WARMER MIXTAPES #773 | by Calvin Markus and Travis Bunn of Dead Times
SIDE A | by Travis Bunn
1. J Dilla | Two Can Win
To me, this is the most Euphoric song ever. Under 2:00, but it's so lush and melodic, the tone is so warm. There's also a fleeting Sadness to it. I've easily listened to this song 300 times.
2. Michael Jackson | Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
KEEP UP WITH THE FORCE. This song is Effortless Groove Perfection. It's so undeniably great. Any person of any Age, Race, Gender, Religion can listen to this song and Love it. If you don't love it, you're trying not to.
3. A Tribe Called Quest | Find A Way
I blew out the speakers in my first car playing this track. It's the sickest beat ever. This is what made me want to be a Producer. Nothing in J Dilla's Production make sense; the bass isn't on time, the snares are all late, the shaker rhythm is barely a rhythm, but together is the tightest shit ever.
4. Sly & The Family Stone | Family Affair
The vocal tone on this song is amazing. The sticky Bass line and the Triplet Percussion groove kick my ass. The background girl sounds somehow disassociated with the song - like she was singing in a different room or something and popped her head in.
5. Steely Dan | Dirty Work
It's hard to pick just one Steely Dan song. This could actually be a list of my 10 favorite Steely Dan songs. They're amazing. As a kid I knew the hits from listening to the Radio, but when I was in High School I started listening to the albums and found all the gems, like this song. Definitely one of my favorite chorus' and sax Solos of All Time.
6. Isaac Hayes | Walk On By (Dionne Warwick Cover)
Dionne Warwick's original is really great and very beautiful, but something about Isaac's version... It's so badass and heartbreaking. The Instrumentation is incredible. He turned a 3 minute Pop song into an insane, 12 minute, Soul-Orchestra journey.
7. Nina Simone | The Human Touch
Nina Simone And Piano! is one of my favorite albums ever. Every song is so beautiful, and her voice with her Piano playing is Magic. I can hardly stand to hear this song sometimes, and it pretty much paralyzes me whenever it's played.
8. Chet Baker | I Fall In Love Too Easily (Frank Sinatra Cover)
A Jazz standard, but Chet's version is best in my opinion. His touch is so delicate. The drums aren't even there, just Swirly texture. His voice seals the deal though.
9. Broken Social Scene | Looks Just Like The Sun
This song is all kinds of Nostalgic for me. I used to listen to You Forgot It In People every day for years I feel like. The mood of this song is incredible. The rhythm is so limber that it just flows and rambles away forever. It's so dense, there's so much weird shit in it, I find something new on every listen.
10. Roy Ayers Ubiquity | Everybody Loves The Sunshine
It's the coolest vibe. I remember hearing it when I was a kid and the hook was lodged in my brain. I found it again years later when I was getting into Soul. With my fake Synesthesia all I see is Yellow and Orange and Gold. Feel what I feel, what I feel, what I feel, what I'm feelin'. In the Sunshine...
SIDE B | by Calvin Markus
1. Justin Timberlake | Cry Me A River
Probably my favorite song Ever by my favorite singer. It inspires me when I need to be inspired. It's Sad for me when I need something to relate to. It's Positive and Life-Affirming for me when I want something to put on for pleasure. It's somehow the perfect balance of being Attractive/Quirky/Catchy while also being very Personal/Dark/Dense.
2. Michael Jackson | Will You Be There
I will genuinely want to be nice to people, to strangers, to anyone when I'm listening to this song. This is the song I like to put on when I'm stuck in traffic in LA...
3. Michael Jackson | Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
This song is nuts. This is extremely Creative and Crafty Pop/R&B Songwriting... I think this song inspired a lot of what Justin Timberlake does now... With like groovy Pop songs for the first 3 minutes and then a big ass crazy Outro or Exploration of some sort. I love the Anger in MJ's voice in this... It's like he's almost mocking the pain he feels. He's overcoming something Dark for sure in this track.
4. Kanye West | Gone (feat. Cam'ron & Consequence)
I listen to this song a lot. I love Kanye. People seem really interested in his Personal Life, his Personality and shit he does or says... None of that matters. He's an Innovator and has mastered the blend of making Music that is both Commercial and Radical.
5. Aaliyah | I Care 4 U
I mainly listen to this song when I need to be reminded why I want to be a Singer at all. Such a great Vocal performance.
6. Stevie Wonder | Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
I really got into Stevie when I lived in New York in 2011. When I think of that year I think of Self-Doubt, Unrequited Love, Confusion, Low-Income, Bunk-Beds, Existential Angst, More Confusion... The times I had to wake up at 6am, freezing cold, take the Subway to my restaurant job and work 8 hours feeding angry New Yorkers... But during all of that, I listened to songs like this... So Joyous and feel-good. It's like the equivalent of getting my shoulders rubbed and a Motivational Speech before going into the ring to get my ass kicked... Yeah...
7. Jon Brion | Theme
I got in a car crash to this song. It was 2009 and I was on my way to Community College. It was raining hard, in Arizona, which never happens... No one knows what to do when it rains there. I was trying to get into a different lane when a guy sped up and took that spot and I had to swerve back into my lane, but then since it was raining my car starting doing donuts... ON THE HIGHWAY... I parted the sea of cars going 65-mph and ended up facing all the oncoming traffic... I only crashed into one car surprisingly... It was a middle-aged woman, her car was fucked, but she was fine. My car wasn't bad and I was fine, but when we both got out of our cars we didn't even say anything, we both just like stuttered and failed to talk and hugged each other. I don't even remember what we talked about, if anything. We didn't even get each-other names. She quickly said she had to go and drove off... Her car huffing, a bumper dragging on the road. A cop pulled up behind me and I told him we took care of it... Even though we didn't, at all. We both just like... Let it happen and... Moved on? Other than that this is part of an amazing score Jon Brion did for Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. It's a beautiful, Timeless piece.
8. Francis And The Lights | I'll Never Forget You
This is a great, Tragic song. One of the few songs I'll ever listen to on repeat.
9. How To Dress Well | & It Was U
I view this song as a Classic... Or like an R&B Standard even though it's a New/Contemporary song. It's such a great, cool track. It does remind me of someone who I was really in Love with for a long time, but she didn't feel the same, ever. I don't think so at least, she was always with someone else and could never really explore any possible feelings. But... Yeah... So... I like to listen to this song and imagine her being like Bro! You were right!! This is real shit! I Love you too! and then we make out... Jokin'... Kind of...
10. James Blake | Retrograde
This is his best song. When it gets to SUDDENLY I'M HIT!!... It's so Emotional and Amazing...
1. J Dilla | Two Can Win
To me, this is the most Euphoric song ever. Under 2:00, but it's so lush and melodic, the tone is so warm. There's also a fleeting Sadness to it. I've easily listened to this song 300 times.
2. Michael Jackson | Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
KEEP UP WITH THE FORCE. This song is Effortless Groove Perfection. It's so undeniably great. Any person of any Age, Race, Gender, Religion can listen to this song and Love it. If you don't love it, you're trying not to.
3. A Tribe Called Quest | Find A Way
I blew out the speakers in my first car playing this track. It's the sickest beat ever. This is what made me want to be a Producer. Nothing in J Dilla's Production make sense; the bass isn't on time, the snares are all late, the shaker rhythm is barely a rhythm, but together is the tightest shit ever.
4. Sly & The Family Stone | Family Affair
The vocal tone on this song is amazing. The sticky Bass line and the Triplet Percussion groove kick my ass. The background girl sounds somehow disassociated with the song - like she was singing in a different room or something and popped her head in.
5. Steely Dan | Dirty Work
It's hard to pick just one Steely Dan song. This could actually be a list of my 10 favorite Steely Dan songs. They're amazing. As a kid I knew the hits from listening to the Radio, but when I was in High School I started listening to the albums and found all the gems, like this song. Definitely one of my favorite chorus' and sax Solos of All Time.
6. Isaac Hayes | Walk On By (Dionne Warwick Cover)
Dionne Warwick's original is really great and very beautiful, but something about Isaac's version... It's so badass and heartbreaking. The Instrumentation is incredible. He turned a 3 minute Pop song into an insane, 12 minute, Soul-Orchestra journey.
7. Nina Simone | The Human Touch
Nina Simone And Piano! is one of my favorite albums ever. Every song is so beautiful, and her voice with her Piano playing is Magic. I can hardly stand to hear this song sometimes, and it pretty much paralyzes me whenever it's played.
8. Chet Baker | I Fall In Love Too Easily (Frank Sinatra Cover)
A Jazz standard, but Chet's version is best in my opinion. His touch is so delicate. The drums aren't even there, just Swirly texture. His voice seals the deal though.
9. Broken Social Scene | Looks Just Like The Sun
This song is all kinds of Nostalgic for me. I used to listen to You Forgot It In People every day for years I feel like. The mood of this song is incredible. The rhythm is so limber that it just flows and rambles away forever. It's so dense, there's so much weird shit in it, I find something new on every listen.
10. Roy Ayers Ubiquity | Everybody Loves The Sunshine
It's the coolest vibe. I remember hearing it when I was a kid and the hook was lodged in my brain. I found it again years later when I was getting into Soul. With my fake Synesthesia all I see is Yellow and Orange and Gold. Feel what I feel, what I feel, what I feel, what I'm feelin'. In the Sunshine...
1. Justin Timberlake | Cry Me A River
Probably my favorite song Ever by my favorite singer. It inspires me when I need to be inspired. It's Sad for me when I need something to relate to. It's Positive and Life-Affirming for me when I want something to put on for pleasure. It's somehow the perfect balance of being Attractive/Quirky/Catchy while also being very Personal/Dark/Dense.
2. Michael Jackson | Will You Be There
I will genuinely want to be nice to people, to strangers, to anyone when I'm listening to this song. This is the song I like to put on when I'm stuck in traffic in LA...
3. Michael Jackson | Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
This song is nuts. This is extremely Creative and Crafty Pop/R&B Songwriting... I think this song inspired a lot of what Justin Timberlake does now... With like groovy Pop songs for the first 3 minutes and then a big ass crazy Outro or Exploration of some sort. I love the Anger in MJ's voice in this... It's like he's almost mocking the pain he feels. He's overcoming something Dark for sure in this track.
4. Kanye West | Gone (feat. Cam'ron & Consequence)
I listen to this song a lot. I love Kanye. People seem really interested in his Personal Life, his Personality and shit he does or says... None of that matters. He's an Innovator and has mastered the blend of making Music that is both Commercial and Radical.
5. Aaliyah | I Care 4 U
I mainly listen to this song when I need to be reminded why I want to be a Singer at all. Such a great Vocal performance.
6. Stevie Wonder | Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
I really got into Stevie when I lived in New York in 2011. When I think of that year I think of Self-Doubt, Unrequited Love, Confusion, Low-Income, Bunk-Beds, Existential Angst, More Confusion... The times I had to wake up at 6am, freezing cold, take the Subway to my restaurant job and work 8 hours feeding angry New Yorkers... But during all of that, I listened to songs like this... So Joyous and feel-good. It's like the equivalent of getting my shoulders rubbed and a Motivational Speech before going into the ring to get my ass kicked... Yeah...
7. Jon Brion | Theme
I got in a car crash to this song. It was 2009 and I was on my way to Community College. It was raining hard, in Arizona, which never happens... No one knows what to do when it rains there. I was trying to get into a different lane when a guy sped up and took that spot and I had to swerve back into my lane, but then since it was raining my car starting doing donuts... ON THE HIGHWAY... I parted the sea of cars going 65-mph and ended up facing all the oncoming traffic... I only crashed into one car surprisingly... It was a middle-aged woman, her car was fucked, but she was fine. My car wasn't bad and I was fine, but when we both got out of our cars we didn't even say anything, we both just like stuttered and failed to talk and hugged each other. I don't even remember what we talked about, if anything. We didn't even get each-other names. She quickly said she had to go and drove off... Her car huffing, a bumper dragging on the road. A cop pulled up behind me and I told him we took care of it... Even though we didn't, at all. We both just like... Let it happen and... Moved on? Other than that this is part of an amazing score Jon Brion did for Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. It's a beautiful, Timeless piece.
8. Francis And The Lights | I'll Never Forget You
This is a great, Tragic song. One of the few songs I'll ever listen to on repeat.
9. How To Dress Well | & It Was U
I view this song as a Classic... Or like an R&B Standard even though it's a New/Contemporary song. It's such a great, cool track. It does remind me of someone who I was really in Love with for a long time, but she didn't feel the same, ever. I don't think so at least, she was always with someone else and could never really explore any possible feelings. But... Yeah... So... I like to listen to this song and imagine her being like Bro! You were right!! This is real shit! I Love you too! and then we make out... Jokin'... Kind of...
10. James Blake | Retrograde
This is his best song. When it gets to SUDDENLY I'M HIT!!... It's so Emotional and Amazing...
