WARMER MIXTAPES #403 | by Kyla La Grange
1. Band Of Horses | The Funeral
I think this song is perfect. It has the perfect juxtaposition of tender, exposed quiet vocals with a huge wall of guitars that kick in exactly when you want them to. It gives me such a rush of emotion when I listen to it, and when I saw them play it live at The Roundhouse in London, it was a very special moment for me.
2. Elliott Smith | King's Crossing
Lyrically I think this might be one of my favourite songs. It's so sad, so desperate, and so visceral - and a lot more built up than a lot of his other stuff. When he repeats the last line and slightly changes the lyrics to don't let me be carried away it breaks my heart.
3. Daughter | Landfill
This is a very recent song and I can't stop listening to it. It's a brilliant example of less being more - there is so much space in the production, you just hear Elena's amazing voice whispering right into your ears.
4. Cat Power | Metal Heart (Jukebox Version)
I love the original stripped-down version of this song which is on Moon Pix, and I still do, but for me this bigger version with a full band just has the edge. It's so powerful without ever quite tipping over the edge - you always expect it to explode but it never does - and the restraint is Cat Power at her best.
5. Cold Specks | Blank Maps
I've only known about this song for about three weeks, but I haven't stopped playing it. I've only heard a live recording from a gig, but I listen to it and I can't move - it's so raw and fragile and heart-wrenching. I'd love to have written it - it feels so honest.
6. Wye Oak | Civilian
I love the vocal on this - it's so understated, almost lazy, but in a good way. This song feels like a whirlwind, you slowly get picked up by the rhythm and it moves you gradually faster and faster until you're completely swept up into the big guitar instrumental.
7. Elvis Perkins | While You Were Sleeping
The lyrics in this song are astounding. My favourite line is ...in keeping with the quiet through the walls I crept. Just beautiful. But there are so many amazing lines in it.
8. Nathaniel Rateliff | Early Spring Till
This whole album is brilliant, but I think this is my favourite. The chorus melody is so powerful, I find myself singing it constantly for days afterwards. I watched him play in Texas before I knew his music and then bought the album. The songs work even when it's just him and a guitar.
9. The Maccabees | No Kind Words
I love the drums and guitars on this song, and am always amazed by how moving such a simple repetitive vocal can be. The opening is so haunting, I feel like I'm in a big empty hall and I can't see who's singing. I would love to try and cover this song one day.
10. Jacob Golden | Hold Your Hair Back
His album Revenge Songs is definitely one of my most played, and I can never decide which is my favourite track. At the moment it's this. I think it expresses in a very original way how it feels to be in love. There is so much passion, sadness, longing and devotion all mixed together: it's brilliant.
