RVG tops the 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.

Jamie Payet – #8 Amrap Regional

Grammy nominated Jamie Payet plays new-fashioned blues. His songs are drenched in experience and dripping with personality, sounding ultra-modern and effortlessly funky. Based out of Melbourne but constantly on the road, Payet surrounds himself with some real stars, playing alongside the likes of Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy and Jimmy Barnes to name a few. Vegas is the debut single from his forthcoming EP, All Or Nothing, and leans heavily of the artist’s blues sensibilities. It’s an up-tempo, contemporary piece about love, the drudgery of everyday and hitting the road to party in Las Vegas. Victoria’s Plenty Valley FM and 3MDR FM along with Melbourne’s 3RRR have all added this to their weekend playlists.

Okenyo – #2 Amrap Metro

Sydney’s Okenyo has never shied away from sounding tough, but on her newie, Buckle Up, she maintains her trademark direct line while injecting a funk load of joy and sass into her style. Thank goodness the weather is still warm, because this feels like the ultimate summer jam to shake it to. It helps that the subject matter surrounds feeling free and easy in the pursuit of love and lust. An undeniable production that’d lift any airwaves, Radio Adelaide, 4ZZZ and FBi are all buckling up for Okenyo, but the spins they’re giving are far from tight.

Jetty Road – #2 Amrap Regional

Victoria’s Jetty Road is a band with a story to tell. January 2019 marked their 14-year anniversary together, quite the milestone for any Australian music act. It’s easy to see the progression from their humble beginnings at Australia’s Tamworth Country Music Festival in 2005, from busking on Tamworth’s famous Peel Street to winning Golden Guitar Awards. Over a decade on, the talented trio are now stars of the scene and they’ve travelled the world on numerous international tours and major North American festival appearances. Their latest offering, No Heartbreaks is a catchy piece produced by Michael Carpenter at Love HZ. The second single from the band’s upcoming album release, it delves into the lure and excitement of a no-strings attached romance, a theme the trio have never tackled before through song. Jetty Road are getting plenty of love from Fraser Coast FM in QLD, 5GTR FM in SA and Tassie’s Tyga FM.

Dr Sure’s Unusual Practice – #8 Amrap Metro

Dr Sure’s Unusual Practice (DSUP) are one of those unique acts that make peculiar post-punk of and for the times, spouting potent political themes, always with tongue firmly in cheek. DSUP is the brainchild of Melbourne artist Dougal Shaw, better known by his moniker Dr Sure. More than just a music project DSUP is a singular artistic vision; Dr Sure writes, records & mixes the music, designs the artwork, and shoots & edits the video clips. In late 2018 he enlisted the talents of friends Miranda Holt (Claws & Organs), Jake Suriano (Hideous Sun Demon, Kitchen People) and Jack McCullagh (Hot Sludge Fundae, Cracodile) to fully realise his vision. Catch Up is another driving post-punk track – a parody of the divisive rhetoric used around election time. For example,  ‘African gangs in Melbourne’ becomes ‘Cauca-sick gangs in the Parliament House’. It’s stinging and facetious yet still very easy to get down to. Melbourne’s PBS, Perth’s RTR FM and 3Way FM in Victoria are already on board.

RVG – #1 Amrap Metro

About to head into an extensive US tour, Melbourne’s RVG build on their passionate debut album from 2017, A Quality if Mercy, with a new single, Alexandra. The majestic sweep of classic 80s guitar acts such as The Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen and The Go-Betweens seems theirs to inherit and own wholly on Alexandra, as perfect a slice of melodramatic and melancholic pop we’ve heard in some time. Just like The Go Betweens, we wouldn’t be surprised if RVG made their name overseas in a big fashion before doing so at home. In the meantime, community radio is loving Alexandra in spades, with the likes of 4ZZZ in Brisbane, Perth’s 6RTR, Melbourne’s Triple R and FBi in Sydney all on board big time.

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