WARMER MIXTAPES #111 | by Ryan McRyhew [Thug Entrancer] and Kristi Schaefer of Hideous Men

SIDE A | by Kristi Schaefer

1. Bikini Kill | Alien She
Bikini Kill is the reason I make music. And probably a reason I'm still alive. I am still so inspired by this early 90s punk because of Kathleen Hanna's beautiful and irreverent vocals along with their ability to make honest and GOOD music which is explicitly political. Thank goodness for Bikini Kill!

2. Xiu Xiu | Save Me Save Me
Such amazingly challenging and beautiful songwriters. It seems that it is impossible for me to get sick of this record. I'm a sucker for songs I can sing along to also. The darkest parts of really unhealthy love set to beautiful melodies **sigh** Xiu Xiu for life (and death)!!!!!

3. J Kwon | Tipsy
Such an infectious beat! And then the synth line comes in!!! I am an appreciator of slower tempo dance music with a simple structure that manages to also be so catchy that you eventually hate it. The beauty of this song is I still don't hate it and it still makes me dance while the bass shakes my bones!!

4. Future Islands | Heart Grows Old
I wish I had a fraction of the stage presence that Sam has. When I'm tired and uninspired, I look to Future Islands to breathe life back into me, and they always deliver. They have carried on the best parts of rock and roll and pissed on the bullshit and what has emerged is so nice.

5. Stephen Steinbrink | Overpassing
Such a beautiful song. The aftermath of a short relationship that you realized you never should have gotten into in the first place. Stephen is such an amazing creative force, who maintains this really approachable, sincere reality. He also has a voice that makes even a cold break up sound almost comforting. I love what he's doing and want the best for him.

6. Gravy Train | Titties Bounce
Just indispensable. To this day when I try to think of a new melody or catchy lyrics I think of Titties Bounce. The Catholic references also speak to me. So punk and so dancey and way more publicly sexual than I could dream of being comfortable with.

7. Gowns | Fargo
Maybe it's because I have family from Fargo and many alienating memories of the place, or maybe it's because the lady in the band was real mean to me and I'm a glutton for punishment but, I love this song!! Spooky and beautiful - two of the best qualities in music ever!

8. Tracy + The Plastics | Quaasars
This song makes me feel this amazing paranoid anxiety turned teen angst melody turned mystic voyage dance party. I never saw the Tracy + The Plastics live experience, which I am infinitely sad about, but I will play these songs until technology is dead.

9. Married In Berdichev | Feet In The Water
Brittany is an important Denver comrade and I will always get chills when thinking about the first few times I saw Brittany perform. This song is one of her most beautiful even without the magic of the live setting.

10. Thundercade | Laser Palace
Beautiful melody layered with lo-fi samples of guns layered with sick beat in a gorgeous and life affirming pattern = love...I am lucky to collaborate with this magic genius.


SIDE B
| by Ryan McRyhew

1. White Noise | Love Without Sound
The tape manipulation on this song is incredibly haunting. Delia Derbyshire was an ethereal composer and entirely underrated.

2. DJ Trouble | Bangs And Wurks
Footwork is the future of music. Deep maximal tribal dance music!

3. Pictureplane | Dayglowwed
For years this song was Denver's anthem. It embodies our community on so many levels, a state of self-transcendence lost in a vast pansexual summertime rift…It's also so fucking gangster.

4. Teengirl Fantasy | Portofino
This song puts me on another plane of existence, those floating toms are gorgeous and the fusion of Raymond Scott with Rich Boy is as real as life gets.

5. Mort Garson | Witch Trial
Witch Trial reminds me of the spirits that used to haunt my home when I was younger. It's so relentless and transparent, scary as shit.

6. Notorious B.I.G. | Juicy
This track bangs so smoothly, biggie was a sorcerer. He steals souls with his rhymes.

7. Alphabets | They Must Be Invisible
Mr. Ferguson Ward takes you on a mystical journey through the cosmos while riding a giant dog that spits rainbow fire at comets with this song. It's next level classical-psycho-hyphy!

8. Lucky Dragons | Mercy
A love song of massive proportions, I feel very aware of love and life when I listen to this song.

9. Milton Melvin Croissant | Books On Tape
One day some alien archeologist will unearth this song from mass internet wastelands and it will be a symbol of a sincere planetary culture. It will become an anthem for future peace makers, and start the meta-folk iTunes IRL tag phenomenon.

10. Prince | Purple Rain (Screwed And Chopped)
Purple Rain used to make me cry when I was younger. It wasn't necessarily the content of the song just the composition. This Chopped And Screwed version takes those emotions to a new level, it's universal and makes time stop. Also things sound so much better when they are slowed down.