Bleeding In The Shark Tank

Bookending the week, with a companion to Monday's post, collecting another dozen picks from my May Day music haul, once again a mixture of new releases and new discoveries.

Broken Chanter starts off with a song from latest album This Could Be Us, You, Or Anybody Else, which is just fantastic from start to finish. Birding, the debut from deary, is one that I'd describe as a grower. It's hasn't had the immediacy and impact of Broken Chanter, but it's shoegaze-inspired soundscapes are gradually seeping in and taking over with each listen.

More selections from the PRAH label, by way of their 'Scratching The Surface...' samplers, this time highlighting uh, aka siblings Dominic & Fionnuala Kennedy, and Donna Thompson.

Another compilation (two, actually) that comes highly recommended is The Beautiful Flowers Wait For Peace, issued by Partick Sailing Club via Bandcamp. Each 10-track compilation costs a fiver, proceeds "donated to The Sameer Project, a mutual aid organisation run by Palestinians in Gaza, providing food, water, medical aid and essential supplies to those in need."

Monday's and today's selection features a pick from Volumes 1 and 2, 100 Poems and Cosmikuro respectively. If I add that other artists include Bedford Falls Players, Rude Audio, Airsine, Ben Hunt and Katakana's delightful remix of Cocteau Twins' Cherry Coloured Funk, and everyone donated their music for free, then surely it's a no-brainer. Buy now.

From the archives, a belated EP purchase from Billie Ray Martin's back catalogue, a remix of Steve Jansen featuring brother David Sylvian that languished in the archives for fourteen years, and an unreleased Julian Cope outtake from the Peggy Suicide sessions that has been dusted off for the latest release in the essential Cope's Notes book & CD series.

Happy Friday, everyone!

1) Atrocity/Adverts/Idiocy: Broken Chanter (2026)

2) After All (Original Version): Billie Ray Martin (2014)

3) nostos: uh (2025)

4) Frog Lick: Cosmikuro (2026)

5) Summon (East Coast Love Affair Mix): Joe Goddard ft. Hayden Thorpe (2024)

6) You Remind Me Of You: Julian Cope (1991)

7) Deadman's Cut ('Ballad Of A Deadman' Remix By Rhinoceros): Steve Jansen ft. David Sylvian (2008)

8) Baby's Breath: deary (2026)

9) Sneakanon Pt2 (6161 + Andrew Remix): 6161 (2026)

10) Rapture In Blue (Midnight Version): Daniel Avery ft. Cecile Believe (2025)

11) Matchstick: Donna Thompson (2022)

12) Return To Coney (Attrition Mix By Martin Bowes): Warriors Of The Dystotheque ft. Ella Joy (2016)

2014: After All EP: 2

2016: Return To Coney EP: 12

2022: Deadman's Cut EP: 7

2022: Something True EP: 11

2024: Summon Remixed: 5

2025: pleroma EP: 3

2026: Birding: 8

2026: Cope's Notes 8: Peggy Suicide: 6

2026: Partick Sailing Club PSC#002: The Beautiful Flowers Wait For Peace Vol. 2: 4

2026: 6161 (Remixes) EP: 9

2026: This Could Be Us, You, Or Anybody Else: 1

2026: Tremor (Midnight Versions): 10

Bleeding In The Shark Tank (1:04:26) (GD) (M)

Deluded In Believing I Had Any Control

A lyric from Daniel Avery's new single, Rapture In Blue, apt because the tech has been so laggy that's taken me nearly 50 minutes to get this far with the post, despite two reboots.

Somedays, you just have to let it go...

So, no lengthy discourse on Daniel's genius as a music maker, or his ability to confidently switch - or define - genres with dizzying speed. 

Rapture In Blue is arguably Daniel's most poppy moment, mixing things up with a dash of M83, a sprinkling of Trentemøller and echoes of Rob Dougan. All providing a perfect soundscape for the voice of Cecile Believe aka Canadian artist Caila Betsy Nell Thompson-Hannant.

Oh, and a gorgeous blue video (no, not that kind of blue video), directed by Zak Watson and starring Anna Nesterova and Hana Hrzic.

An album from Daniel Avery is always something to look forward to but Tremor, appropriately enough incoming on Halloween. seems especially so. Daniel's also playing a handful of European shows to promote to album, including Manchester, Bristol and London.

Daniel describes Tremor as "a record for the post-rave comedown kids, the guitar heads and anyone else who wants to come along for the ride. Everyone is welcome.”

I'm fastening my seatbelt now.