Yothu Yindi & The Treaty Project tops Amrap Metro Chart

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.

Annie Hamilton – #10 Amrap Metro

On her second solo single My New Tattooed Chameleon, Sydney musician Annie Hamilton explores unfulfilled romance, nostalgia and self-discovery through propulsive, distorted guitars and cascading, melodic vocals. Following on from the release of her debut single Fade last year, the song is also a testament to Hamilton’s astute, direct storytelling and her ability to combine vulnerability with a versatile sound. Oscillating between hushed contemplation and explosive, cinematic soundscapes, the track rolls on with momentum and a sense of sweeping freedom. It’s the perfect tune to initiate a roadtrip across some neon skyline. Community radio is already on board with stations like Sydney’s FBi Radio, Radio Adelaide in SA and 4ZZZ in Brisbane giving it plenty of love.  

Fanny Lumsden – #9 Amrap Regional

Western NSW based songstress Fanny Lumsden returns with her much loved pop-washed country on Pretty Little Fools – a jaunty number equal parts observation and spunk from her Real Class Actr album of last year. It opens with a snippet of the West Wyalong town band recorded on a phone at an event in the town hall and hits its heights with ‘60s inspired guitars and a bit of soul thrown in for good measure. This is a feel-good track about naivety and bliss in ignorance. Fiercely independent, Lumsden released Real Class Act on her own label, Red Dirt Road Records and has clocked hundreds of kilometres taking her music to the people one small town at a time. Tyga FM in Tasmania, Noosa FM in NSW and The Pulse in Victoria have been behind this one since its release.

Tamara and The Dreams – #2 Amrap Metro

Tamara and the Dreams is the dazzling four-piece indie pop project of quirky internet-dwelling 21-year-old Tamara Reichman. Cutting  to the core of youthful idealism and angst and conjuring instantly relatable, catchy pop, LOFI is a manifesto of the shimmering loneliness of the internet generation. Tamara Reichman is no stranger to relatability – she’s been documenting some big moods for the last two years with her cult Instagram meme account. Released in her final days of being 21, LOFI is a statement of intent, an artist putting down her buzzing phone to pursue her true passion. In Tamara’s own words, ‘I was sick of writing songs about how other people had affected me, so I tried writing a song that was just about living in my own brain.’ Yass FM in NSW, Sydney’s 2RRR and Melbourne’s PBS FM have been loving this one.

PNAU – #6 Amrap Regional

Prolific dance music trio, PNAU return with their latest feel-good banger, Solid Gold – the first release for 2019 by Sydney legends Nick Littlemore, Peter Mayes and Sam Littlemore. With Solid Gold, PNAU have set out to capture the hypnotic, everlasting rhythm of classic disco records. The song was inspired by Nick Littlemore’s explorations into world music and the sun-drenched energy of Australia, incorporating live instrumentation to create a richer, fuller sound. It’s a thumper built to soundtrack good times while detailing ‘the love of a best friend.’ PNAU of course have an already-impressive career that spans two decades and five albums worth of music, including their cult debut Sambanova and 2007’s beloved self-titled LP. Solid Gold is the first page in another new chapter for an act who – after an already stellar career – are apparently more inspired than ever. Fraser Coast FM in QLD, Tassie’s Tyga FM and 5GTR FM in SA are all giving this one plenty of love.

The Biology of Plants – #7 Amrap Metro

Drawing from the big sounds of international acts like Sigur Ros, Philip Glass and even Tool, The Biology of Plants are out of Brisbane. Their music makes for a measured sense of experimentation thanks to the blending expertise of the bands’ members – two classically trained musicians alongside two jazz educated players. With regard to their latest release, bassist Helen Svoboda explains, “Basmati Rice is an ode to the wonderful grain that accompanies many delicious (plant-derived) meals. Composed by myself, this track builds from a unison melody in the cello and bass guitar”. Add a hectic octave pedal, heavy drones, breakbeat groove, and there you have it: a grain-inspired piece of music. Rice has never been groovier.” Brisbane’s 4zzz, RTR FM in Perth and BBB FM in SA are the most recent stations helping the The Biology of Plants flourish.

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