WARMER MIXTAPES #310 | by Matthew Joel [Bank Heist]

1. The National | About Today
I’ve always been partial to sad sounding songs. It’s not because I have a tragic life, my life is far from tragic. If anything the greatest tragedy I’ve experienced is waking up in a warm bed, eating three square meals, getting back in that bed and realizing life seems to easy. There’s something about an over-ironed life, about living in a way that just throws a venire on imperfection that ruins me. This song reminds me to remember the tragic.

2. Bob Dylan | Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
Sometimes the right thing to do is sit back, let it go, put on a Bob Dylan record, and enjoy nice things.

3. This Will Destroy You | This World is Our ____
This is my favorite post rock track, hands down. I started listening to post rock when I was finishing high-school, and I think the whole time I was looking I was looking for something specific. This Will Destroy You turned out to exactly that. This track is everything I love about post rock.

4. Keane | Bedshaped
Everyone always says that the music you listen to as a kid is the most important. Hearing that I’ve always been jealous of people who grew up around really good music. Unfortunately, this was less the case for me, with a few exceptions, Keane’s first album Hopes And Fears is one of them. I still love thais album, it’s so full of gems, Bedshaped being my favorite. I really appreciate the way this band puts away the guitar, and let’s a piano take the forefront. Piano’s have been in music for hundreds of years, and when ever a band honors that I appreciate it.

5. Johannes Brahms | Symphony #4 - 4. Allegro Energico E Passionato, Più Allegro
Listening to Brahms entire body of work, notably his 4th Symphony, and even more specifically the 4th and closing movement of that symphony will forever be humbling experience. I remember the first time I heard this piece. I was sitting in History Of Western Music II, in my second year of studying music in College. When the professor took out his iPod and played this movement for us, this was one of the first times classical music clicked for me. There may be arguably better composers, but Brahms’ work will always be, to me, the embodiment of real music, what ever that means. I remember so clearly what the teacher said as the song finished, he told us boys and girls, if you want to make good music, I don’t care what kind it is, listen to Brahms.

6. The Weakerthans | Bigfoot
This song defines, to me, what Canadian music - something very important to me - means. Everything about this track: the signers voice, to the horn melody, to the lyrics screams Canadian identity. The first time I heard this song I put it on repeat and listened to over and over again.

7. Aidan Knight | Jasper
This makes me happy to be canadian. It reminds me of the good things in life. There are many memories attached to this track. I first heard it as an 11th grader. I went to a show at a local college that looking back wasn’t really that spectacular, but ended up being one of the most influential experiences watching live music I’ve ever had. At the time I was going to a small highschool, and loved music, but didn’t know anyone with similar interests. I even tried to write, but it was all trash, and no one I showed it toliked it. Seeing Aidan, among the others that played that night made me realize, this is what I want to do. It was the kind of night that is so unbearably inspiring it’s almost painful to be there. Aidan’s music, Jasper in particular, kind of set me off in the right (I hope) direction musically.

8. Daft Punk | Da Funk
I love dance music, and Daft Punk is one of my favorite bands. I don’t have much to say about this song, all the same I think think that fact that I love it so much anyways is why it’s so important. Every time the bass drops after the intro, I loose it.

9. Means | Connected
Hardcore was a staple of mine in highschool, and while I don’t listen to very much heavy(er) music anymore, this track remains one of my favorites. Some times I put on this record and wish I was straight edge. Means last show was one of the most touching things I’ve ever experienced, they had so much heart. xRIPx.

10. Fleetwood Mac | The Chain
Rumors was one of the first records I ever bought on vinyl. I had never heard it before, but I was so sick of seeing it in every thrift store, so I bought it. I love music that crosses boundaries, and Fleetwood Mac had a way of writing music that traversed decades. You know something is significant when it speaks to kids over 30 years later. This song makes me wish I was twice my age, and able to experience it when it was fresh. I’m still waiting for the single note guitar solo to have a come back.