Last week I got a great message in my inbox, a summer playlist by the Trust Your Struggle crew. It immediately made me think we should pull a playlist together of all the tracks Justseeds members have had on heavy rotation this summer. Sixteen of us contributed, and many sent multiple tracks, so rather than embed endless boxes of YouTube videos, I’ve linked all the track titles to a place you can listen to the song. Enjoy!

1. Damon Locks’ Black Monument Ensemble – “NOW!”
The soundtrack of now. — Aaron Hughes

2. 79ers Gang – “79ers Bout to Blow”
This record, released by my friend Brice on his New Orleans label Sinking City Records, has been on heavy rotation. — Meredith Stern

3. Raw Power – “State Oppression”
This is Raw Power from Italy. Not sure why it’s taken me this long to get into this band but here it is in all its glory, some amazing hardcore from 1983 rocking my summer. — Pete Railand

4. Loose Joints – “Tell You (Today)”
An exuberant favorite that never gets old! — Mary Tremonte

5. Annalie Prime – “So Tired”
Annalie Prime is a Trinidadian singer/songwriter. This song centers the experience of a Black woman and has been validating in so many ways especially as there is this current push to get back to a similar pace of productivity whilst still being in a pandemic and witnessing the dire impacts around the globe to Covid-19, repression and climate change. — Saiyare Refaei

6. Sleaford Mods – “Shortcummings”
Sleaford Mods are a duo from the north of England who make spare angry music about living in a stupid place with stupid politics, which is extremely relatable! This song in particular captures a certain kind of sardonic bemusement at our mutual lack of ability to do much to influence the state of the world, but has decided that you might as well have some fun with it. — Roger Peet

7. Leon Thomas – “The Creator Has a Master Plan (Peace)”
2 years of heavy rotation! — Nicole Marroquin

8. Mdou Moctar – “Chrismiten”
Guitar based rock has been quite boring and derivative in the US for quite some time. Mdou Moctar of Niger combines some incredible shredding talent with their own cultural sounds. — Kevin Caplicki

9. Seinabo Sey – “My Eye”
— Jessica Sabogal

10. Manno Charlemagne – “Fin les Colonies!”
I’ve been thinking about Haiti a lot of late, and how the long tail of colonialism is so brutal and seemingly unending. This is one of the sharpest, yet most beautiful, anti-colonial anthems ever written, by Haiti’s beloved protest singer Manno Charlemagne. His records are sadly hard to find, but well worth tracking down. — Josh MacPhee

11. Common with PJ – “Imagine”
This new collab between PJ and Common embodies the hope and visionary feeling of the 2021 summer – one year out from pandemics and uprisings.  Imagine touches upon the dream and action work that folks all over have done to care for each other throughout this trying year. — Sarah Farahat

13. Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp – “So Many Things (to Feel Guilty About)”
One of my favorite contemporary bands is Switzerland’s  Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp- the kind of band that it gives me great joy to turn people on to, as they’re just so damn uplifting!  A recent review described them as  “somewhere between Phil Cohran and The Ex” which is a sweet spot if i’ve ever heard of one. their long-time drummer was also in the legendary Dog Faced Hermans. — Erik Ruin

14. Ofege – “It’s Not Easy”
Nigerian psych-rock on heavy rotation down at my place. – Paul Kjelland

15. Celso Piña, Control Machete y Blanquito Man – “Cumbia Sobre el Río”
A week ago I debuted as a DJ for the opening of the Queer Ecology Hanky Project outdoor party. I became DJ Tuna Turner, coached by beloved friend and JS member, Mary Tremonte! This song was the opening for my set and I couldn’t resist leaving the booth and joining the dance, absolutely love dancing cumbia! — Andrea Narno

16. Molly Fair highly recommends this entire Spotify playlist: POV: You’re a Cicada

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And if that’s not enough, here are a bunch of bonus tracks!:

Special Interest – “Young, Gifted, Black, in Leather”
Another record put out by Sinking City in New Orleans. — Meredith Stern

47 Soul – “Mo Light”
I also wanna throw down one from 47soul for all my Palestinian fam. — Sarah Farahat

Beyoncé w Shatta Wale and Major Lazer – “Already”
I’ve been playing this a lot this summer. — Mary Tremonte

Quelle Chris & Chris Keys – “Sudden Death”
I listen to Quelle Chris & Chris Keys’ song “Sudden Death” on repeat. Just the perfect mix of haunting and ebullient for these confusing times. Whole album is gold, and features a bunch of my current hip-hop favorites (Pink Slifu, Billy Woods, Earl Sweatshirt- so much great stuff these days!) — Erik Ruin

Hurray for the Riff Raff – “Crash on the Highway”
I have been listing to chill stuff from Hurray for the Riff Raff cause the world is too crazy. — Aaron Hughes

Amparo Sánchez – “Mi Genética”
I’ve been listening to this song and full album on repeat, full of joy and a good company for long shifts of endless silkscreen printing and designing time! — Andrea Narno

Sault – “Trap Life”
Really enjoy the amalgamation of styles by Sault especially their percussion. The political content and that they avoid self aggrandizement by obscuring their identities is something to admire. — Kevin Caplicki

Isley Brothers – “Ohio/Machine Gun”
This one is driving my family up a wall. — Nicole Marroquin

MSW – “O Brother”
This is MSW who is the same fella that does the band Hell. Super dark heavy sounds from Salem OR. Love it. This came out in 2020. — Pete Railand

Sonido del Principe – “Cumbia de la Baranquilla”
A fucked up dubstep cumbia thrasher which I wish I could play from the summit of the world trade center as the planes crash. — Roger Peet