Warmer Climes

WARMER MIXTAPES #1623 | by Adam Klopp of Bat Manors, Human Leather and Choir Boy

1. Kate Bush | Cloudbusting
I can’t remember the first time I listened, but this whole album is my favorite. Best written and produced Pop album of all time. This song in particular has always struck me with its sadness and hopefulness. Bizarre historical reference, yet still relatable.

2. Glen Campbell | Wishing Now
A friend got me hooked on Glen Campbell in summer of 2017, right before I left on tour with my other band Human Leather. The third morning into the trip was spent hanging out with some friends at a river in Missoula, MT. At some point this older man named Lee approached us and offered us beer and wanted to chat. He told us about the casino he hangs out at and all of the hats he’s found while riding his bike. Eventually he started singing, so we requested Glen Campbell. He knew all the hits. It was very serendipitous. After that, Wishing Now was frequently cued for Driving Music.

3. The Lotus Eaters | The First Picture Of You
My best buddy and bandmate Chaz showed me this song. It’s incredibly dorky, flowery and poetic - which we are mutually suckers for. The first picture of you, the first picture of Summer, seeing the flowers scream their joy... Heartbreaking and nostalgic. It sounds romantic, but I’m pretty sure it’s a recollection of childhood elation. Sometimes I feel stupid for loving it so much.

4. The Sundays | You're Not The Only One I Know
Winter of 2016 I tried acid for the first time. I went to the park by my house and saw a bunch of folks trying to wrangle a bald eagle that had escaped the aviary. One guy was tossing slices of wonder bread up in the air hoping to entice the big bird to come down from its perch. After that I went to a bowling alley that was over run by motorbike men with cigarette stained mustaches and piercing blue eyes. I ended the night cruising YouTube for tunes and came across this song. Beautiful ending to a strange day.

5. Lowlife | Swing
Beautiful song by a tragically overlooked band. Regarded as the most precious thing, we've lost the reason to swing.

6. The B-52's | Ain’t It A Shame
I never thought I cared much for The B-52's until I heard Summer Of Love (also a great song) with fresh ears in summer 2017 on the radio. I dove into the rest of the record (Bouncing Off The Satellites) and found Ain’t It A Shame which became an immediate favorite. One of their moodiest, prettiest songs.

7. Valerie Dore | It's So Easy (Vocal Version)
This is my favorite Italo Disco song, sung by my favorite Italo Disco singer. I think she’s one of the few vocalists of the genre who did an albums worth of material stuck to a cohesive sound.

8. Cass McCombs | You Saved My Life
In my early 20’s, a group of my friends, that were all playing in various intersecting Music projects, decided to join a soccer league. We were terrible, but it was amazing. We innovated many cool moves and learned a lot about Sport Aggression. Anyhow, on the way to one of the games a friend put this song on. I felt how I used to feel in High School when I’d hear a new favorite song. Such a rare thing these days. The vocals are beautiful with strange phrasing and the beat is so sparse in the verse that you don’t catch on that it’s a waltz until the chorus hits and then it’s gone. It drives me bonkers in a good way.

9. Cleaners From Venus | The Jangling Man
I first heard this band at the deli I work at. Back when I started in 2015, I worked with this Rock & Roll purist named Joey. He’s a self proclaimed pizza guy with a no Pop policy apart from home recording weirdos like R. Stevie Moore & Martin Newell. One day this song came on and I was blown away. Very catchy and politically sharp. Incredibly relevant today. Joey turned me on to a lot of cool Music, and bravely swore at a lot of customers. Love you, Joey.

10. Them Are Us Too | Marilyn
This is a really special band that made one of my favorite albums of the last five years or so. Two of the most creative & talented artists of their genre and in general. I count myself incredibly lucky to have seen them a couple times. RIP Cash Askew.

+11. The Magnetic Fields | Why I Cry
I think I first heard this song on MySpace when I was 15 or so. I pretty much exclusively listened to Punk up until that point, so it was pretty unique to hear something like that.

Honorable mentions: