WARMER MIXTAPES #198 | by Zahira Gutierrez and Cody Swann of Wild Moccasins

1. The Beach Boys | God Only Knows by Zahira
I remember watching a movie and in the credits this song started to play. Listening to the melody and the words made me really emotional and harmonies really fascinated me. I had never really heard a song with such a powerful melody, and to this day it continues to amaze me.

2. of Montreal | The Party's Crashing Us by Zahira
When I listened to this album I felt like so many things changed. I was a late bloomer with some music but after I heard this song it made me realize that all I wanted to do was find the best pop songs and pop bands out there. I wasn't allowed to go to shows until I was 17 and of Montreal was my first show, I remember the costumes, lights, props, and when they played that song everyone started dancing. They continue to be my favorite band and that song continues to make me feel great.

3. Blondie | Heart Of Glass by Zahira
I used to dance to this song in middle school in high heels and ridiculous outfits in front of a mirror because Debbie Harry is a badass and everything she does is the definition of cool for me.

4. The Flaming Lips | Do You Realize?? by Zahira
Everything about this song is amazing. Cody put it on a mix cd for me when we started dating and it blew my mind. No matter where I am or what I'm doing that song makes me cry.

5. Belle And Sebastian | Funny Little Frog by Zahira
I used to love listening to this song when Cody and I would take road trips around Texas and now I listen to it a lot while on tour.

6. Bob Dylan | Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again by Cody
I used to love listening to this 7 minute long behemoth all the way through. Dylan's lyrics have always attracted me and the amount that he produced for this song without sacrificing quality for all of the quantity is great to me. Even more so than listening to it I have fond memories of attempting to play this song all the way through without forgetting the lyrics.

7. Voxtrot | Wrecking Force by Cody
I became a huge fan of Voxtrot pretty soon after they started. It is only a 3 hour drive from Houston to Austin, TX anyways so I got to see them pretty often. The last track on my favorite EP by them always stuck out to me. I was a huge fan of Ramesh's introverted lyrics and simple guitar playing. It was exactly what I needed to see and hear to give me the confidence to write and record myself. Which I started very shortly after.

8. Sufjan Stevens | Casimir Pulaski Day by Cody
I still remember my older and closest cousin introducing me to this record. I wasn't sure if I would like it when he told me I would. He and I had steadily grown further and further apart once he had become stronger in his faith. This was not a conscious decision but without shared interests it was quickly becoming harder to relate. It still saddens me that we are not as close as we once were, but I am thankful for the influence he has had on my life (i.e. teaching me to play guitar, the records he played me, and just as a person in general)

9. The Smiths | Heaven Knows I'm Miserable by Cody
I can't really say what makes a song a perfect song, but somewhere in my head this one measures as that. It has a memorable melody, an interesting structure, and great guitar work amongst other things. I don't think any of those have to do with what measures up for me though. The song carries a message of the endless battle in never feeling content that I seem to relate to. A message that I seem to run face first into time and time again. Maybe my perception of perfection lies solely in the ability to relate, but without a doubt this is a timeless song.

10. The Beach Boys | I'm Waiting For The Day by Cody
I (just like everybody) have heard songs from this record my whole life, but I did not start listening to the record as a whole until a few years back. I am glad I started when I did though. It allowed me to relate to this song in ways I probably would not have been able to had I started at a younger age. When Zahira and I started dating she had just gotten out of a long-term relationship that ended badly. It might not have been a great idea for her to start dating me so soon after, but she did and I am thankful for that as well, haha. I can't help but feel like the narration is screaming everything I felt at that time.