Community radio music directors often have an encyclopedic knowledge of the best new Australian music, and an insatiable thirst to keep their ears ahead of the curve. So in this series, the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (Amrap) invites the music-lovers behind our local community radio stations to highlight new Aussie tunes that you might have missed.
In this edition, Will Backler from RTRFM in Perth contributes with a selection of the best new Australian music currently making its 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.
Boat Show – ‘Big Smoke’
W.A.’s Boat Show follow-up their modestly titled debut album from earlier this year, Groundbreaking Masterpiece, with three minutes of pure punk pleasure, piling distorted riffs on punchy drums and a pulsing bass line. Lyrically dealing with the band’s frustration at the tendency of Perth muso’s feeling the need to move to Melbourne, Big Smoke pulls no punches.
POW! Negro – ‘Hold My Tongue’
Following a couple of big singles, one of W.A.’s most exciting new live acts POW! Negro dropped their eagerly anticipated debut EP Jasmine & Licorice, featuring this slice of saxophone-led jazz-infused hip-hop. MC Nelson Mondlane shows off his flow and vocal range, while the band show their chops and ability to combine beat driven music with more traditional sounds in an engaging manner.
Elisabeth Dixon – ‘Technique of Self’
Melbourne-based experimental electronic producer Elisabeth Dixon turns in a slice of driving techno absolutely oozing atmosphere, equally as appropriate for headphone listening as it is the dance floor. Eerie pads lie under a range analogue synths creating interesting bleeps and bloops, and hypnotic, wispy vocals adding to the intrigue.
Bench Press – ‘Burning Up’
Deliberately smouldering proto/post-punk from Melbourne group Bench Press’ debut self-titled album, pairing polished, striking guitars with a hefty bass line, and anguish-ridden group vocals led by singer Jack Stavrakis imploring us to never lose our cool, and rather “just build up” – something I’m sure we can all relate to.
Emma Russack – ‘Body Goals’
Lifted from her new album Permanent Vacation, Body Goals is Russack’s dryly sarcastic assessment of social media and selfie culture, delivered in her unique talk-sing manner of vocal delivery. Musically, the track is a melancholic piece of stripped-back indie pop, a perfect match for the confronting subject matter.
Plyers – ‘Healing’
Healing perfectly captures Plyer’s self-described “outsider noise”, providing a trip through a range of heavy and experimental sounds in just 5 minutes. Blasting off in a screech of grindcore, the track gives way to an extended post-punk passage before keeping us on our toes with an unexpected foray into lightly strummed acoustic guitar chords.
Peppermint Showers – ‘Scary Close’
West Coast shoegazers Peppermint Showers nail dreamy downbeat indie sounds on this cut from their new debut EP Joy Boy. Managing to conjure a wide range of feelings, the tracks lulling guitar tones, big synth chords and reverb-drenched vocals manage to sound wistful yet hopeful at the same time.
