Amrap Chart Wrap: MOD CON and Sophisticated Dingo 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.

Sophisticated Dingo –  #5 Amrap Metro & #1 Amrap Regional

The Melbourne duo affectionately known as ‘Soft Dingers’ are back. ‘Yuppies’ is a slapdown to slamdance, to a supremely catchy ditty squarely aimed at anyone who can’t handle their local cafe not stocking almond milk with any sniff of respect or dignity. There’s a little more to it than that, but we’re sure you get the picture. Community radio does too and loves this kind of sonic blowback – they’re about to play Sydney and Melbourne and with airplay from 2RRR and Triple R, the reception for their cheeky wares should be great.

Meres – #2 Amrap Regional

Where does she find the time? Tasmania’s Mary Shannon counts herself as a member of bands such as Bansheeland, Thieves, Teens, Isla Ka and Joel on Joel but also has a solo project called Meres hitting high on the Amrap Regional chart. ‘Hell Is On Its Way’ is all slow-burn rock and right-on strength, building on its simmering force towards an explosive chorus with great drama. There’s a load of play in her native state – Edge Radio in Hobart for one – but also at Yass FM and 2GLF in NSW as well.  

Rochelle Pitt –  #8 Amrap Regional

Hailing from Cairns, Indigenous singer-songwriter Rochelle Pitt has turned to soul and gospel music for her newest single ‘I Believe’. Pitt has conjured up a rich and epic tune with a slick 70s feel for her Indigenous community ‘to speak up and have a say in their lives and the world around them’. Pitt has come a long way after her time as a finalist on The X Factor while still in her teens back in 2014 and we expect her to be a shining presence in coming years. Feeling all the feels already are community stations like Tyga FM in Tasmania’s Derwent River Valley, Noosa FM on the Gold Coast and Sydney’s Koori Radio.

MOD CON – #1 Amrap Metro & #9 Amrap Regional (pictured at top)

Labelmates with Camp Cope and Cable Ties, Melbourne’s MOD CON have just dropped their debut album Modern Convenience, recorded by The Drones and Tropical F**k Storm’s Gareth Liddiard. Liddiard’s two bands are kindred spirits in keeping with MOD CON’s combination of social commentary and deadpan cool, fixing a tight melodic rein around their punk rock blueprint. Stations like Sydney’s FBi Radio, Byron Bay’s Bay FM and Rox FM in South Australia are all well into it.

Your Girl Pho –  #6 Amrap Metro

Perth’s Your Girl Pho (Phoebe Gunson to her Mum and Dad) has provided the charts with one of its most bumpin’ entries of late, courtesy of her latest track, ‘Feelen’. A neo-soul shuffler that’ll brighten any space with its sunny disposition, ‘Feelen’ is so infectious it’s been in the Amrap charts for weeks now, with this wonky beat winner making waves at her hometown’s 6RTR-FM, Brisbane’s 4ZZZ and Bellingen’s Triple B FM.

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

The Amrap Charts show the top ten 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.