WARMER MIXTAPES #344 | by Sons Of Rico

1. Deerhoof | My Purple Past
This song (and band) has such an interesting personality. Heavy as hell with this softly sung Japanese girl who adds calm to the chaos.

2. Electric Light Orchestra | Mr. Blue Sky
I feel like I grew up with ELO, though I only discovered them in my late teens. This song, along with every other ELO song is so rich in texture; you never get bored!

3. Belle & Sebastian | Dress Up In You
Wandering the streets of Prague thinking of a girl I used to know. Bit of a tearjerker this one if you let it be. I love when Stuart Murdoch swears in song - so sweetly cutting.

4. Sufjan Stevens | Too Much
The first time I heard this song was about 30 minutes before seeing Sufjan perform it live and boy was it incredible! This song releases my inner schizophrenic in dance form.

5. Dungen | Du E För Fin För Mig
I don't speak Swedish, nor do I need to in order to enjoy this band. For me this is an example of a band that have mastered instrumentation and melody so well that lyrics don't even matter to an English speaking goon such as myself.

6. Death From Above 1979 | Turn It Out
Sex.

7. The Kinks | Apeman
Bloody love The Kinks! You don't seem to get this kind of wit in popular rock music these days: In man's evolution he has created the cities and the motor traffic rumble. But give me half a chance and I'd be taking off my clothes and livin' in the jungle. I'll be there with you, Ray!

8. Led Zeppelin | Thank You (BBC Sessions)
The album version (Led Zeppelin II) is nice, but the live BBC Sessions version has the most bombastic guitar solo I think I've ever heard. And the drums are just so ferocious; typical Bonham. The only thing I don't like is how I can't air-drum and air-guitar at the same time to this.

9. Cream | Crossroads
First song I (sort of) learnt on hockey stick. Hockey stick? Yeah that's right. I didn't own a guitar when I was 14 so I pretended the tape edges on the handle were guitar frets. Can't say it sounded very good. Eric Clapton would be spinning in his grave.

10. Weezer | Only In Dreams
I love a bit of dumb rock - a term I use loosely with Weezer because they do make power chords + melody sound sophisticated. Only In Dreams is such an epic 8 minute journey that takes me from a dream state to a head bang.