit Stradbally.
‘Right Action’ and ‘Love Illumination’ both hark back to their debut album, with lots of jagged guitar, punch the air choruses and psychedelic ‘60s flourishes.

Another of our favourite things this week is the Joey Bada$$ Summer Knights mixtape that’s just dropped at livemixtapes.com and is the absolute hip hop business.

We’ve also been getting our gangsta on to Beach House 2, the new set from Joey’s fellow monetary man Ty Dolla $ign.

This week’s hot streaming action commences at [link]www.3voor12.vpro.nl/luisterpaal/albums.html[/link] with new offerings from Editors, Neosignal, Speedy Ortiz, Fair Ohs, Serengeti, Landshapes, Owen, Thundercat, The Wynntown Marshals, Warm Soda, Alexander Matin, Smith Westerns, Waxahatchee, Scott Matthew, Sticky Fingers, Bell X1, Bosnian Rainbows and Hot Press Storeroom Sessions star Lloyd Cole; [link]www.npr.org/series/98679384/first-listen[/link] is the go-to place for Maps and Anna Von Hausswolff and [link]www.pitchfork.com/advance[/link] can sort you out with Araab Muzik, Hebronix, Salvia Plath, Midnight Juggernauts, CFCF, The Microphones and Whirr but only until July 8.

Longitude headliners Phoenix hit us with the double-whammy of a live performance video for ‘Trying To Be Cool’ and a free audio download of the same.

The vocals are a bit Ian Brown-ish but otherwise the New Order live album streaming at [link]www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2013/jul/02/new-order-live-bestival-album-stream?CMP=twt_gu[/link] sounds ace.

Secretly Canadian recording artistes Painted Palms are giving away their new EP – and a joyous burst of electronic wonderfulness it is too!

Not content with being a pro wrestler and landscape gardener, MoPizza is also a damn fine spitter as his Weekend Warm-Up EP attests.

David Lynch has shot a video for Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Come Back Haunted’ single, which comes with a ‘this may induce epileptic fits’ health warning on account of its multitude of flashing images.

In a parallel universe they’re as revered as The Beatles and the Stones, but in this one Big Star are sadly but a ‘70s perfect pop footnote. Hopefully that’ll a change a bit with the release of Nothing Can Hurt Me, a loving tribute documentary featuring the likes of Flaming Lips, Cameron Crowe, Cheap Trick, Robyn Hitchcock, Evan Dando and a from beyond the grave Lester Bangs.
Rest assured we’ll let you know if it’s getting an Irish screening!

Eric Eckhart’s Do It Together film is now available for your streaming pleasure.

“100 independent artists came together for one week to record, design, film, promote, mix, master and release Eric Eckhart's new album, all in front of an audience and all without spending any money at a former grocery store in Berlin,” reads the blurb. “Do It Together is a short documentary film about this unique, open source and powerful project that shows how independent artists can work together to build their own alternative music industry.”

The American singer-songwriter was previously based in Dublin where he amassed a loyal following.

Do It Together from ORANGE 'EAR on Vimeo.

Finally, Free Music Friday bids a sad farewell to Bernie Nolan who sadly passed away yesterday. As well as notching up an impressive tally of hit singles in their own right, The Nolans also guested alongside Lemmy on this hard rocking tune from The Young & Moody Band.

And that’s where we sling our hooks. Despite BOD’s omission, we’ll all be roaring the Lions on tomorrow as they try to put manners on the Wallabies. Keep those links and comments coming to @stuartclark66