8 Ball Aitken and Sahara Beck top the community radio charts

Community radio shows a huge amount of support for Australian music, with almost 40% of music played coming from local artists. Taste-making presenters excel at giving airtime to an incredible spread of what Aussie artists have to offer. The Amrap Metro and Amrap Regional Charts provide insight into what’s getting airplay and attention on community radio each week. Here’s the lowdown on some tunes charting this week.

John Butler Trio – #5 Amrap Regional

It’s been four years since the last John Butler Trio album and their loyal fan base have been hankering for new tunes from the prolific folk-rock outfit. JBT have released their single new single, Home, to tease their seventh studio album of the same name, and it’s a contemporary sounding track that may surprise long-time listeners; laden with heavy synths and bassy electronic production from the get-go, marrying hip-hop snares and Butler’s echoed vocals into a punchy, drum fuelled chorus. Beyond the production, the track signals a personal renaissance for Butler as the lyrics touch a longing for peace amid the chaos of – what must be – an intense touring schedule for the band. While unexpected, Home is an exciting taste of what’s to come and is getting plenty of airplay on Mount Gambier’s 5GTR FM in South Australia, Kempsey’s Tank FM and 2WAY FM in Wauchope, NSW.

Holiday Party – #7 Amrap Metro

Holiday Party have grown both musically and physically since their inception, beginning with founders Mel Tickle and Luke McDonald before steadily expanding into a creative collective of rotating contributors and artists. Their latest offering, Run Away, blends Tickle’s dreamy vocals with perky synths and homemade samples to create something that is equal parts eerie and cheery. The tonal changes and off kilter guitar create a sense of unease but remain seamless amid the crispy percussion. This is the kind of tune that creeps up on you in a smoke filled house party during a boogie when you suddenly realise all your friends have bailed and you’re surrounded by strangers. You can join the party and fade away by tuning into Brisbane’s 4ZZZ and FBi Radio in Sydney.

8 Ball Aitken – #1 Amrap Regional (pictured above)

8 Ball Aitken is one of those rare, authentic live acts dedicated to his audience; a funky, foot-stomping troubadour who shakes stages across the world, playing over 200 gigs a year with no sign of slowing down. Standing knee-high in muddy waters, the Queensland native seems at home along the Mississippi with his latest single, High Water, a swampy, steel-stringed tune co-written with Texas bluesman Guthrie Kennard. The track is a clear example of what to expect from 8 Ball’s forthcoming album, Swamp Blues, and perfectly showcases his allegiance to the traditions of his genre, recorded in the Texas Hill Country through an analogue 70’s tape machine for a sound that is indicative of the Deep South yet transferable to the Aussie outback. Get down with 8 Ball Aitken by tuning into 4ZZZ in Brisbane, Noosa FM in NSW and Barossa Valley’s BBB FM in South Australia.

Greta Stanley – #10 Amrap Regional

It is difficult to shake the mantra-like chorus of Come Undone, the latest release from singer-songwriter Greta Stanley. There is a purposefully cyclical feel to the track itself, a sense of loss that has occurred and will occur again or – perhaps – never ended and is happening all at once.  It moves subtly from a whisper in your ear to the rumbling of some distant storm in a way that seems to encapsulate a very human thought process. It is a starkly emotive piece articulated by Stanley’s soft, layered vocals, stripped back production and rolling waves of synth reminiscent of Imogen Heap yet distinctly her own. Come Undone is getting plenty of well-deserved attention on Sydney’s FBi Radio, Nambucca Valley Radio in NSW and Radio Adelaide in South Australia.

Candy –  #10 Amrap Metro

Formerly of Lunatics on Pogosticks and Amyl and the Sniffers, Callum Newton’s solo project, Candy, sees the Melbourne artist delve deep into his dream-pop passions resulting in a modern take on a nostalgic sound. Newton’s latest release, Thankful, is a clear example of his grasp of post-punk sensibilities as his sardonic vocals spit over bubbling synths and electronic drumlines that hark back to the likes of The Cure or Sonic Youth. The track is a cheeky take on interpersonal impatience and almost rolls its rhythmic eyes at the prospect of having to explain itself. Candy recorded most of his forthcoming debut album, Under The Weather, in his own bedroom and if Thankful is any indication it’s because he’s pretty done with people he doesn’t know. You can catch Candy on Hobart’s Edge Radio, Radio Adelaide in South Australia and Brisbane’s own 4ZZZ.

See the full Amrap Charts at www.airit.org.au.

The Amrap Charts show the Top 10 tracks ordered for airplay by community broadcasters through the Amrap’s AirIt music distribution service. Amrap is an initiative of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia which distributes new Australian music to community radio stations nationwide & empowers broadcasters to promote new Australian music on air & online.