WARMER MIXTAPES #1670 | by Nicole Hebert [Nikki Nevver] of Automatic Fancy, Terror Bird and Subterranean Lovers
1. Soft Cell | Loving You, Hating Me
It's quite hard for me to pick a favourite Soft Cell song, as I'm in love with the voice, performance style and aesthetic of Marc Almond and a huge fan of this band in general. But I'll choose this one because it's the one I became obsessed with for years and sang at karaoke. I also especially love The Art Of Falling Apart and Loving You, Hating Me!!!
2. David Bowie | Heroes
Moonage Daydream (Arnold Corns Version), Candidate (Demo Version), Sweet Thing, Absolute Beginners... I could go on and on... I love David Bowie so much, I started out with Labyrinth as a child, and I eventually became hooked after listening to the soundtrack so many times. Honestly, I could mention about 20-30 more favourite Bowie songs. He's been such a huge part of my life and I have more of his records than I do of any other artist. My boyfriend ordered me an actual mold of his face, and I have no idea how or where he found this. It chipped on the way here and he ordered special paint and repainted it. It drove me crazy that I couldn't figure out why he had sandpaper, but it was to sand his face, I suppose!! The mold is finally hanging from my ceiling. I definitely wrote a song about Bowie called David Bowie, Come Live With Me and cried when he died.
3. The Smiths | Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
Breaks my heart because I heard this song and this album when I was feeling intense Love Anticipation and Rejection feelings toward/from my first big love, friend and roommate in a dark bedroom. Of course, she broke my heart more than once and made me sickly love this song forever. It has the best, most tragic sound. I love how it starts, it's so beautiful, sad and romantic.
4. Grace | Not Over Yet
This song reminds me of my now boyfriend, because he introduced it to me when we'd first met and were travelling together. We got drunk off wine or beer a lot during this time and sometimes danced like crazy in cheap Airbnbs to songs like this one. I imagined he was trying to give me a message with this song as I was about to go back to Canada and was scared to commit to a long distance relationship as I had just gotten out of one and I found being from different countries unnecessarily complicated. He was right though, if he was trying to tell me something. It wasn't over yet!!
5. Dexys Midnight Runners | Geno
I loved the song Come On Eileen when I was sixteen (still do!), but didn't know that this band had so many more amazing songs. I bought the record with their biggest hit on it, and discovered the beautiful song All In All (This One Last Wild Waltz) which was my top Dexys Midnight Runners song for years. I love their use of strings and the singer's voice so much! But then I discovered Geno, and I had a new favourite.
6. Coldplay | Shiver
I know it's not very cool to like Coldplay, but their first album, especially this song has always done something special to my stomach which no other song can do! I can't tell if it's good or bad, but I think it's a beautiful, Melancholy gut-wrenching feeling. I think it made me imagine as a teenager what Real Love and Heartache would feel like. I remember riding in the back of a car, while my friend's dad drove down a winding, scary road on Texada Island and this played. I think early Coldplay is super romantic and I love the guitar instrumental bit and the part where he sings and it's you I see, but you don't see me. I also like their second album very much. Oops, the secret's out!
7. Twin Crystals | Punk Heart
This is the song and band of my friend Jordan, who recorded my most recent album, Subterranean Lovers, Jesse who I DJ all the time with at The Dark Eighties and who plays in Italians Do It Better band In Mirrors plus my ex husband, Jer! It's a great song, it reminds me of touring with Twin Crystals with my band Modern Creatures and the vibrancy of the Vancouver Punk/Noise scene around 10 years ago. I love everything about it, the lyrics, the immediacy, the guitar, the vocals. I like to pretend it's about me because once Jesse called me The Star Of The Night, which are lyrics from the song, although I'm sure it's not and he says that to everyone!
8. Tim Buckley | Love From Room 109 At The Islander (On Pacific Coast Highway)
This song is really original and takes you on a journey with its many changes. The lyrics are beautiful. I first got into it around age 20. It gives me that Melancholy stomach feeling I know... That means it's an amazing song worth loving forever.
9. Devours | Late Bloomer
This whole album is so great. Devours is perfect, Modern, original Dance Music with a heart. He's going to blow up huge any minute, I know it. He played at a NYE party I put on and I went crazy.
10. unhappybirthday | Molly
I've always loved this song and this band, who I met and fell in love with on tour in Germany around 7 or 8 years ago. I love the Melancholy Wistfulness of the keys and guitar. I want to cover it so bad, but my German accent is so bad! I know Daniel puts a lot of effort into writing beautiful sounding German lyrics, so I am sure they are wonderful!
+11. Specimen | The Beauty Of Poisin
+12. Lana Del Rey | Summertime Sadness
+13. Robyn | Dancing On My Own
+14. Love | Alone Again Or
+15. The Damned | Neat Neat Neat
+16. Molly Nilsson | I'm Still Wearing His Jacket
+17. Angel Olsen | Unfucktheworld
+18. Mazzy Star | Fade Into You
+19. Roy Orbison | It's Over
+20. Medusa | The Sweetest Elixir
+21. Kurt Vile | Pretty Pimpin
+22. Corona | The Rhythm Of The Night
