Good Morning and Courtney Barnett debut at #1 on 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.

LANKS – #3 Amrap Metro

This one’s been kicking around a while, but LANKS has just shot up towards the top of the Amrap Metro charts with ‘twentyseven’. That might be on the back of the Melbourne producer’s debut full-length of the same name being released in the last fortnight. In any case, his percussion-heavy pop tracks, which feel epic and intimate at once with their warm vibes and huge choruses and finally on the discovery trail are the likes of Sydney’s 2RRR, Hobart’s Edge Radio and Radio Adelaide.

Ruby Gilbert – #5 Amrap Regional

A finalist in this week’s Queensland Music Awards – not bad for someone who’s just released their debut single – Brisbane singer-songwriter Ruby Gilbert has announced herself as one to watch with ‘Oh, Bones’. It’s a song that marks a roots-based sound from a more seasoned soul, ringing with the same spooked beauty as Americana mainstays like Rhiannon Giddens and Neko Case. Writing and singing since the age of 15, Gilbert’s first EP, Dearly Beloved, is due this month with tour dates to follow. Community stations likely to jump on ‘Dearly Beloved’ after spinning ‘Oh, Bones’ a great deal include Queensland’s Fraser Coast FM and Noosa FM, as well as Victoria’s Mountain District Radio.

East Brunswick All Girls Choir – #5 Amrap Metro & #9 Amrap Regional

With a new album, ‘Teddywaddy’, set for release on Jen Cloher’s and Courtney Barnett’s Milk! Records, the Melbourne band featuring Jen Cloher band mainstay Jen Sholakis on drums have offered ‘Essendon 1986’ as a taster. A whirling stomper swinging with menace and passion about transcending the everyday drudgery of nine-to-five work, EBAGC have given their rock punch over to the production skills of Anna Laverty (The Peep Tempel, Courtney Barnett) with thrilling results. Lots of feeling for this one at both metropolitan and regional community radio, with NSW’s Yass FM. Melbourne’s Triple R, Victoria’s 979 FM and Brisbane’s 4ZZZ-FM giving it a right flogging.

Hatchie – #4 Amrap Metro

Another track released last month, Hatchie’s ‘Sugar & Spice’ recalls a time when the shoegaze sound emanating from the UK got that little bit saccharine sweet (see The Primitives, latter-day Lush).  The recording name for Brisbane’s Hariette Pilbeam, Hatchie’s sound feels like a last blast of summer before winter truly hits. The US summer is where she’s headed though, with Pitchfork offering up recent raves for ‘Sugar & Spice’ as well as her new song ‘Sleep’, going nicely alongside a US record deal. But back at home community radio is swooning just as much, with Sydney’s FBi Radio, Brisbane’s 4ZZZ-FM and Tasmania’s Tyga FM and Edge Radio just a few stations spinning her dreamy sound.

New Talk – #9 Amrap Metro

Out with the old and in with the New Talk – this Perth band were called Rag n’ Bone but have made the name change coinciding with launching their latest work. The band haven’t left their signature sound behind as well though, punctuating the melodrama in their dynamic rock interplay with bouts of silence to staggering effect. Space and distortion in equal measure makes ‘Red Tuesday’ another winner from the four-piece, with FBi Radio in Sydney and hometown heroes 6RTR-FM leading on airplay across community radio.

 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.