As the Australian music scene begins to enter a cautious state of normalcy following a few difficult years, the country’s musicians are still facing enormous limitations in working opportunities to support and sustain their careers.
The Australian Music Radio Airplay Project – better known as Amrap – offers an excellent pathway to airplay to the many community stations who have long championed Australian music in all its myriad forms. Providing exposure often before anyone else, community radio is a strong and unique network immune to passing trends.
In this Tone Deaf series, a different music director or presenter at some of the finest community stations from around the country get their opportunity to share the best national music discoveries from Amrap.
This week it’s the turn of 4ZZZ FM presenter Sophia Mann, who had this to say: “As we head into election season, we see various marginalised communities unwillingly thrust into public debate. While some seek to exclude trans people from various spaces, Amrap continues its endeavour to broaden its inclusivity.
The breadth of genre and diversity of musicians is wonderfully inspiring and yields gorgeous musical moments only found from the grassroots. Continuing to keep communities connected and artists with an accessible means of distributing their music for local community radio, Amrap is emblematic of walking the walk and talking the talk of inclusivity, something that 4ZZZ also prides itself on.”
Check out ‘Waiting Wasting Time’ by Dani Teveluwe’:
Prudns – ‘WYSML (What You Say My Love)’
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Prudns has gifted us, bow and all, with a jazzy, thoughtful, track. Saxophones softly serenade us as they sing of an inability to disclose emotions. As their music wraps itself around us, we are reminded of her bold, audacious style and are excited for things to come.
allie elle – so anyway that’s my thing, how’re you? EP
Meanjin local allie elle wowed us with their latest EP so anyway that’s my thing, how’re you?. A staggering expression of self, with experimental instrumentation that sticks in your brain for days after listening. Honest, bare-all and groovy. Also, the night core edit is so much fun.
Samuel Gaskin ft. The Merindas – ‘RĀIN’
Samuel Gaskin, a Māori musician on an endeavour to create change and bring inclusivity to his projects, pairs with Meanjin locals the Merindas for this new track. The delightfully, dance-y electronica is a lamentation on stifled feelings that still gets the knees wiggling.
Ballardong Whadjuk and Nyoongar woman Kristel Kickett and Candice Lorrae of Jawoyn and Thursday Island heritage bring an abundance of glamorousness, further elevating the lyrics into an emotive, powerful banger.
Dani Teveluwe – ‘Waiting Wasting Time’
The sultry Gold Coast singer brings a smooth jazz bop, with soft grooves accompanying her effortless vocal delivery. The singer soothingly caresses us with the track, a testament to her mantra of creating joyful, uplifting music with a much-needed levity.
Meanjin-based trio SGO delivers sombre soft pop in all its meditative glory in their track ‘Bookcase’. The dreamy, lingering instrumentals are punctuated by a subtle yet haunting vocal performance. This melodic guitar riff and classic shoegaze lets us peek as the writers ponder on relationships ending and unending.
S.A.B is an exciting young performer, already having opened for Tasman Keith in Meanjin. With a mind for the political and a respect for musical legacies of hip hop artists locally and internationally, S.A.B brings passion and fury in this EP.
Through witty and evocative lyricism, S.A.B doesn’t shy away from the hard-hitting while delivering expertly crafted lyrical punches. Black Noise is astonishingly haunting with critical explorations of both the self and the societal.
Check out ‘Bookcase’ by SGO:
