WARMER MIXTAPES #543 | by Tom Jenkinson [North Bay] of Blissful Abyss

1. Arcade Fire | Une Année Sans Lumière
A lot of songs are special to me because I'm reminded of where I was when I was listening to them. This particular one was when I was on a family holiday in Norway. We went on a cruise round the fjords, and when it started raining everyone else went inside the ship, including my parents and brother. I put my hood up and my headphones in and listened to Funeral all the way through whilst taking in as much Nordic beauty as I could. A very nice combination. I recommend it.

2. Errors | Still Game
Similar to my last choice except this time me and my family were going on a road trip through California. A few days before we left I asked my friend Tom to suggest to me some good Music as this was a time in my life when my taste was somewhat questionable. Let's just say by the end of the holiday this track must have notched up a good 500 plays or so.

3. Digitalism | Pogo
This was probably the song which got me really into Electronic Music. It still sounds current and relevant now, plus it just stays in your head for days.

4. Boy Kill Boy | Suzie
Just an absolutely terrific Pop song, dangerously catchy. I was genuinely upset when these guys split up after, what I thought were two great albums.

5. Two Door Cinema Club | Eat That Up, It's Good For You
I put this one in because TDCC were probably the first band which I feel I followed from the beginning and then watched them become huge. I remember first listening to them on Last.fm and thinking: This is really good... Why don't more people like this?... A good measure of their meteoric rise is that when I first discovered them I had to type Two Door Cinema C into Google before they were getting suggested. At the time of writing this, all you need is Two. Impressive.



6. We Are Scientists | Cash Cow
It was to this song that I discovered the art form of air drumming. You should try doing it to this song. Bloody knackering. By the time I'd listened to it 20 times or so I was convinced that playing the drums was a doddle. I've tried since. It isn't.

7. Bibio | Dopplerton
This song makes me want to buy a skipping rope, learn how to use a skipping rope, then skip through meadows of buttercups till my ankles give way. Hopefully it does the same for you.

8. Parachutes | Aqueduct
Good luck trying to find this one as Parachutes became Picturehouse and are now called Wild Swim (who are excellent). I went to school with 4 of the 5 members but then we went to different secondary schools so I lost contact with them a bit. A few years later I found out about their band and went to see them play live. So as a grubby little 15 year old, I got my dad to drop me off outside a little Oxford pub where I went round the back and up the stairs to a tiny little room above the bar and saw them do what in my (rather inexperienced) eyes was a brilliant set. I was shocked at how people my age could be making such good music. It was at this stage when I started experimenting with Garageband and recording my own stuff.

9. Caesars | Jerk It Out
If you own/owned SSX 3, then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. If you don't, why are you still reading this?! Go and buy SSX 3 already! It's bloody unreal.

10. Foals | Hummer
I remember seeing this on a music video channel and only getting the song title, so for weeks afterwards I would be typing Hummer or Hummer Song or some equally ridiculous suggestion into YouTube desperately trying to find it again. When I eventually found the artist as well and therefore found the song, I played it a lot, and still do. Will always have a little boogie when this one comes on.