Welcome to the first Strawberry Skies Weekly Jams playlist of the Fall 2022 Semester! It feels so good to be back on the air and sharing music with all of you again.
If you're reading this between 7:00 and 8:00 PM EST on Thursday, September 15th, you can listen live right now here. If you're not reading this during that timeframe, you can listen to what I played using this week's Spotify playlist here!
"MakeDamnSure" - Hot Mulligan
I wanted to start off this semester with a song that felt like an old favorite and a fresh new track all at once. This newly released cover of a Taking Back Sunday emo classic by Hot Mulligan was perfect.
"Inertia - Single Edit" - Boston Manor
I've been listening to a ton of Boston Manor lately, specifically their old material, but they've been putting out new music throughout this summer. I'm super excited to hear their new album "Datura" when it drops next month.
"Cherry Thrill" - Movements
I was in a bit of a slump when it comes to Movements back in 2020, but their two most recent singles "Barbed Wire Body" and "Cherry Thrill" are exactly how I want this band to sound. Can't wait to hear what's coming next for them.
"System (Failing)" - Soul Blind
I don't think there are any bands capturing the 90s grunge sound and making it feel new as well as Soul Blind is right now. They're another band to watch out for this fall with a new record called "Feel It All Around" arriving in November.
"Bound to the Burn" - Counterparts
Counterparts' "You're Not You Anymore" is one of my comfort albums and their most recent LP "Nothing Left to Love" was one of my favorite albums of 2019. This single is the latest from their upcoming full-length "For Those Still Here", which lands in October.
"Object Permanence" - Arm's Length
Arm's Length made their way onto my radar when my good friend Benjamin Greenblatt (also of Regrown) joined their lineup. They put out an awesome new single this week that will be a part of their next album, "Never Before Seen, Never Again Found," dropping via Wax Bodega in late October.
"Permanent Resolution" - Homesafe
I wanted to take the middle of today's show to give some love to a few artists that I got to work with this summer. Homesafe, one of my favorite bands for years now, hired me to work on the release campaign for their newest single "Permanent Resolution", and I promise I'm not biased when I say this one has song-of-the-year potential.
The lyrics are easy to sing along with, the instrumental is infectious, and although I'm writing this ahead of time, I'll bet you I'll be dancing around the radio station as this plays on air this week. The band is also currently on tour with Forever Came Calling and Pollyanna - be sure to stop by if they're in your city!
"Cherry Chapstick" - Penny Bored
Penny Bored, the solo project of artist Faith Alesia, is always one of my favorite artists to work with. They wrote this song about their experiences with toxic relationships which I think is an extremely important topic to spread awareness about, and the song itself is endlessly catchy.
"Number One Enemy" - Sporting
I've been working with Sporting for about a year, and this summer I finally got to meet them all in person for the first time while attending a show on a tour that I helped book alongside them. This is my favorite song that they've released so far, but the unreleased tracks from their upcoming LP are absolutely incredible as well - keep your eyes and ears peeled for those.
"Garrote" - Garrote
I got to see Garrote for the first time last week as my first show back in Connecticut at the Wamleg in Wallingford. Seeing straight-edge bands with members close to my age is so empowering, and I hope I get to see them again soon.
"As Flowers Wilt" - Take It to Heart
I saw Take It to Heart for the first time at my second show of the week last weekend, and I was completely blown away. Their sound is refreshingly unique and their new album "Hymns for the Hopeless" is undoubtedly worth the listen. I wish this band could play Connecticut every weekend.
"Postulant" - Broken Vow
Screaming the lyrics to this one with all my friends this weekend was exactly what I needed after being away from CT for three months this summer. Very proud of BV and TITH for completing their first cross-country North American tour together, can't wait to see what's next for both of them. Broken Vow also has a song on the latest One Scene Unity compilation along with some other amazing bands like Wreckage, Gridiron, Killing Me, Adrienne, Fools Game, and more - I can't play those songs here since they're explicit, but be sure to check out the comp!
"End of Summer" - End on End
End on End was another band I got to see for the first time this past weekend and their set was full of energy. Their latest EP "People Like You" was released via New Morality Zine in March 2022, definitely give it a spin if you missed it when it dropped.
"Something For The Youth" - Restraining Order
Rounding out the list of bands I saw for the first time during my first weekend of shows back in Connecticut, I finally got to experience a Restraining Order set live. This one was electric and cathartic and I can't wait to see them again soon.
"Dreaming in a Wasteland" - Koyo
Koyo is one of my favorite bands in the world but you probably already know that if you're reading this. Seeing them outside of our hometown in Long Island is always weird but I can't wait to show them some love during their set at The State House in New Haven this weekend when they play with Foreign Hands, Belmont, Kublai Khan, and Stick To Your Guns. This is also my formal request for them to play this song in CT on Sunday because I haven't heard it live in forever and I would like to scream the words as loud as possible please and thank you.
What songs do you want to hear me play next week? Let me know by tweeting me at @JENSESSlON or the blog at @StrawbSkiesBlog! The blog can also be found on social media @StrawberrySkiesBlog on Instagram and Strawberry Skies Blog on Facebook. If you'd like to support me and/or the blog, you can pick up Strawberry Skies stickers here and shirts here!