Slag Queens take the lead on 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.
Jess Ribeiro – #6 Amrap Metro
After the magnetic, moody atmospherics of her 2015 album Kill It Yourself, the new single from Melbourne’s Jess Ribeiro is positively bouncy by comparison. ‘Love Is The Score of Nothing’ is yet another compelling turn for Ribeiro, full of reverberating pop melody and perky rhythm, while maintaining her trademark ice cool vision. Part of the newfound zip in Ribeiro’s sound comes from drummer Dave Mudie, known for hitting the skins with Courtney Barnett, and there’s slick production from Ben Edwards, who’s also put the right amount of polish into Julia Jacklin and Marlon Williams’ work. We also dig anyone who draws parallels between love and tennis. Community radio does too, with Perth’s RTR FM, Radio Adelaide in SA and Melton’s 979 FM in Victoria all giving the track plenty of airtime.
Kwame – #2 Amrap Metro
Western Sydney rapper-producer Kwame has conquered 2018 with his surefire, righteous flow, sly humour and frontier-staking production. ‘CLOUDS.’ is all about heading skyward riding on your own self-worth and confidence to positively make it in life and have a great time getting there. It helps that ‘CLOUDS.’ has a bellringer of a synth hook that doesn’t dislodge from the brain after a couple of spins. Hitting the road in December with Vera Blue, Kwame is very likely paving the way towards full ownership of 2019. ‘CLOUDS.’ is all over community radio, being featured heavily at FBi Radio in Sydney, Brisbane’s 4ZZZ and Byron Bay’s Bay FM in NSW.
Slag Queens – #1 Amrap Metro (pictured above)
More sprawling post-punk from Hobart’s Slag Queens with ‘Waterfall’, a pointedly wry track circling the axis of the MONA gallery in their hometown and an oncoming sense of gentrification. They say a rising tide lifts all boats, but for Slag Queens, the sight of ships in the harbour carrying thousands to MONA each day represents rising housing and living costs in what’s traditionally been an independent artist’s sanctuary. Their sense of DIY or die is being challenged and if they have to go down, Slag Queens will go down screaming. Thankfully, ‘Waterfall’ is screamingly good, and it’s hit #1 on the Amrap Metro chart to boot, getting spins at 2GLF in Sydney’s Liverpool, Hobart’s Edge Radio and RTR FM in Perth.
Dani Young – #4 Amrap Regional
Dani Young follows up the success of her debut record, Desert Water, with ‘Stepping Stones’, the first taste of her forthcoming solo project set for 2019. With a spaghetti western vibe, this catchy country track is deceivingly upbeat. The lyrics touch on the cyclical nature of regional life and the often depressing futility experienced by young people searching for more. It builds with layered vocals and stomping percussion and somewhere in the distance, a cowboy whistle. Thanks to her poignant song writing and some production help from the likes of Damien Leith, Young has laid the groundwork for a fresh take on Aussie country music and community radio can’t get enough. Keep up to date by tuning into Sydney’s 2RRR, Warrnambool’s 3WAY FM in Victoria and Fraser Coast FM in Hervey Bay, Queensland.
The Pigs – #7 Amrap Regional
Fresh from the muddy realms of this year’s Deni Ute Muster, The Pigs trot through with their latest absurd banger, ‘Hillbilly Synthesiser’. Shrouded in myth and their signature blue singlets, the ‘family’ jug band has been touring across the country for almost 15 years gaining fans everywhere they go. They’re currently preparing to unleash their first all-original album on the world, and if ‘Hillbilly Synthesiser’ is anything to go by, we should prepare too. The track itself mashes bluegrass banjos and wobbly theremins to help spin the moonshine-fuelled tale of a homemade electronic instrument made in the mountains. No, we’re not sure if we’re ready for it either, but community radio certainly is! Check it out for yourself on Melton’s 979 FM in Victoria, Radio MAMA in Rangeway, WA and Melbourne’s Plenty Valley FM.
See the full Amrap Charts at www.airit.org.au