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, Will Backler, Music Coordinator of RTRFM in Perth, contributes with a selection of tracks currently making their way to community radio through Amrap’s music distribution service ‘AirIt’.
Check out Will’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 8 best Australian artists
Silver Hills – ‘Double Breakfast’
Bursting back on the scene after a three year hiatus, Perth indie dream-poppers Silver Hills pick up where they left off and then some, with delectable taste of their forthcoming debut album First Sight, in the form of aural extra-helping ‘Double Breakfast’.
A melancholic musing of mortality and unrequited love, ‘Double Breakfast’ pairs catchy guitar hooks with shimmering synths and perfectly appropriate indie-pop vocals – extremely satisfying, yet leaving us hungry for the full album.
Check out Silver Hills’ ‘Double Breakfast’:
Following up her Australian Music Prize nomination for her incredible LP Fruit, Perth’s favourite friendly outspoken genre-bending independent artist Abbe May returns with a new single that doesn’t pull any punches.
‘Fuck You’ sees May experimenting with alt-country sounds, channelling an extremely personal, relatable message about being told when thing while someone does the other, all in May’s unique style.
Check out Abbe May’s ‘Fuck You’:
The Laurels – ‘Monkey On My Back’
One of Sydney’s favourite bands of the last decade and a half, The Laurels are back after 2016’s Sonicology in a more in-your-face, energetic manner, with new single ‘Monkey On My Back’.
Undeniably Australian in sound, the new track sees the band build on their knack for writing catchy psych-influenced indie-pop numbers, pairing big guitars with dense harmonies to stunning effect.
Check out The Laurels’ ‘Monkey On My Back’:
Truly greater than the sum of its impressive parts, Melbourne noise-punky Synthetics sees members of Vacant Valley, Red Red Krovvy, Hi-Tec Emotions, and Thug Mills coming together to breathe some savage new life into DIY garagey goodness.
As heavy as it is fun, ‘Skin On Skin’ sees relentless drums meet a sludgy bassline, while high frequency guitars pair perfectly with frenetic vocals.
Check out Synthetics’ ‘Skin On Skin’:
Rainbow Chan – ‘Love Isn’t Easy’ (feat. Moldy)
Veteran of the alt-electronic-pop scene, Sydney’s Rainbow Chan consistently impresses and surprises with her creativity and versatility, with ‘Love Isn’t Easy’ the latest in a long line of “unpigeonholable” tracks.
An absolute banger at its core, ‘Love Isn’t Easy’ has it all – saccharine vocals, up front drums (with plenty of snare rolls), catchy synth melodies, rounded up by rapid fire verses from Korean MC Moldy.
Check out Rainbow Chan’s ‘Love Isn’t Easy’ (feat. Moldy):
Bringing a raw, punk-like attitude to jazzy neo-soul sounds are Fremantle’s Izatang – a prominent fixture on WA’s live scene for a while now, finally giving us something we can listen to on repeat at home.
Appropriately described as “Scum Funk”, ‘Carpet Burns’ is a time-changing, jammed-out number of funky riffs, head-nodding rhythm section, and captivating vocals packed full of attitude from vocalist Isla Imogen.
Check out Izatang’s ‘Carpet Burns’:
Taking the most infectious elements of power pop and smashing them straight into garagey goodness are Melbourne trio Slush, who are on a mission to be as sassy as they are melodious.
Packing a walloping punch of high-energy drums, huge power chords and propulsive bass lines, ‘Keep Cup’ is an ode to a different type of cup – it is the self-described “menstrual cup love song you never knew you needed.”
Check out Slush’s ‘Keep Cup’:
The Spring Peaks – ‘Coming Of Age’
Less than three years as a band, The Spring Peaks have a tightness that many bands never achieve, exemplified with their irresistible new single ‘Coming Of Age’.
Bringing in engineering/production heavyweight Sam Ford, the new tune has more hooks than a fishing tournament, built around a concretely captivating guitar lead and dulcet vocal harmonies, lyrically dealing with the confronting knowledge of a relationship in turmoil.
Check out The Spring Peaks’ ‘Coming Of Age’:
