WARMER MIXTAPES #969 | by Peter Thomas
1. Talking Heads | This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) (Stop Making Sense DVD Live Version)
I'm so thankful my parents played Talking Heads for us growing up. Once I started to "get it", I immediately fell in Love with This Must Be the Place, specifically the version off Stop Making Sense DVD. This is David Byrne trying to write a Love song and succeeding in so many ways you (and probably Byrne himself) wouldn't expect. This is my favorite song.
2. Phoenix | Lisztomania
I stumbled onto Phoenix's Alphabetical when I was in my early teens. It was quirky and a little hard for me to digest at the time, but I always had them on my iPod from then on. By the time Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix came out years later, I was a full-blown fan. Everything about Phoenix, from Thomas' Vocals and Lyrics to their fusing of Electronic and Live Instruments, inspires so much of what I try to do in my own Music. Wolfgang might be my favorite album, period.
3. James Taylor | I Was A Fool To Care
James Taylor is probably the Songwriter I admire most. He can write the sweetest, simplest Lyric, hit you at the very core instantly, then make you double-take and hear a whole new dimension underneath the song. His records give me chills.
4. Prince | I Wanna Be Your Lover
Prince pours a Superhuman amount of Energy into everything he does, he makes it look effortless, and he doesn't care what you think about it. There's something every Artist can take away from that.
5. Empire Of The Sun | Walking On A Dream
I fell in Love with this song, and consequently Empire Of The Sun, within thirty seconds of hearing this song for the first time.
6. John Mayer | Home Life
It seems for about 10 years, John Mayer was de rigeur for every Upper-Middle Class kid who was starting to play Guitar and thinking too much. His Music was a staple for me as I was learning To Write Songs in my bedroom, and it strikes a balance between Accessible and Unbelievably Layered.
7. Kanye West, Jay-Z & Big Sean | Clique
There's a common thread you'll find amongst every Hip-Hop record I have: every single one has a Beat that makes me twist my face into the ugliest possible form. The Production on this song is so spot-on it makes me want to vomit.
8. Beck | Debra
Beck is in a League and a World of his own. We're just fortunate to be able to watch from afar.
9. Robyn | Hang With Me
Body Talk is probably my favorite Pop album. It's rare to find an album that's this catchy, this nuanced, that still feels like it's just a group of people playing Music together in a room. It's got Air and Dirt and Soul in it; brilliantly crafted without being overly thought out.
10. Zero 7 | In The Waiting Line
I found Zero 7's album, Simple Things, when I was sixteen. At about the same time, I started sneaking out of my house at night to run around and drink with my friends. It was all very suburban and innocent, but at the time it felt strange and fun to be mischievous inside this beautiful little town.
