Community radio music presenters and music directors often have an encyclopaedic 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 from Sydney’s 2SER, 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 7 best Australian artists
Web Rumors – ‘Sinner (For Your Love)’
Em Burrows is at the helm of this Perth six-piece making slick, retro-futurist sounds. Their latest is a fun and smooth mingling of electro, soul, disco and pop.
If this combination of drum clap, saxophone, and bass doesn’t get you up and moving, I’m not sure much else would.
Check out Web Rumors’ ‘Sinner (For Your Love)’:
Soul Movers – ‘You Better Believe It
Yes, The Soul Movers do have one-time Red Wiggle and ARIA Hall of Famer Murray Cook in their ranks, but each member of the Sydney outfit is no stranger to the stage, and together are a well-oiled music making machine.
The first taste of upcoming album Bona Fide, due out on March 15th, is an upbeat and energetic one, paying homage to classic Motown era soul.
Check out Soul Movers’ ‘You Better Believe It’:
Though this new project featuring members from Youth Group, The Vines and Songs formed in 2017, Victoria only hunkered down late last year to record their debut single, and boy, was it worth the wait.
The obvious comparison here is to the ’80s/’90s Flying Nun catalogue, but also find a clever, wry-wittedness not too far away from Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers.
Check out Victoria’s ‘Pompeii’:
Sydney’s trio Gauci make big vision synth pop, and while there’s a definite Italo Disco feel up front, there’s a post-punk, new wave approach that keeps things interesting.
I read a review of this track that compared the group to Cut Copy, and now I can’t get that out of my head. There’s definitely a ten year throwback to Modular Records, but a with fresh and engaging twist to it all.
Check out Gauci’s ‘Paradise’:
Here’s a song I’ve had many an inquiry about since adding it to the 2SER library. Alex Britton teams up with HANDSOME aka Caitlin park to produce this charging, debut single.
Britton has one of those charismatically, idiosyncratic voices and, one to definitely watch as there is an EP slated for release sometime this year.
Check out Alex Britton’s ‘Bad Faith’:
The Teskey Brothers – ‘Right For Me’
It’s very exciting to see The Teskey Brothers tease a new album for this year. There’s no title or release date confirmed, so we’ll just have to stick with this brilliant standalone single.
The group frequently tip their hat to Memphis soul, and it’s a move that definitely works for them. Find some sweetly fluid guitar lines here, and a bit of ’80s heartland groove too.
Check out The Teskey Brothers’ ‘Right For Me’:
Martin Frawley – ‘Chain Reaction’
Twerps’ frontman Martin Frawley strikes out on his own on ‘Chain Reaction’ a single off his forthcoming album ‘Undone at 31’, which was named after a year in his life that brought an end to a long-term relationship.
Instead of shying away from some of the morbid musings and raw emotions that come with break ups, Frawley bares it all in a self deprecating and tongue in cheek manner.
Check out Martin Frawley’s ‘Chain Reaction’:
