Julia Jacklin & Jason Owen top this week’s Amrap 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.

Huntly – #8 Amrap Metro

This is perfect pop for anyone still working through the comedown of a big evening – understatedly hazy and tinged with both warmth and melancholy. The Melbourne trio have returned after a long hiatus somewhere between a bang and whimper, and ‘Low Grade Buzz’ feels so good in those moments when you need a song that can carry you gently through the night. Now signed to Barely Dressed Records, the label who have recently brought us Jack Ladder and the Dreamlanders, Jess Ribeiro and Denise Le Menace, Huntly should prove a great fit when their album arrives in March within a stable who know high-end off-kilter goodness when they hear it. Sydney’s FBi premiered ‘Low Grade Buzz’, and following suit with oodles of airplay across the country are Hobart’s Edge Radio, Perth’s 6RTR FM and Brisbane’s 4ZZZ FM, among others.

DRMNGNOW – #2 Amrap Metro

Yorta Yorta artist DRMNGNOW has offered up ‘Ancestors’ as the precursor to his debut full-length album out soon, and it’s a beautifully measured, deep thinking piece of hip hop. It’s a soundtrack to some serious matter – in his words, a song that “speaks to the importance of acknowledging ancestors in order to achieve true justice upon this land”. Set to go slow with a simmering low-end bass groove, ‘Ancestors’ is one to absorb, put on repeat and draw in its potent message. DRMNGNOW should make a big mark on 2019, but he’s already got the likes of Sydney’s FBi Radio and Brisbane’s 4ZZZ taking notice with strong spins for this seriously strong work.

upsidedownhead – #6 Amrap Metro

Sydney-based muso and producer Ross James – AKA unpsidedownhead – gets a little help from friend and ally E^ST on his latest single, ‘future loser’. James’s debut EP complex dropped at the end of 2018 and with it we got a taste of his enigmatically infectious style. ‘future loser’ is easily one of the freshest cuts from the EP – a synth heavy jam tinged with R&B and some spooky vocals from E^ST. It sounds like the ghost of every replicant from Bladerunner gathered in a tunnel to party. Also not to be missed is the song’s video – surreal animations from Sadland Studios that expand on the self-reflective nature of the lyrics. Join the cyber wave by tuning into Hobart’s Edge Radio, Sydney’s 2RRR and 5GTR FM in Mount Gambia, SA.

LO’99 – #10 Amrap Regional

Australian dance luminary LO’99 returns to the club with his latest banger, ‘Sometime’. The Sydney-based producer once again blends the right amount of pop and house together to create something perfectly suited for both an afternoon mixtape and late night partying. Recording artist Owl Eyes adds her smooth melodies and light disposition to the track which break through the deep, rolling production to create a juxtaposition of sound, building to a truly contagious dance anthem. LO’99’s impressive list of remix credits includes the likes of Fatboy Slim, Moby and Peking Duk and 2019 is set to be his biggest year yet. Skip the queue by switching to Radio Adelaide in SA, Bay FM in Byron Bay, NSW and Noosa FM in QLD.

Georgia Reed – #7 Amrap Regional

The brooding, smoky vocals of Western Australia’s Georgia Reed define her sound, and backed by the echoed wails of electric guitar on ‘Colours’, they pierce through brilliantly. Yet to drop her debut album, Reed has sporadically released singles over the last few years and picked up a significant following due to her innate ability to emotionally connect through her music. ‘Colours’ is moody and tough – a showcase of Reed’s unique, cryptic storytelling that sets her apart. The track is sung in solidarity for the mistreated and bullied, it’s both self-referential and reassuring with just the right amount of mean. Maybe this is the year we’ll see a complete work from Reed, and if ‘Colours’ is anything to base that assumption off, it’s going to be well worth the wait. In the meantime, check her out on Bellingen’s 2BBB in NSW, Brisbane’s 4ZZZ and Sydney’s FBi Radio.

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