The Black Sorrows and First Beige 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.

The Black Sorrows – #1 Amrap Regional (pictured above)

Prolific and enduringly popular, Joe Camilleri and his band The Black Sorrows return with their 21^st album (Citizen John) in 2019, and to celebrate they’ve dropped a cover of an underrated Bob Dylan classic, Silvio. There’s not much to say about The Black Sorrows that hasn’t already been said – they’re a mainstay in Australian music and have been since their inception in 1984, with Camilleri remaining unbound in creativity. Silvio shines as a tone setter for the upcoming album and a clear display of capabilities of the band’s latest incarnation. The track is a deliciously digestible feast for blues fans; guitar driven with steely Dobro riffs and folky chords backed by quirky keyboard and vocal back-ups. True to The Black Sorrows, there’s no shortage of instruments or flair. Join in on the celebration by tuning into Newcastle’s 2NUR in NSW, Mount Gambier’s 5GTR FM in SA and 8CCC in Alice Springs, NT.

Courtney Barnett – #5 Amrap Regional

No stranger to the Amrap charts, Courtney Barnett returns with Small Talk, a surprising tune that shows off her stylistic versatility and ever-endearing nature. Slowed down to walking pace with a strolling bassline, Barnett’s stream of consciousness verses bridge the gap between some charming jamming and a sing-along chorus. There’s a laid back attitude to the production on this one, like the listener has stepped into a lounge room session with Barnett and band, full of smirks and chuckles between riffs, beers littering the coffee table. Infectious and whimsical with a slight sardonic bite, you can join the conversation by tuning into Radio Adelaide in SA, Bay FM in Byron Bay NSW and Edge Radio in Hobart.

Bitumen – #10 Amrap Metro

Bitumen deliver some off kilter, jaded noise on their latest offering Lash, and serve as the perfect accompaniment for our walk to work on yet another wet, bleak morning in the city – and we mean that in the best possible way. The industrial collective out of Melbourne have a sound that suits the grey days, like some loud offshoot of post-punk, droning and pinpricked with sharp guitar riffs, carried by steely percussion and eerie, gothic vocals. We’re into it and we’re not alone: several tracks from their much anticipated LP, Discipline Reaction, nearly made the charts this week. Lash just managed to come out on top. There’s plenty more from Bitumen being played on Perth’s KCR FM, 4ZZZ in Brisbane and Hobart’s Edge Radio.

Clowns – #5 Amrap Metro

Here come Clowns with a ferocious love song aptly titled I Shaved My Legs For You. The track is an unrelenting onslaught of distorted guitar work, tight rolling percussion and some belting vocal harmonies from front man Stevie Williams and bassist Hanny J. The Melbourne outfit showcase their heaviest side on this one, coming in hard like a fist into bathroom tiles and never letting up. This ball-tearer is the perfect example of neck-breaking, hardcore punk and Clowns are as witty and sarcastic as they are loud and grim. Get thrashing by switching to 3MDR FM in Victoria’s Mountain District Area, Brisbane’s 4ZZZ and 2XX FM in Canberra.

Cosmo Thundercat – #6 Amrap Regional

It could be an entirely subjective thing, but Cosmo Thundercat stir up a stark, teenage nostalgia inside us, especially with their latest single, My Friend. It’s a sound that is intrinsically mid-2000s, alt-rock soaring with emotive layers and exploding rhythms reminiscent of Arcade Fire during that time. My Friend bursts with raw energy and honest songwriting from front man Anthony Callisto. Despite the upbeat and anthemic harmonies, the lyrics carry a sense of loss and isolation. The Adelaide trio remain heartfelt in their arrangement, baring all and offering up a tune full of personality and familiar feels. You can catch them on Radio Adelaide in SA, Triple Z along the Fleurieu Peninsula in NSW and Brighton’s Southern FM in Victoria.

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

The Amrap Charts show the Top 10 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 and online.