WARMER MIXTAPES #1070 | by Peter James Wolf [Thief]
1. Icehouse | Electric Blue
This was the first Pop song I properly fell in love with. At the time it came out it was pre Internet, so we really had no way of listening to it except for when it happened to come on the radio or the video was on TV. The buzz I used to feel when those first few notes played. Totally amazing. Still an incredible song I reckon. That sax solo…
2. Jeff Buckley | So Real
The first time I ever heard Jeff Buckley was when I saw the clip for So Real at about 2 in the morning. It completely blew my mind. Just an incredible song and an unbelievable performance. There was a long period in my teens where I listened to nothing but Grace.
3. Nina Simone | Go To Hell
This song has maybe got the best chorus transitions/lyric combination of all time. One of my main goals in life is to one day write something as cheerfully dark as Go To Hell.
4. Chris Whitley | Accordingly
Chris Whitley’s Dirt Floor album is quite possibly my favourite record of all time. It’s certainly the album I go back to more than any other. Accordingly is just one of the shatteringly beautiful tracks on it. I was lucky enough to see Chris perform to a handful of people in Australia shortly before he died. He played this song, it was incredible. What an amazing artist.
5. Radiohead | Skttrbrain (Four Tet Remix)
I’d never really been one for remixes until I heard this track. Radiohead are one of my favourite bands and I loved the original track Scatterbrain. But when I heard Four Tet’s mix I was like, holy shit, he made it better. I love everything about this track. I loved it so much I ended up writing an essay about it for one of my University subjects. I can’t remember how I did…
6. Bill Withers | Use Me
I would like to be Bill Withers. If that’s OK with everybody. The guy has written so many amazing songs, it’s kind of ridiculous. Use Me is so Funky and soulful and has a lyric that still gets a grin out of me even after hundreds and hundreds of listens. I’ll never get tired of this tune.
7. Grizzly Bear | While You Wait For The Others (feat. Michael McDonald)
When I first heard this version with Michael McDonald singing, instead of Daniel Rossen, I thought I had entered some weird parallel universe. And I loved it. It was the same awesome track, but… Somehow… I don’t know, bat shit crazy. It made me want to live in an universe where Michael McDonald was the lead singer of Grizzly Bear. That band would be hands down my favourite band of all time.
8. David Bowie | Loving The Alien
I love David Bowie a lot. Mostly because of songs like Loving The Alien. They start taking you somewhere kind of familiar and then all of a sudden they kick open a door to some weird Alien sex party and shove you through. Just typing out the title to this tune means the chorus will be in my head for days. The film clip is like a Tim And Eric episode except more terrifying.
9. Prince And The Revolution | Kiss
His Highness requests some of your extra time and your shanananananana keeeeyyyyyyuuus. That is all.
10. Talking Heads | Heaven
Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens. Such a heavy lyric, such a massive song. For me, this is just one of those perfect songs that seem to come along once every decade or so. Totally transcendent and timeless.
