Warmer Climes

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 08:05:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:23:00 +0000

WARMER MIXTAPES #558 | by Alex Feder [Leornard Friend] of The XYZ Affair

1. Pirates Of Penzance Original Broadway Cast | With Cat-Like Tread, Upon Our Prey We Steal
Off of the Pirates Of Penzance soundtrack by Gilbert And Sullivan. This is, hands down, my favorite song. Ever. And, incidentally, also my favorite movie and album ever. I realize that seems a little odd, and I guess it's mostly for nostalgic reasons, but I feel like the King of the World when I listen to this. When I was younger my parents listened to a lot of Broadway shows and my father occasionally did community theater. At some point when I was super young he auditioned for The Pirates Of Penzance and rented the 80s movie (starring Kevin Kline and Linda Rondstadt) and for whatever reason it just stuck with me. I rented it every single weekend (I've since asked my mother why she never just bought it, and she shrugs and says she always assumed that I'd get bored of it so she never bothered) and used to listen to the tape constantly. In fact, I had two versions of the tape -- the Broadway soundtrack with Estelle Parsons as Ruth, and the movie-adaptation soundtrack with Angela Lansbury as Ruth. I think I wore them both out. I can't say this has any influence on my music as Leonard Friend, but I still think it's incredible. The huge orchestral hits that start it off, the pounding energy of the A section, the gorgeous melody in the Come, friends who plough the sea chorus section, the absurdly bombastic ritardando-plus-key- change at the end. It's just so awesome. An interviewer recently asked me who my dream duet partner would be, and I answered Linda Rondstadt because it'd be like living out a childhood dream.

2. Michael Jackson | Dangerous
This one is difficult to explain. Michael Jackson is easily my favorite recording artist, and as a whole, Thriller is definitely my favorite album of his. If I had to pick a song that I thought was his best song, I'd choose Billie Jean or Wanna Be Startin' Somethin, both of which seem to defy Pop logic (and each for different reasons) and both are just staggering in general. But for whatever bizarre reason, the song that makes me want to dance more than any other song ever is Dangerous, off the album of the same name. I have listened to this song a thousand times and I still want to dance every time it comes on. I love the structure of it -- there's a mostly-instrumental outro for nearly a minute and a half at the end! You can tell that it was a matter of him loving that beat and wanting room to dance to it after the song had finished. Dangerous was the album that came out when I was a kid, so it was what turned me on to MJ in the first place, and I think it's severely underrated. It's flawed like crazy, but the strong parts on it are really strong. I also directly associate the song with an amazing performance he did at the MTV Video Music Awards in the 90s. It was one of his best performances ever. If you haven't seen it, I strongly recommend checking it out.

3. Beyoncé | Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
This song is absolutely fascinating to me. On one hand it's so minimalistic -- for most of the song the only instrumentation is a lopsided drumbeat and that Frogger-esque synth sound -- but the hooks are just nonstop. Every single section is catchier than most choruses could ever dream to be! And when that unexpected chord change comes in in the chorus it just gets out of control for me. This song is exactly what I love about Pop Music and the opportunities it allows you: by all accounts, everything about this song other than the vocals is just straight up weird. But because it's contained within this bouncy beat and floating beneath those brain-snaringly catchy vocal hooks (not to mention a killer vocal performance by Beyoncé), they were like Fuck it. Let's just do whatever we want. I wish all Pop Music was like this. And don't even get me started on the video. I actually first started loving this song when I saw her perform it on SNL. To me it was a real moment. EVERYBODY was talking about the video and that dance by the next week. I love that it's so simple: no special effects, no fast cutting, no explosions. Nothing. Just Beyoncé and two dancers. People really need to learn a lesson from this song and video. I just find it all so so impressive.

4. Minor Threat | Straight Edge
I've never been a big drinker, and the whole Straight Edge thing really appealed to my rebelliously-square sensibilities in high school and early on in college. It felt good to have such an angry battle cry for the Non-Partying crowd. I've definitely loosened up about partying as I've gotten older, but it still doesn't really appeal to me. Whenever I'm in situations where I feel pressured into having a drink (which happens surprisingly often these days. I'm not sure what the motivation is! It's a really singular phenomenon. If I told somebody I don't like milk, would they ever be like COME OOOOON! DRINK SOME MILK! But somehow I think all alcohol tastes like piss doesn't seem to fly. Oh well), I'll usually crank this for a few days afterwards to get the frustration out of my system. Also, I grew up in Maryland right outside DC, so there's a certain DC Pride thing with Minor Threat, Fugazi, etc., which brings us to my next song...

5. The Dismemberment Plan | The City
This song is so stunning and honest to me. Very few songs embody the lonely feeling of city life in your confused 20s the way this does. It definitely perfectly encapsulates a specific DC feeling, but when I was living in New York I felt the emotion to be very applicable. It's strange, because it's up tempo and has that fast, skittering drum beat, but it's such a lonely song. Not much else to say about it! I feel an extremely personal connection with this whole album, and this song in particular.

6. Janet Jackson | Love Will Never Do (Without You)
Growing up there was a local pop station called WAVA (which then turned into a Christian station), and I distinctly remember listening to this song when it came out and thinking it was beautiful. I used to record mix tapes of the top 10 countdown at night and then bike through my neighborhood listening to them. A few years ago I reconnected with this song and haven't really stopped listening since then. I love those oversized Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis drum sounds. And the whole song is just like one hook after another, but it's all so simple. Janet had this specific THING in her prime that I can't quite put my finger on. Her vocal delivery was super light and straight-forward, almost a pre-cursor to that kinda Ciara/J-Lo type delivery, but with a lot more weight to it somehow. I read somewhere that the song was originally supposed to be a duet, with a male singer singing the lower-octave first verse. I actually think it would have come off really great, though I love the song so much as it is that I don't feel like Man, if only!... This and Escapade are my jams.

7. Bruce Springsteen | Darkness On The Edge Of Town
This is certainly not the most epic Bruce song, and I'm not sure it'd make most peoples' Top 5 Bruce Songs list, but it's been my favorite for a long time. This song and its lyrical tone influenced the lyrics for the songs on my album more than any other. There's this lonely, heartbroken, post-breakup/divorce thing to it, this unsettling feeling of Adulthood Gone Wrong, of dreams unrealized. There is just SO much raw emotion in his vocal delivery, and the quiet-to-loud transitions give me chills every time. Whenever that snare gives a huge CRACK leading into the prechorus and he starts shouting, I basically feel like I could take over the World.

8. The Righteous Brothers | You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
There's a lot I could say about how remarkable this song is, but I'll cut straight to the chase: I cannot get over how incredible the bridge is. A while ago I started an email thread with some of my Music Nerd friends asking if they could think of another example of a song where the bridge is hands down the best section. Personally I can't really think of one other than this one. That call and response build at the end is so gut wrenching and awesome, it's almost (but not quite) anti-climactic when it leads into the chorus, which speaks volumes because the chorus is AMAZING! A while ago I wrote a song that tried to capture a similar holy sh*t, check out the bridge thing. I actually think I managed to pull it off, but I've tried and tried to record it and thusfar haven't been successful. Maybe one day I'll capture it properly and have my Lovin Feelin' moment.

9. Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell | Ain't No Mountain High Enough
A lot of the classic Motown songs are tough because you hear them so much growing up -- being butchered by wedding bands, on Oldies radio, in cheesy commercials, in movies, etc. It's very easy to lose sight of just how remarkable a song like Ain't No Mountain High Enough is. I think it was Sister Act 2 that killed this one for me for a while. But a few years back I got two Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell duet albums, including United which features this song, and holy jeez has Sister Act 2 done me a great disservice. I used this song to practice singing for a year straight, and after digging into it I kind of feel like every single line that Marvin Gaye sings on this song is the best vocal performance anybody has ever sung. Tammi Terrell is also such an interesting singer, because she has this kind of regular ol' girl vibe to her delivery, there's no flare or flash, she just straight up SINGS a song and it sounds totally right. It really is the exact perfect compliment to the consistent ache in Marvin Gaye's voice. As always, Ashford and Simpson wrote the heck out of this song, and when you hit that key change in the third verse and Tammi says "Our love is alive" and Marvin replies with a big "WOOOO!" it's one of the best moments in recorded Pop history.

10. Wu-Tang Clan | Shame On A Nigga
I used to hate Wu-Tang because I thought their music was totally hookless, and as a songwriter I just couldn't get into it. But at some point I forced myself to dig into this album and now it's one of my favorite albums of all time. RZA's production is just unreal, because at first listen it just sounds like some weird loop over and over with no real change, but the more you listen the more you pick up on his subtle shifts under each verse. He shifts the beat just enough to help the verses have real cadences, pulling elements out and bringing in subtle hits that match the flow of whoever's rapping at the time. It's all very minimalist, but it's so musical despite seeming very unmusical at first. My brother is a big fan as well and always points out that he likes that back in the day specific producers would serve as the primary (or often lone) producer for a group -- Dre with NWA, RZA with Wu Tang, The Bomb Squad with Pubic Enemy, etc. -- it gave everybody a more specific voice than things are now where a producer will make beats for every different MC, and every different MC has a ton of producers producing different songs on the same album. Anyway, it's tough to pick a favorite song because each of the members shines in different ways on different songs (except I've never really gotten into U-God), but I pick Shame On A Nigga for two reasons: First, I think Method Man completely destroys his verse. His Yo RZA, yo Raaaaza, hit me with the major intro just has such a badass feel to it, and the I'm betta than my competta, you mean competitor whateva, let's get togetha is one of my favorite lines of his ever. And second, ODB is always insane (it's not often you hear diarrhea rhymed with gonorrhea), but when he's on I think he's ON. That Hut one hut two hut three HUT! Ol Dirty Bastard live and uncut, much like Method Man's Yo RZA, is such a totally badass first line to his verse. I like Raekwon's forming like Voltron line, but I think he generally gets outshone on this one.

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:57:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:37:00 +0000

WARMER MIXTAPES #557 | by Wouter De Backer [Gotye] of The Basics

1. Bullion | Say Goodbye To What
Bullion's sample-heavy Pop-Hop is texturally rich, and he twists and turns his arrangements in exciting ways. Love the mangled vocal part in Say Goodbye To What.

2. Chairlift | Ghost Tonight
Chairlift's 2012 album Something is a winner. Caroline Polachek's voice sweeps over huge ground against this great Electro-shuffle feel.

3. The Chap | Well Done You
One of my favourite bands and massively under-recognised, The Chap craft immaculately produced Alternative Pop with a marvellously dry wit and strong sense of the Absurd.

4. The Book Of Mormon Original Broadway Cast | Hasa Diga Eebowai
I was lucky enough to see The Book Of Mormon in New York last year, and it's one of the best things I've ever seen on a stage. The balance of deep parody and genuine celebration of both Musical Theatre and Religion is amazing. No ethnic stereotype or PC-take on the problems of the Third World is safe from Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez in this song.

5. Jens Lekman | An Argument With Myself
I'm looking forward to Jens Lekman's next full-length. This track, from an eponymous EP, is one of the songs that didn't fit that album's overall direction apparently, but it's a winning opener to a great EP. Love the Melbourne street references and the backpackers at Reggae night "pouring out like a tidal wave of vomit".

6. Oscar + Martin | Do The Right Thing
Oscar + Martin supported me on recent shows and performed some sterling sets. Do The Right Thing's combination of falsetto male vocal harmonies, choppy guitar with crisp Minimal beats has a wonderful openness.

7. Destroyer | Kaputt
Dan Bejar of Destroyer voyages through a reimagined '80s like some kind of wizened post-hipster, reminiscing on the girls, cocaine and music magazines that focussed so much energy before things get deliciously surreal... Step out of your toga and into the ocean. The film clip is a must-watch.

8. St. Vincent | Cruel
A standout track from St. Vincent's record Strange Mercy, Cruel is beautifully produced intelligent Alternative Pop. The swooning strings and voice that intermittently drift against the forward-leaning groove suggest an out-of body experience against the grounding of the edgy guitar and tight drum sounds.

9. Architecture In Helsinki | W.O.W
One of my favourite songs from AIH's last album Moment Bends. From one lover to another, but more on an '80s Synth Pop tip than streamy islands. The harmony refrain when I caught ya, walking on water is golden.

10. Zoë Keating | Escape Artist
Seeing and hearing Zoë Keating build a song like Escape Artist live with one cello is a mesmerising thing. It's a richly dramatic arrangement from her record Into The Trees.

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:37:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:43:00 +0000

WARMER MIXTAPES #556 | by Greg Nelson and Gavin Rhodes of Lightouts

SIDE A | by Gavin Rhodes

1. The Cure | Push
One of my top-5 Cure songs. This is one of those Cure songs that show the stereotypical perceptions of the band as all keyboards, gloom, and doom are so wrong. One of the best guitar driven Pop-songs of all time. Soaring, anthemic, wistful, it's just amazing to me. This guitar riff alone was hugely influential in my development on the guitar. A smile to hide the fear away / I'll smear this man across the walls / Like strawberries and cream. I just wept a little.

2. The Horrors | Endless Blue
Probably my top track of 2011. It's got a long instrumental intro that almost loses you, but then there's the tempo change. Oh the tempo change. Fucking righteous. Psychedelic Furs-esque vocals, growling, raspy guitars, spacey bass groove, atmospheric ride cymbal... How can you not rock out to this?

3. Broken Social Scene | Cause=Time
The song that sold me completely on BSS. The production is awesome - half Lo-Fi, half "Good Vibrations" brilliance. There are so many subtle things going on that combine to give a sense of urgency that is palpable.

4. The Clientele | Since K Got Over Me
The perfect song for a chilly early winter evening. The vibrato guitar line, the descending bass line, a little Sloop John B rip off in just the right spot = a steaming mug of Melancholy Pop.

5. Death Cab For Cutie | Underneath The Sycamore
Best song on a hugely underrated album. Death Cab at the height of their Pop powers. Sparse verses coupled with an earworm chorus make a great song. Pitchfork gave this album a 5.0 - get the fuck out of here with that bullshit. This was one of the best of 2011, no question.

6. Spoon | Out Go The Lights
Hands down the best produced album of 2010. It's all very subtle, but it's perfect. Listen to the space they make on this song. It's immense and each part has its own stage and immediacy. The section from 2:48 on is awe-inspiring.

7. Hepcat | Gimme Little Sign
I want this music playing after a Lightouts set. Drenched in sweat, still riding the adrenaline high of rocking every last drop out, then cut to this. Add cold pint and some hip-swaying cuties and we're good.

8. Darker My Love | Two Ways Out
Psych-Pop at its best. Great fuzzy guitar bed with a chimey lead and soaring vocal harmonies. It's like the first steps outside on a sunny day after smoking a joint.

9. Silversun Pickups | Kissing Families
Easily could have been a song on The Smahing Pumpkins Gish. Off-kilter phrasing, a nice mix of electric and acoustic guitar and a super fucking catchy chorus. Kills me everytime.

10. Ride | Twisterella
Jangly, bright Brit-Pop at its best. It's hard to Shoegaze with this song - you've gotta let it twist you around and around.

SIDE B | by Greg Nelson

1. The Replacements | Unsatisfied
Spent many a night in a dorm room smoking and acting reflective to this song.

2. Stevie Wonder | Heaven Help Us All
I could put the album Signed, Sealed, Delivered on at any time in any mood.

3. Lou Reed | The Blue Mask
I seriously think this is the most intense song and throbbing bassline I have ever experienced.

4. Pavement | Perfume-V
Lo-Fi production meets one of the great chorus melodies of all time.

5. Leonard Cohen | Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye
Cohen’s ability to romanticize heartache defies logic.

6. Misfits | Skulls
We recently covered this to end a live show and I think I blew something somewhere.

7. Prince And The Revolution | Kiss
It is my dream to create Music that merges the aesthetic of Prince with the above-mentioned Misfits.

8. Van Morrison | Into The Mystic
Rocks my Gypsy soul.

9. The Smashing Pumpkins | Jellybelly
The crescendo bit about 2:30 is a magic Rock & Roll moment.

10. T. Rex | Bang A Gong (Get It On)
This is just one of those songs I remember hearing at a very young age and realizing there might be something to this whole Rock Music thing.

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:52:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:32:00 +0000

WARMER MIXTAPES #555 | by Robert Andrew Shukman aka Bob Stanley of Saint Etienne

Here are my favourite songs right now. I think they'll make a good mixtape.

1. Elvis Presley | Blue Moon
I've loved Elvis since I was a kid. This is rare occasion when you get to hear his falsetto. You could call it haunting. He sounds like a ghost.

2. Cyril Stapleton And His Orchestra | Blue Star (The Medic Theme) (feat. Julie Dawn)
This was apparently the theme from a TV series called Medic, which I've never seen. It sounds like old Hollywood from some non-specific era. Like a Pan Am flight in black and white, with Anita Loos walking down the steps in LA.

3. The Five Satins | In The Still Of The Night
This is the first song I get in my head whenever I'm in New York. It sounds like a traffic jam, in a good way.

4. Priscilla | He Noticed Me
Woozy seduction on the Beach. You can probably tell this was a big influence on our sound. Jack Nitzsche arranged this. He was great.

5. Chuck Jackson | I'm Your Man
This is also how I imagine New York in my head, but this is early morning, Sunrise, in the Summer. Not quite sure what Chuck's getting at in the lyric but it works.

6. Basil Kirchin | Prelude And Dawn
Now we're in the Industrial North. Maybe on a canal bank in West Yorkshire. Mirfield? Huddersfield? Basil Kirchin was maybe the cleverest person I ever met, but he couldn't work out how to pay a bus fare. His mind was entirely tuned into making Music.

7. Blue Mink | Stay With Me
Vaseline on the lens, vaseline on the tapeheads, woozy almost Dubby, definitely lightly Psychedelic. The best bunch of British sessioneers in the 70s come good.

8. Ennio Morricone | La Bambola
From a short film about the model Veruschka. She was beautiful, but not as beautiful as this. We listened to Mondo Morricone ever such a lot while we were in Sweden recording the Good Humor album.

9. The Beach Boys | All I Wanna Do
From Sunflower, which is maybe the best Beach Boys as a group - everyone chips in. This is one of Brian's, though. The lyric's so simple. All I wanna do is always be friends with you. It circles around and around, properly hypnotic.

10. Chris Isaak | Can't Do A Thing (To Stop Me)
He's really beating himself up and doesn't even realise it.

+11. The Durutti Column | Conduct
Back to the North of England, probably Lancashire, Pendle witches round the corner.

+12. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark | Sealand
An anthem for my favourite independent republic in Western Europe.

+13. John Barry | The Glass Menagerie
Suburban music box. Creepy, and very little, and getting littler. Along with Brian Wilson, John Barry wrote my favourite chord changes ever.

+14. Luboš Fišer | Forgiveness
From the soundtrack of Valerie And Her Week Of Wonders, a vampire coming of age movie, like Let The Right One In but with more witchiness.

+15. ABBA | Like An Angel Passing Through My Room
The clock ticking down to the end of the affair.

+16. Bee Gees | Until
The flip side of Tragedy and the antithesis of the A-side, built solely out of Aero-bubble keyboards and Barry’s orphaned vocal, gently drifting over the skyline and out of sight.

+17. Hank Levine And Orchestra | Image (Part I & II)
Finally in New York again, 2am, and the best theme ever for a non-existent movie.

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 13:51:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 10:54:00 +0000

WARMER MIXTAPES #554 | by Paul Dixon [David's Lyre]

1. Maps & Atlases | Living Decorations
We went to Sweden to record some of the In Arms EP, and I went for several (cold) walks around the city of Gothenburg listening to Maps & Atlases album Perch Patchwork. We share a similar obsession with 7ths in songs, I literally couldn't stop whistling the melody of this song to the point of even annoying myself. Embarrassing.

2. Marvin Gaye | Save The Children
What's Going On in my opinion is a contender for best album of all time. I first became addicted to it on a trip to Berlin and Poland on a school trip - it's perfect to listen to whilst looking out the window on long journeys. There is so much Emotion and Freedom in Gaye's voice in this song, it's incredible.

3. Arcade Fire | Modern Man
This is one of those songs which just sucks you in instantly. I like the seeming simplicity, yet concurrent complexity of it. I find that a lot with Arcade Fire's music.

4. Eugene McGuinness | Fonz
On first hearing this the energy really captured me and I also found the lyrics quite amusing. It's a song I return to a lot when I'm not sure what I want to listen to.

5. Chapel Club | Five Trees
We loved touring with Chapel Club - Lewis is one of the best lyricists around at the moment. This track used to be stuck in my head all the time on that tour so when I hear it it reminds me of those two weeks.

6. Felix Mendelssohn | Violin Concerto In E minor, Op. 64 (Played by Isaac Stern, Philadelphia Orchestra)
One of my favourite violin concertos - when in the right mood it is one of the best pieces of Music to listen to. It was a piece we played in an Orchestra I was in and I have loved it ever since.

7. Villagers | Becoming A Jackal
When I saw Conor O'Brien perform this solo on Jools Holland I was blown away. I bought the album straight after the show. I like the sinister nature of Villagers' music, yet the frequent jovial nature of their delivery.

8. Amerie | 1 Thing
When I was younger I used to connect lots of different speakers and amps together to see how loud I could get it when my parents were out. When I finally got it to work this song came onto the radio which I had the speakers connected to - it was a triumphant moment. The groove of this track always makes me smile.

9. Dizzee Rascal | I Luv U
Growing up in London I had always been aware of Hip Hop/Rap (mostly American), but Grime seemed to connect with people on another level. Dizzee of course was not the first ever Grime artist but he did bring it into the public consciousness which was important.

10. John Martyn | Solid Air
I was fortunate enough to see John Martyn play live shortly before he died. Listening to this now reminds me of sitting in awe watching him play.

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 01:44:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 06:08:00 +0000

WARMER MIXTAPES #553 | by Jerrett Morrison [Wyldlyf] and Tyler Hull [Videobend] of PEACH

SIDE A | by Tyler Hull

1. Jon Brion | Phone Call
I just saw the movie Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind the other day, and this song from the soundtrack really hit me. I can feel the emotion portrayed in the song, and I know that emotion.

2. Onra | High Hopes (feat. Reggie B) (Instrumental)
I love The S.O.S. Band. When Onra flipped the sample of High Hopes I thought I found Heaven. I literally listened to this song like 30 times everyday. Onra is a really nice producer and versatile in terms of production.

3. Toro Y Moi | You Hid
I really like Chaz Bundick's projects (Les Sins, Toro Y Moi) because they remind me of an organic Dilla-esque orchestra of Fender Telecaster guitars and MPC's. You Hid is a classic choice from his debut LP Causers Of This.

4. Groundislava | Very Basketball
This track, is PERFECT. Okay, Jasper Patterstation aka Groundislava is one of my favorite emerging artists in this whole Lo-Fi 8bit Fresh Prince Hip Hop scene, and this track is a perfect example of why.

5. Neutral Milk Hotel | The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. One
This song, from the album In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, has been a classic example of 90s Indie Folk coming back into the mainstream Folk scene at least for me anyway. The song is about childhood friends ignoring their parents and having fun together.

6. Boards Of Canada | Over The Horizon Radar
This song and this album (Geogaddi) are absolutely filled with emotion and heart. I've listened to this song on loop for hours. Kind of reminds me of a Sunset because it starts off quietly, and ends sort of slower than it starts, only there for a minute.

7. Knxwledge | Fruit
Only just started listening to this guy, but I really enjoy his stuff. The Old.Klouds.LP is really hot. I think the intro part is from the song Take The Fruit from the group People Under The Stairs, but I'm not sure. Very nice bassline in this one, and really good harps.

8. oddlogic | Donut Vise
From the Outlier Recordings OUTSOURCED COMPILATION Volume 4. The strings on this are profound. The little vinyl crackles too, I love vinyl crackles, especially since I am a vinyl collector myself. Check out the rest of the stuff on this album too. So many cool artists.

9. Ruddyp | Thinking Of Leaving
Ruddy Paniagua is a really cool artist I found on YouTube when looking for Chillwave songs. His music is more of an Urban sounding Hip Hop though. This one comes from the Winter Beats EP, check that out. Good vibes from Ruddyp.

10. Waka Flocka Flame | Hard In Tha Paint (Shlohmo's 'Sit Down' Remix)
Personally I don't really care for Modern Rap that much, but Shlohmo has opened up my eyes to the light. This remix, reminiscent of some of The Weeknd's instrumentals, has a really calm vibe with lots of MPC2000XL samples.

SIDE B | by Jerrett Morrison

1. Kona Triangle | Signs And Wonders
This song has probably the best synth-line I have ever heard. I feel like Kona Triangle is the perfect example of a Hawaii/Tundra type feel.

2. Lone | Love Heads
Again another Tropical type feeling with this one but that constant looping gets my head nodding every damn time. Child-like mentality while listening to Lone.

3. Onra | High Hopes (feat. Reggie B) (Instrumental)
Personally (next to Dilla) I think Onra is one of the best samplers ever. This track makes me so jealous of everyone who got to live through late 70s/mid 80s Funk era for sure. Those pitched down vocals are what makes the song in my opinion.

4. Shing02 | Luv(sic) Part Two
I almost cannot listen to this song without wishing at some point I met the master-mind behind Nujabes, it makes me very sad actually. It's sad that legends have to die to become legends, I think he deserved way more through his days living... R.I.P.

5. Oneohtrix Point Never | Behind The Bank
All that comes to mind when I listen to this song is complete bliss, truly. I can't get out of my mind that it reminds me of being in the 60s, and just having a good time (doing Acid if you will). Also reminds me of being on a cliff looking out onto grassy plains in Scotland.

6. Reso | Main Sequence Star
Maximum Drone, to say the least. Reso not only made this song out of nowhere, but my ears received as something completely abstractly good. Reminds me of driving through Tokyo at night and being totally stoked for upcoming events.

7. Boards Of Canada | Sixtyniner
Like all BOC songs, this song is euphoric to say the least. When I hear this song I think Science, Transportation, and Efficiency. It also reminds me of when I used to produce music as Monofram back in the day, as a early project, droning pads, Hip-Hop drums patterns, and talking in the backgorund... When I found out about Boards Of Canada I felt my life was complete.

8. Group Home | Suspended In Time
Hip-Hop being one of my biggest influences, this song means a lot. The way it's set-up is amazing, that loop, samples, and vocals just fit perfectly. All my dreams and hopes come to mind while listening to this one, it's just amazing how anyone can create Music but you have to have that special talent to understand your surroundings and incorporate them into your music.

9. J Dilla | Take Notice Instrumental
This song brings me back to a simpler time when I first started getting into/exploring unique and genuine music such as the almighty J Dilla. I remember I had a shitty Netbook and despite its in-capabilities, I still produced on it. Whether it was lagging or freezing I still never gave up and I'm very glad I didn't. (I also thank the almighty Adult Swim).

10. TOKiMONSTA | Gamble
Mid 90s sippin' on gin and juice type feel on this track for sure. Cali music if I've ever heard it, makes me wish I lived there, makes me think of all the inspiring people that live/have lived there. That lowpass makes this song just that much more relaxing and mental, really heartfelt almost. One day I will live there and fulfill my dreams of making music while looking out at a site to die for.

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:03:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:29:00 +0000

WARMER MIXTAPES #552 | by Matt Wells [Great Skies]

1. Smoosh | We Are Our Own Lies
I heard Smoosh’s music played at a party 2 years ago and I immediately connected to the tone of their music. Their album Withershins is one of my favorite albums, if not my favorite. They actually have a song titled Great Skies on that album which is why I’m named that. And We Are Our Own Lies has been a great inspiration to how I’ve wanted my music to sound.

2. Burial | In McDonalds
Whenever I listen to this song I can just imagine Burial sitting in the corner of a McDonald's restaurant late at night with his laptop making this. It’s so atmospheric and euphoric. It reminds me of when I first moved to London and waiting for the last tube home.

3. Mistabishi | No Matter What
I think this song really started me on Dance Music. I heard it at the beginning of that summer and I found the intro so Ambient and fitting to that time. After that I had to have the album and I still think to this day that it’s one of the most daring and Experimental Drum & Bass albums ever released. Also, strangely I now live round the corner from Mistabishi and now see him out and about which is crazy.

4. Quantic | Time Is The Enemy
I don’t remember exactly how I found this song, but I do remember driving to the far away beach at 3 in the morning with a load of old school friends with this playing. It just purely reminds me of my time at school and how much of a good time we had.

5. Sub Scape | Nothing's Wrong
When I first started making music as Great Skies all I wanted to achieve was to sound like this song. I’ve never heard anything else since this track that sounds similar and it just stays untouched. Great track.

6. Friendly Fires | Kiss Of Life
I caught the video premiere of this song at midnight a couple of years ago and ever since then it’s been a favorite of mine. It just sounds like Summer. If Summer had a sound this would be it. I kind of based my first EP Summer Moments on how this band sounded. Half way through making the EP I went to Glastonbury Festival (my first festival ever) and I saw them play live. They were incredible. As soon as they started playing it stopped raining for the first time in days. As the Sun set everyone had a drink in their hand and it was just exactly how I imagined a festival would be. As soon as I got home from Glastonbury I made a song based on that, called Festival.

7. Radiohead | Bloom
This song reminds me of filming time lapses out of my housemate Andy’s window at sunset, trying to get the London skyline in shot.

8. London Elektricity | Just One Second
I used to start a lot of mornings with this song. It’s just so upbeat and it hardly sounds Electronic at all, which is strange for a Drum & Bass song. I think if I were to do a DJ set, this would be one of the first tracks I’d reach for.

9. Context MC | Listening To Burial (feat. Slof Man) (Cinematic Remix)
A friend of mine from New Zealand sent me a link to this song late one night and I ended up loving it. I had it on a lot in my car and then a couple of nights later I ended up messaging Context and asked if I could produce a song for him. I didn’t really think anything would come of it until about a week later when he replied and said he liked my stuff. I ended up producing a track with him called Drowning so things really came full circle. I still listen to this song though all the time, great writing, great remix.

10. Netsky | Smiles
This song was actually never released. It was in a mix Netsky before he signed to Hospital Records and so every version available is a rip from that. Some day I hope it gets a proper release because I’ve never forgotten it. Also, annoyingly, he released a song called Smile, so it gets confused with that a lot.

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:57:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:32:00 +0000

WARMER MIXTAPES #551 | by Samuel Frankland Falson [Sam Sparro]

1. Rufus And Chaka Khan | Ain’t Nobody
This track, for me, exists in a place beyond Time and Space and will get me into the middle of the Dance floor, or have me turn up my radio, no matter where I am. The perfectly syncopated mixture of programmed drums, synths and live guitars represents an amazing transition in Popular Music. Chaka’s vocals are at once lazily and urgently delivered. No matter how many time I hear it - It cannot and will not grow old.

2. Prince | Controversy
One of Prince's most concise and poignant lyrical achievements. He’s questions the existence of God and his own sexuality in the same song with a biting sense of sarcasm. This track is flawless and even better is the extended version where his pitched up voice sings I wish we all were nude.

3. Loleatta Holloway | Love Sensation
As a child a drove my parents crazy with my incessant rewinding of the cassette tape of Ride On Time by Blackbox. The track featured the vocals from Loleatta Holloway’s Love Sensation. It wasn’t until my teen years that I even realized this was a sample and now I much prefer the original - with all the drama of its lush string arrangement. Her conviction reminds me of some of the great Gospel voices but with a little bit of smokey-bar-smut thrown in.

4. Erykah Badu | Bag Lady
The metaphor in this song really gets me: the story of a bag lady who just can’t let go of all the crap she is carrying around. The weeping guitar lick is so catchy. I remember watching Erykah perform this at Brixton Academy about 10 years ago and she must have played this song for 10 minutes, breaking it down and building it back up again a few times. The audience was in Heaven.

5. Sylvester | Be With You
There is sense of heart break and desperation in this song that really moves me. But it’s not your typical Love song. No - it’s a 1980’s sweaty Hi-NRG floor filler with a Moroder-esque bass line and a squealing synth solo that surely must have influenced the work of Daft Punk. This song transports me to the Castro or New York’s West Village.

6. D’Angelo | Untitled
Whenever I sit down at a drum kit - I usually start playing the drums from this song. It starts out with just a kick and a rimshot and then out comes this voice. It’s one of my favorite voices ever.

7. Beyoncé | Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
I remember marveling at how unconventional this song was the first time I heard it on the radio. The chorus vocals are doing these 3 part major harmonies and then in come these dissonant dark synth chords that seemed so crazy and out of place... And then before you know it you can’t get enough and you’re doing the dance in your bathroom mirror.

8. The Swiss | Manthem
Instrumental Melodic Hi-NRG Disco heaven. I find myself humming the top line synth melody on this track a lot. The producer, Jono Sloan, did some work on my new record and told that this song is the result of an incredibly long jam session - and an even longer editing session.

9. Tensnake | Coma Cat
It’s rare that a House track with very little vocals can reach deep down into your soul and bring out so much feeling and euphoria. This is one of those tracks. When it first came out I heard it in so many DJ sets and on so many Mixtapes and best of lists that you couldn’t play it for awhile but I think it’s a modern classic that will always take me back to a time and place.

10. The Clash | Magnificent Seven
The Clash straddled this fine line between Punk/Post-Punk/Funk and Disco that I find irresistible. The bass line in this track is instant. I love this sort of syncopation as well. It’s one of my favorite tracks to play in a DJ set.

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:55:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:57:00 +0000

WARMER MIXTAPES #550 | by Guy William of Regal Safari

1. Robert Görl | Mit Dir
It's a beautiful, meandering and Minimal Cold Wave song that truly acknowledges what Space really means in Music.

2. Walls | Il Tedesco
Anything on their new album could have made this list. You can really feel the Kraut influence and there's an impeccable sense of progression.

3. Neu! | Schöne Welle (Nice Wave)
This is the most enchanting piece of Music ever made. You glide into this warm effervescent Universe. Fluidity is an (unkept) secret in all good Music.

4. Zomby | Natalia's Song
My friend Alex told me to check out Zomby following him listening to our EP. I got the album and listened. Natalia's Song stood out a mile. The vocals are concise enough and they have their right place.

5. Gross Magic | P.Y.T
Glad this mixtape is imaginary because it'd be interesting mixing together Gross Magic and Zomby. Gross Magic and his live band are absolute bros and the EP is incredible.

6. Soft Metals | The Cold World Melts (VALIS Remix)
Ruthless and beautiful, it's a powerful song.

7. 18+ | Forgiven
Their new stuff is appalling but this is fantastic. Hardly ever give vocals much attention when listening to Music but these are just perfect.

8. Harmonia | Deluxe (Immer Wieder)
All of the songs mentioned above are ones that I adore but this is the only one on this list that I wish I wrote. I watched Hallogallo 2010 from the side of the stage at Hamburg's Dockville Festival in a near biblical rainstorm. As they played this song a huge cargo ship heading to the docks came by - it was one of the most incredible sights ever yet the soundtrack still trounced it. The song shows a lot of power coupled with a soft rhythmic textures that only can be pulled off by the most talented and enlightened composers and producers.

9. Food Pyramid | E-Harmony
If I went for early morning runs, I'd listen to this. It'd be like trying to run after a train that you know you couldn't possibly catch but if you could catch it you'd be taken to another planet. That keeps you running.

10. Gizeh | Never
Cold, glittery. Sounds like walking around Berlin alone with Sennheisers.

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:37:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 07:00:00 +0000

WARMER MIXTAPES #549 | by Walker B. [James Quaddy]

1. Shlohmo | wen uuu (Teebs Remix)
Every time I hear a Teebs song I often associate it with another, because the sounds he uses are often found within most of his songs. Needless to say, I feel a sense of calm serenity when I hear this song, it’s weird because I have a hard time concentrating or even thinking of anything else besides the chained bass kicks as they compress the rest of the track. This song is certainly a relaxing feel-good song; the beats just flow right into one another creating this feeling, which does an incredible job at putting me into a state of daze.

2. Kyson | Drifting On By
This tune touches more on the emotional side, a much deeper feeling within me. The song has a familiar sound to it, an element that I feel most Future Garage artists share. Every time I hear this song, I feel a sense of longing, not because I feel unfulfilled with this song, in fact it’s quite the contrary, it's an unmistakable feeling of something that is lost, it’s not meant to be a bad or depressing feeling, but it definitely makes me grove pensively to the song.

3. Sun Glitters | Too Much To Lose (Regal Safari Remix)
While listening to this song, it’s hard not to sit still. Every time I hear this song, it gives me the feeling like I’m hearing it for the first time. It has a crisp freshness to it that I am strongly attracted to. The distant vocals have a sense of airiness that puts me at ease from start to finish.

4. Regal Safari | Only (Sun Glitters Remix)
This song in particular is far different than anything I’ve ever heard before. It acts as a vessel taking me deeper and deeper into some surreal world. Besides listening to Breakage (far different genre) no other artist has ever taken me deeper into a song as this one does. The entire song has a slow groove to it, yet the airy distorted clap-snare works on the staggered beat that follows the kick keeping me hooked in a state of trance and awe through the entirety of this song.

5. Sepalcure | Carrot Man
In my opinion, any song that Machinedrum touches is gold and within seconds I fall in love. The song itself I find difficult to classify it to one particular genre, but the groove strongly rides throughout the entire song. For some reason I always associate this song with driving a car, I feel like I have to be occupied while listening to this song, so sitting down at a computer trying to think of a particular emotion or feeling that this song brings is proving to be difficult. However, this song seems to put me at an imaginary venue where I’m watching this being performed. The song itself is very engaging and seems to capture me throughout the song, I would have a difficult time only listening to one part of this song, it's almost as if I’m listening to a story unfold, I couldn’t just listen to a section of it, that would be pointless.

6. Machinedrum | TMPL
This song is simply a song not to be reckoned with, no producer could ever touch this or even TRY to make it any better than it already is. The slightly delayed synths plays with my ears and puts me into some euphoric state, this song is like a drug, no other song I’ve ever heard makes me feel the way I’m feeling all throughout this song. In many ways I often associate this song with the tingly feeling one gets when falling in love for the first time, tingles can’t help but to engulf my whole body as this feeling lasts throughout the entirety of the song.

7. Ages | A Coney Island (Of The Mind)
This Hip-Hop groove makes this song in particular incredibly easy for all audiences to listen to (I have no idea how he hasn’t blown up yet). The feeling I associate this song with is similar to the feeling you get when your drifting away into some (super-chill) dream-world. It’s honestly difficult not to think of floating away while listening to this song. The beat itself is very warm and welcoming, making me want to be around others as we are caught in the beat.

8. James Blake | Give A Man A Rod (Second Version)
One of the most talented producers to come out of 2011, James Blake has proved time and time again that Post-Dubstep is on the up, NOT to be confused with BRO-STEP or any other talentless producer such as Skrillex. This song in particular is not a well known song, mainly because it was only released on Hessle Audio's 116 And Rising, obviously a not well known compilation CD. This song has many of the same elements as in many of his other tracks, however this in particular has a flow unlike any other of his songs, it's difficult to describe, but it definitely has a positive effect on me in any mood. This song is a must have for all the James Blake fans.

9. LeToya | Not Anymore (Blacksmif 'Point Break' Mix)
This song is one of the dopest Post-Dubstep tracks I've heard in a while. The track has strong element of Soul, yet the down tune of LeToya's voice brings out strong elements of UK Garage. UK Garage always has a sweet spot in my heart, most notably for the vocals, which is why this song is on this list. The idea of taking old RnB vocals and turning them into progressive samples for a very progressive genre really interests me. This song seems to ride throughout the entirety of the track, flowing from one verse to the next, making it very, very easy to groove to (I often find myself mouthing the lyrics). If there's one song that I could listen to on repeat for an hour, it'd have to be this, words cannot explain how much depth lies within this song; it's best to experience it for yourself.

10. Kontigo | Desire
Time and time again, this song proves to bring out the strongest emotions and thoughts. I am engulfed into a pensive state of mind each and every time this song is played. I feel a sense of calming come over me as I drift deeper and deeper into thought, retracting further and further into my self-conscious.

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:12:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:16:00 +0000

WARMER MIXTAPES #548 | by Emma Hewitt of Missing Hours

1. Pearl Jam | Black
I am huge fan of Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam. I was heavily influenced by the Grunge scene that originally came out of Seattle in the 90’s. There was definitely something that set Pearl Jam apart from the other bands of that time though, I believe their song writing really took the scene to a whole different level. Eddie Vedder is such a poignant and personal storyteller, the songs really draw you in and effect you on a deep emotional level. This introverted and obviously shy person has a voice so large that it takes him far beyond the restrictions of his shyness. He has a voice that resonates and connects so much with me. The song Black was a big part of the soundtrack to my schooldays. The longing and pain in this song is something that as a high school kid stirred up so much emotion. This song reminds me of skipping school, walking down country roads, stealing cigarettes off our friend’s parents and dreaming of the possibilities that could be out there.

2. Fleetwood Mac | Never Going Back Again
The combination of musicians and songwriters in Fleetwood Mac created a sound that was so unique for their time, and has really lasted the test of Time. Especially with the album Rumours, pretty much every song from that album became a hit in it’s own right. My Dad was a huge Music fan and had all the albums of the 70’s bands like Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Neil Young, Pink Floyd etc. My early musical influence came from all these bands. Listening to the songs of Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles inspired me to first try to start singing, even though I was so young I had no idea what I was doing, the songs just made me want to sing whether I was any good at it or not. Our parents used to take us on holidays where we would pack up everything for 4 months at a time and drive all around Australia towing a caravan behind us. I remember listening to Fleetwood Mac while driving for hours across the desert, and imagining what that whole American Music scene must have been like back in the 70’s, and trying to figure out all the harmonies in my head. The song Never Going Back Again really takes me back to that feeling of the open road; a feeling of escaping which is what we all plan as high school kids. Now that I am older I can appreciate the musicianship in this song. Lindsey Buckingham’s acoustic guitar riff really is a song in itself, the harmonies are amazing… And these guys pulled these harmonies off so precisely in their live shows, no matter how many copious amounts of mind altering drugs they were probably taking at the time!! The voices gelled so well together, and I think the fact that Lindsey Buckingham actually wrote this song about his breakup with Stevie Nicks and still had her sing the harmonies gives it an extra sense of slight sadness even though the song is kind of up beat.

3. Johnny Cash | Hurt (Nine Inch Nail Cover)
Trent Reznor’s personal story of addiction and regret in the original Nine Inch Nails song Hurt is absolutely brilliant and I would never have believed anyone could come close to bettering his take on this song… Until Johnny Cash decided to record his own version. Johnny Cash’s interpretation is absolutely heart wrenching and breathtaking. Although he did not write this song, he has lived every single word of it, and the pain of this comes through in every note he sings. This was one of the last tracks Johnny Cash recorded before his death and it tells the tale of an old man looking back on a life of alcoholism and the pain he caused to the people around him. His long suffering wife looks on in the video while he plays the piano and sings the lyrics And you could have it all, My empire of Dirt. I will let you down, I will make you Hurt… If I could start again a million miles away, I would keep myself, I would find a way... I defy anyone to watch the whole video of this performance and not come close to shedding a tear.

4. Massive Attack | Teardrop (feat. Elizabeth Fraser)
One of the first Trip Hop songs to really permeate into the mainstream, and undoubtedly one of the defining songs of this genre. I think most people can remember what was going on in their life the first time they heard this song, it really reached and affected so many people. This song was probably one of my first introductions into Electronic Music, although it still has a lot of live elements. This track kind of showed me that songs didn’t always need to have a big, obvious chorus to be beautiful and effective, it is much more subtle. The vocals are beautiful and the music is evocative and moody. This song kind of sums up a time as well, in the early 2000’s this song was everywhere.

5. Tegan And Sara | Walking With A Ghost
This Tegan And Sara song is just insanely catchy!!! There are very few lyrics, it is almost like a ditty that keeps repeating and it just gets stuck in your head for days, but it makes me so happy!! The song is actually about friends leaving, abandon and trying to get someone out of your head and heart but the catchiness of the melody is a juxtaposition to the lyrics, as it is extremely upbeat. I remember when we were recording an album for my old band Missing Hours this song was our Fire Up song every morning while we were driving to the studio. We put it on loud in the car and sang it every morning on the way there to get us in the mood and make us feel happy! This would be the song playing on the car stereo as we drove up the highway with our first coffees in hand and our hangovers blearing...

6. Love Spit Love | Am I Wrong
I don’t know that this song or band really reached the level of success they deserved, but this is an extremely beautiful piece of Music from Richard Butler. The lyrics Goodbye, lay the blame on luck are so sad, but resigned to the situation. I think everyone can relate to these lyrics – I certainly do; having to let someone go and say goodbye and there is nothing you can really do about it, so you gotta just shrug your shoulders and say oh well, even though there is a much deeper sense of regret conveyed. To me, it is the acknowledgement that sometimes there is no-one to blame, but things just may not work out as you had hoped for whatever reason. The yearning in this song is so audible that it is heartbreaking… The we always thought things would be better kinda vibe gets me in this song… Someone lost without knowing which direction home is. I always related to that on some level. When the chorus drops into the minor fall... The melody... The melody kills me every time.

7. Tori Amos | 1000 Oceans
I probably could have chosen any one of about a dozen Tori Amos songs. I LOVE Tori Amos in her late 90’s/early 00’s Plugged era of Choirgirl Hotel when she was still touring with a full band. To be honest I never really entirely know what she is singing about all of the time, but that doesn’t really matter with her songs. This song has that rare quality that only happens so occasionally in Music, where the melody, the piano and words she is singing combine to create something much larger, almost like a frequency that can open portals into to other dimensions. It is an energetic frequency, kind of like alchemy, the kind of frequency that gives you goose bumps and perhaps if Music can heal, which I am sure it can, these ones are the healing frequencies. My take on this song is that it is about giving anything to bring back someone who has passed on or gone away, but in this song the melody is just so affecting that it almost wouldn’t matter so much what the actual lyrics are saying, because the meaning is coming through so clearly in the feeling and emotion of her voice. When you hear this song you know exactly what it means on an energetic level, even if you don’t exactly know how to word that.

8. Pink Floyd | Vera
OK, so this one isn’t really a song, it is one of the segues from The Wall, which was such an obviously brilliant album and was a huge part of my younger years thanks again to my Dad’s record collection. I love the way Pink Floyd integrated segues into their works, their albums were always concept albums that took the listener on a complete journey. It didn’t matter whether the song was a minute long, if it had spirit then it warranted being on the album. This song takes me back to my childhood, it always reminded me of Berlin for some reason and made me wonder what it would be like to visit such a place. Berlin is where I am actually living at the moment. There is such a powerful sense of nostalgia in Roger Waters’ voice on this track – it is a cry to someone who can’t hear him and it is a call to a past which he knows is not going to return… To me, it felt as though Roger Waters was crying out not just to Vera Lynn, but to all the people from his own past who had faded into memory with the years…Even as a kid I was really taken by this. I ended up performing at an old theatre in London once called The Cobden Club where Vera Lynn apparently used to perform during the War. The idea was very romantic to me, being that Pink Floyd had such an impact on my childhood, even though I am not overly familiar with the music of Vera Lynn herself.

9. The Verve | The Drugs Don’t Work
Beautifully written and such a poignant song. The live strings are perfect in conveying the melancholic emotion. I remember this song coming out when I was living in Melbourne. The Melbourne party scene was huge at that time, probably still is, and I remember this song really making me feel sad about the effects that scene was having on some people I knew who were taking things too far, I guess everyone has known or seen people who have taken this road. This song also brings me back to my cover band days, many nights at The Red Eagle pub in Melbourne we performed this song, my brother and I. They were fun days, we were just out of school and everything was new and exciting!

10. Garbage | Milk
I am noticing now that most of my song choices are from my childhood and school days. This song is the same. Maybe the Music was more poignant then, or perhaps those are the years we are the most deeply affected by what we hear, I think the latter is probably true. For some reason, although I love a lot of music from the past ten years, it is rarely hugely influential or life changing for me, where as the music from my early years truly shaped the person I became, the memories I carry with me and probably the style of songwriting I developed, even if I my songwriting is in no way similar to these artists, it is still greatly influenced by them all. Shirley Manson was - and still is - the epitome of cool in my eyes. She isn’t perhaps traditionally beautiful, but she is definitely beautiful. Her fierceness onstage and slight awkwardness and vulnerability in person make her a very strange but captivating persona. Milk was a huge track, very understated in melody, but dark and moody, the lyrics summed up everything that Shirley Manson kind of was – I am weak, but I am strong... Everyone can relate to these lyrics in some way I think… I loved the contradiction in this – I always felt this way, sort of like we all have these different aspects to our personality on show at different times. I took comfort in hearing someone as seemingly bulletproof as Shirley Manson admitting to the vulnerability of her own character… This honesty really resonated with me and the track is just sublime.

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:55:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:48:00 +0000

WARMER MIXTAPES #547 | by Coleman Moore (Feudal Soul) and Alejandro Silva of Face Of Man

SIDE A | by Alejandro Silva

1. The-Dream | Playin' In Her Hair
My favorite song off a record with hooks that I still find myself returning to at least a few times a week, even in the two or so years since I first heard it. I love The-Dream's production, particularly how he puts his vocal harmonies so directly into every part of the mix. I love how thick and playful they are, or just plain catchy. I also like how often he returns to the idea of messing with a girl's hair as a true sign of intimacy, it really pops up a lot. He rocks.

2. Elliot Carter | Changes (David Starobin Version)
This might have been the piece to make me fall in love with Modern Concert Music. Something about hearing Carter's style and energy - at first a little disorienting if you've never heard anything like it before - mapped onto my instrument (guitar) I think was what did it, what really allowed me to hear the immediacy and potency of this kind of Music.

3. Robyn | Stars 4-Ever
A great ass-shaking anthem of our time. Whenever I need to step up and be man in a situation this song helps me get there.

4. Julius Hemphill | Dogon A.D.
My buddy and I were driving across the US and found ourselves driving through the Arizona Painted Desert. Everywhere we'd park to wonder one of the vistas, these enormous, outsized crows would be at your thigh trying to get scraps from you. Dogon A.D. became the soundtrack to a quick home movie we made of this particularly aggressive crow's trot as it patrolled our car waiting for us to emerge. If you haven't heard the piece, I think this image helps to give a sense of its broken, otherworldliness. Or you could gaze at Julius Hemphill with his sax and pierced nipples.

5. Steve Lehman Octet | Alloy
I would love for our culture to evolve to a weird point where rappers or R&B artists start to sample really out, knotty, and complex Contemporary Jazz in their music, or better yet have them as supports on stage. I think it would be really chaotic and overwhelming, but possibly amazing. Steve Lehman would definitely get my vote for providing the foundational example, laying one of his pointed, labyrinthine sax lines in a really long loop for Nicki Minaj to flow over, with Tyshawn Sorey scuttling underneath.

6. Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges | San Vicente
One of the most delicate and pretty voices I've heard on record. Milton is a true bard, with a big, strumming hand and wide ranging falsetto, and his songs are great.

7. Corey Dargel | Twelve-Year-Old Scotch
Before I heard this record, I kind of detested Chamber Pop as a signifier, which just seemed to me to stand for Pop Music which trumpeted its use of charted-out instrumentals. For me, it would conjure visions of songs with bright, jangled voices and guitars, singing about sunshine or what-have-you, with these sudden moments of grafted string arrangements or horn section blasts. Corey's music really redeemed this idea for me in so many ways, just because it's so incredibly HQ. The arrangements are tightly woven tapestries, perfectly meshing a Rock/Electronic sensibility with all the devices and abilities of a chamber ensemble. And then the lyrics are so dark and funny and unique (this one is about alcoholism). It's a song I want to hear when I'm feeling smart and sad.

8. Tony Rice | Church Street Blues
Great road tripping song. A friend who's a genius Blues Grass guitarist introduced me to him and I really feel in love with the style, the smoothest picking I'd heard with really great spins on old standards. He has an amazing broken nose too that's almost parallel to the surface of his face.

9. Feudal Soul | Now
Both hilarious and dead-serious, this group puts everything I want in a Pop song: exaggerated pathos, booty-shaking beats, pleading falsettos, and technical command. They rock my world everyday.

10. Mahmoud Ahmed | Aynotché Tèrabu
I found this song in high school off one of the Ethiopiques compilations (I encourage everyone to check out that series). It was the first time I heard singing like that, incredibly joyful and super in control and able to hit all these notes between the melody, and the band is so groovy and Lo-Fi.

SIDE B | by Coleman Moore

1. Kate Bush | This Woman's Work
The melodies are declamatory, the harmonies are sensuous.

2. M83 | Raconte-Moi Une Histoire
The sentiment is overwhelmingly sincere.

3. Sparks | Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth
The message is ominous and the music is bold.

4. Beyoncé | 1+1
The passion is electrifying.

5. The Smiths | Wonderful Woman
The lethargy is disturbing.

6. Sonic Youth | Flower
The force is just and the obscenity is purifying.

7. Björk | I See Who You Are
The meaning is coiled and complicated by the music.

8. The Cranberries | Dreaming My Dreams
The mood is peaceful and the lyrics are selfless.

9. The Weeknd | The Morning
Articulates a vision and Cali is the mission.

10. Kreayshawn | Rich Whores
The attitude is vicious and the intention is monstrous.

noreply@blogger.com (W) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:18:00 +0000