Community radio music directors often have an encyclopedic knowledge of local music and an insatiable thirst to keep their ears ahead of the curve. So in this Tone Deaf series, the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (Amrap) invites music directors to highlight new Aussie tunes that you might have missed.
In this edition, Steph Liong, acting Music Director from 2SER in Sydney, contributes with a selection of tracks currently making their way to community radio through Amrap’s music distribution service ‘AirIt’.
Check out Steph’s selections below and if you’re a musician you can apply here to have your music distributed for free to community radio on Amrap’s AirIt.
This week’s 6 best Australian artists
Merpire is the solo project of Sydney’s Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt and on her latest single, I’m nothing short of transfixed. Sophisticated folk-pop that’s slow burning, ambling and bewitching right till the end.
What’s all this talk about sophomore slumps? With a returning single like this, it’s hard to think we’ll find that from The Goon Sax. Serving a brand of endearing angst that’s unshakeably charming with sunny guitars and flurried violin hooks. Their debut album Up To Anything was much loved and I’m so excited to hear its follow up.
Tearing it up with some short and gritty garage rock are Geelong punks Vintage Crop with tracks about everything from alien misadventures to missing garden gnomes. If you love the likes of Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Uranium Club, then this one is for you! The album was recorded in one eight hour session, and clearly these guys do not mess around. Head banging induced whiplash ensues.
Great Earthquake – ‘The State I’m In’
It’s been too long since we last heard from Great Earthquake aka Noah Symons. Midway between Silver Jews-style slacker pop and meditative, experimental folk, the sprawl of Thinking & Making is immense and deep cutting. There’s a lot of tension to unpack at times, but sit down and drink this in.
Shepparton Airplane – ‘No Prize’
Not to be confused with Jefferson Airplane is Shepparton Airplane, sharing members from The Peep Tempel and Graveyard Train. The first taste of their upcoming second album Almurta is an in-your-face wall of sound filled with angular, duelling guitars intertwined with frenetic and no-nonsense rhythms.
Breaking hearts and taking names have never sounded so fun and cheerful, but an easy feat with Body Type at the helm. Dreamy guitar pop not to be relegated to anything sleep inducing, this is equal parts punchy and sweet.
