Welcome to the final Strawberry Skies Weekly Jams playlist of February 2022! This month went by pretty quickly (duh, it's the shortest month of the year), but I'm excited to spin some of my favorite new releases for you guys today.
If you're reading this between 6:00 and 7:00 PM EST on Thursday, February 24th, 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!
"Bad Habits" - Ed Sheeran, Bring Me The Horizon
I definitely felt like I was in the minority when I talked about liking this song when it first came out (side note, why do I always end up defending Ed Sheeran in these playlists?), but now, I don't want to hear any slander for this track anymore. Although "Bad Habits" was an ultra-poppy song at first, the addition of Bring Me The Horizon turns it into a super fun alternative rock masterpiece.
"Emotion Sickness" - Said The Sky, Will Anderson, Parachute
Parachute is one of my favorite bands of all time and they were the first band I ever saw from front row, right up against a barricade, so they're very special to me, despite the fact that I don't talk about them a ton. This new song by Said The Sky featuring Parachute's vocalist WIll Anderson has been stuck in my head since it dropped.
"The Rock" - A Will Away
A Will Away is one of those bands that I'll always call one of my favorites but I don't necessarily talk about a lot. Their new album, "Stew", was such a pleasant surprise during a bleak winter, and is more of the same catchy rock goodness paired with emotional lyrics.
"I'm Always Thinking About You" - Carpool Tunnel
Carpool Tunnel's album "Bloom" was a release I wasn't expecting to love in 2021, but I was obsessed with it. This new single is another dose of sugar-sweet, sunshine-filled love-pop.
"Wild Words, Strange Sounds" - Bent Blue
Bent Blue has been one of my favorite hardcore bands for close to two years now, and they're some of the most passionate, most genuine, most talented people in the genre. If you like the vocal style of Fiddlehead's Pat Flynn, you will adore Bent Blue.
"AM Gold" - Train
My mom and I bond over our love of Train every single time we get in the car together, whether we're trying to remember all the words to "50 Ways to Say Goodbye" and "Meet Virginia" or singing along to "Drive By" and "Angel in Blue Jeans." They just put out this new single, and we just got tickets to see them at Jones Beach in Wantagh, NY this summer, so it looks like it's time for us to start memorizing these lyrics.
"Optimism (As A Radical Life Choice) [Etc Version]" - Spanish Love Songs
I saw Spanish Love Songs for the first time this past summer with Rise Against and instantly fell in love with their album "Brave Faces Everyone." They're releasing some re-imagined versions of songs from that record, and this is my favorite one so far.
"Hard Being Alive" - Oscar Scheller, chloe moriondo
I don't think I've ever heard of Oscar Scheller before, but I'll listen to anything that has chloe moriondo's name on it. This track is definitely different from moriondo's 2021 record "Blood Bunny", but it's still super fun upbeat pop, just with a different vibe.
"Call It Like I See It" - Big Time Rush
The theme of the week seems to be bands that I love but don't normally talk about, and Big Time Rush is certainly one of them. They were my first "real" concert back when I was ten years old, and I'm still in disbelief that they're releasing new music again after such a long hiatus. If anyone calls me out for streaming this track too much, I'm telling them to be quiet and let me heal my inner child.
"Miller Lite" - Wish Kit
This song has been out for a while, but it's been in my rotation for a few weeks and I couldn't believe I hadn't played it on my show yet. It sounds like a mixture of a song by Oasis and a song on the "Juno" soundtrack, and, yes, that's a good thing.
"Quarter Life Crisis Diaper" - False Pockets
This is another track that has been out for a while that I hadn't gotten around to playing on one of these shows yet, but it's another great one. Songs like this make me want to go to a DIY show in a sweaty basement and scream along (that is also a good thing).
"spooky ghost noises" - Saint Judas
Saint Judas and I have followed each other on Twitter for a while, but this was the first release of theirs that I had been around for. To say I was blown away is an understatement. If you like sad pop-punk adjacent stuff like Safe Bet or Real Friends' most recent EP, you'll love this EP.
"Useless" - Bullet Proof Backpack
Bullet Proof Backpack is a band that I had heard friends talk about but had never really checked out. Since they're on a show I'll be at this weekend (more on that later) I decided to finally give them a shot, and I'm glad that I did.
"XOXO" - GEL
GEL is a band that I got into late last year, and they've remained in my regular rotation since then. Excited to finally see them for the first time on Sunday.
"Bad Energy" - SPACED
SPACED (along with Kidnapped) rounds out the lineup at Wamleg in Wallingford, CT this weekend, and if you know me, you know how much I've been digging this band since last summer. They're incredible live, and even if you don't love hardcore, you'll love their energy. If you're in the area, come out to the show and find your new favorite band!
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.
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