Community radio music presenters and music directors often have an encyclopaedic knowledge of local music, Australian artists, and possess 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, Firas Massouh, the Music Director of Melbourne’s PBS FM, contributes with a selection of tracks currently making their way to community radio through Amrap’s music distribution service ‘AirIt’.
Check out Firas’ 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 7 best Australian artists
Anna Cordell – ‘Tried So Hard’
‘Tried So Hard’ is the rousing third single from Anna Cordell’s debut album, Nobody Knows Us. Released last month, the album – a PBS favourite – is the product of a decade-long hiatus from music during which time Cordell let life do its natural thing, raising five children and spearheading a successful clothing label.
Her patience has truly paid off; the album is a beautiful collection of profoundly spiritual songs about life’s challenges; about love, longing, and being a small part of something bigger.
Love Indie?
Get the latest Indie news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
Check out ‘Tried So Hard’ by Anna Cordell:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCoV1VJJOKU
‘Picking Fights’ is the fierce first single off the much-anticipated self-titled EP by MOON CUP, the brainchild of Spiral Perm bassist Rita Khayat.
With Emily Chen (Edith Lane, Erin Will Be Mad) laying down the rhythmic groundwork, this song oscillates beautifully between introspection and anger, painting a picture of the thought process that one goes through when they’re mad at someone who’s upset them. There’s a lot of give and take in this song, and some valuable lessons to be learned.
Check out ‘Picking Fights’ by MOON CUP:
Harvey Sutherland – ‘Superego’
Harvey Sutherland is a master genre-bender. He is a consistent maker of some seriously funky stuff that is never ever strictly 4/4 monotonous house music, nor smarmy over the top disco. This talented Melbourne producer and synthesiser guru knows balance and is very good at making everybody happy.
On ‘Superego’, he uses all the right tonal textures and makes all the right ascending and descending scales speak to each other, rendering this end of summer dance hit a tender and uplifting way for you to start or finish your sunrise set.
Check out ‘Superego’ by Harvey Sutherland:
Archie Roach – ‘Tell Me Why (feat. Sally Dastey)’
Archie Roach has been telling wonderful stories for decades about resilience and fortitude. He has recently released his a critically acclaimed memoir titled Tell Me Why and in tandem put out a rich companion album with the same title. ‘Tell Me Why’, is the latest single from the album and is another great story about strength of spirit.
With the backing vocals of Sally Dastey, Archie issues a reprimand against the senseless violence of colonialism, a force that stands in the way of love, family and community. Archie, and Sally’s, interrogation here is a strong anthem of survival and renewal.
Check out ‘Tell Me Why (feat. Sally Dastey)’ by Archie Roach:
On ‘Twisting Words’, Miiesha shows off her powerful soulful vocals in what is a truly playful and captivating pop jam. This is the first single to come from Nyaaringu, Miiesha’s forthcoming album. The word Nyaaringu means “What Happened?” in Pitjantjatjara.
According to Miisha, the album will represent “a collection of stories that I feel I wanted to tell or that I needed to speak on. For me it represents my journey and where I’m at now coming from Woorabinda. The interludes in the collection are recordings of my Grandmother speaking. For me she was and always will stay with me as the strongest voice in my life so I felt she had to be a part of this with me.’
This actually reminded me of how Anna Cordell’s album Nobody Knows Us begins with an ode to her grandmother. It made me think about my grandmother and her powerful stories. I’m looking forward to exploring Miisha’s album when it comes out.
Check out ‘Twisting Words’ by Miiesha:
Half house, half jazz, and all cool, ‘Luna Landing’ feels like an autobiographical account from one of Melbourne’s premiere producers of nu-jazz. Here, Melbourne bassist and founding member of 30/70 collective Henry Hicks is trying to tell us a multifaceted story about his evolution as a musician.
With the help of likeminded musicians Dufresne and Ikey, and the inspired drumming of Perth composer Phil Stroud, Hicks manages to lure us into a groovy space that is at once hypnotic and animated. With some pretty wicked bass soloing on this dance track, this one’s a winner!
Check out ‘Luna Landing’ by Horatio Luna:
Jackson Reid Briggs & The Heaters – ‘Knock It Down’
I’m ending this list with another PBS favourite. In contrast to the delicate sounds of Anna Cordell, the sounds that punksters Jackson Reid Briggs & The Heaters make are unrelenting, harsh and raw. But they too tell an important story predicated on heightened emotions and brazen punk attitude.
Hammered is a wild rock album that was recorded in one day. When you immerse yourself in it, you are able to tell how honestly it captures a moment in the life of this solid Melbourne band. ‘Knock It Down’ is but a small sample of the big energy that this strong album brings.
Check out ‘Knock It Down’ by Jackson Reid Briggs & The Heaters:
