Feels and Rabbit Island 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.

Annie Hamilton – #2 Amrap Metro

Once on six-string duties with Little May, Sydneysider Annie Hamilton has stepped out solo and debuted with the powerful Fade. Layering atmospheric guitar textures that crescendo towards a towering climax, it wouldn’t be a surprise to know Hamilton has a few Sigur Ros records in her collection but she also possesses a distinct gentle touch that’s all her own. It’s a huge sound to come out of the blocks with and marks Hamilton’s work as something to look out for. Community radio has already shot Fade towards the top of the Amrap Metro charts – FBi Radio in Sydney  have bulked up their airplay with this one in particular, followed closely by Brisbane’s 4ZZZ FM.

Loose Tooth – #4 Amrap Regional

One of the lower-key gems on Milk! Records, Melbourne’s Lose Tooth keep on keepin’ on with sweet n’ stompin’ Keep On. Expanding on their usually fuzzed-up garage-pop template with some new feels in their guitar game, Keep On is a top leap forward without losing the bubblegum-style catchiness at the heart of what they do. After metropolitan community radio has given the tune a great run, regional stations have picked up on Loose Tooth as well now, with spins a plenty from Noosa FM, 2BBB in Bellingen, NSW and 3WAY in Warnabool, Victoria.

Happy Axe – #4 Amrap Metro

With a percussion loop that sounds like fireworks exploding, Canberra-based Emma Kelly has again announced herself as an individual producer brimming with unique ideas on her latest, Cheshire Heart. It’s spooked otherworldly ambience, pierced by Kelly’s icy, commanding vocal, makes for compelling listening, before its sudden ending jolts you back to earth. It makes her upcoming debut long-player, Dream Punching, an aptly-titled one, and it’s out next week on Spirit Level, the label who counts Wally De Backer (Gotye) as a co-founder.

James Van Cooper – #9 Amrap Regional

Mentored by Australian country music legend Bill Chambers, James Van Cooper has now capitalised on his early promise with Passing Through, a rollicking and heartfelt roots-rocker rich with melody and earthy feeling. Matching it for storytelling vision in the Americana mould with the likes of Justin Townes Earle and Jason Isbell, we might soon be seeing someone from our own backyard who can really give the US a shake in that realm. NSW’s SWR Triple 9 FM have caught on already, as have Victoria’s 979 FM.

The Bamboos ft. Urthboy – #9 Amrap Regional 

Urthboy raps about the seeds of toxic masculinity in teaming up with The Bamboos on Broken, transforming the longstanding soul-funk outfit from party band to a socially conscious groove machine. One of several versions of the song with each featuring different leads, each has its chorus belted out by Bamboos mainstay and all round soul queen, Kylie Auldist. It comes from album #8 for The Bamboos, Night Time People, and it’s climbed its way into the Amrap Regional Top 10 with strong airplay from Byron Bay’s Bay FM, Western Australia’s Heritage FM and Queensland’s Fraser Coast 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.