(2001)

Something pleasant about an older, more fulfilled Frank Black chilling and writing straightforward but still spontaneous and weird alt country with a real tight band

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Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker (2000)

Dumbass next Dylan claims from nostalgic/lazy critics hyped this or didn't hype it enough ('being derivative of Dylan' not allowing for the record to be assessed by its own merits, only shortcomings). True, he makes the effort to write a song for some generation with the opener To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High), and that's a good one too, but Adams seems to enjoy himself more and also just sound better when Heartbreaker is more downer country-ish- his duet with Emmylou Harris being the highlight. Adams fans often have a shitty time thinking their hero should actually release less, and unfortunately there's that same fault with Heartbreaker: c'mon man, you didn't need to put all 15 tracks you recorded on this! True, real fans probably don't think Shakedown on 9th Street is a waste of time, or that there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to Adams at his best, but they're crazy. Despite its inconsistency, Heartbreaker rulz. Just look at all these A+++++ country songs:

My Winding Wheel, AMY, Oh My Sweet Carolina, Call Me on Your Way Back Home, Damn, Sam (I Love a Woman That Rains), Come Pick Me Up, Why Do They Leave?, Sweet Lil Gal (23rd/1st

8 out of 15 crazy good tracks is the kind of thing you usually get from a best of, but it's all Ryan Adams as a bummed out guy with an awesome voice and producer circa 2000

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Beck - Mellow Gold (1994)

Beck's best album- Mellow Gold encapsulates the period from its dumb ass cover, to his lyrics, to the music ("a slacker version of the Pretentious Asshole)- it's as close as folk is gonna get to punk rock 'cause young Beck is playing folk in such a punk way and on top of that the folkish punk is thrown in with a ridiculous anything goes pop/junk soundscape recalling a gen x white kid's version of 3 Feet High before shit gets heavy and downer again because he wants to remind us that either he doesn't care or maybe that he does, I can't really tell

Highlights:

give the finger to the rock 'n' roll singer
as he's dancing upon your paycheck
the sales climb high through the garbage-pail sky
like a giant dildo crushing the sun 

that's why
I pay no mind
sleep in slime
I just got signed

He said, "Too bad, better bite the bullet hard, son."
I didn't have no teeth, so I stole his gun
And I crawled out the window with my shadow on the spoon
Dancing on the roof, shooting holes in the moon

Acid casualty with a repossessed car
Vietnam vet playing air guitar
It's just the shitkickin' speedtakin'
Truckdrivin' neighbors downstairs
Yeah

Whiskey-stained bucktoothed backwoods creep
Grizzly bear motherfucker never goes to sleep
It's just the shitkickin' speedtakin'
Truckdrivin' neighbors downstairs
Yeah

Belly-floppin' naked in a pool of yellow sweat
Screaming jack-ass with a wet cigarette
It's just the shitkickin' speedtakin'
Truckdrivin' neighbors downstairs
Oh my goodness

When she drags you from the hill
Daddy's gonna burn down there still
We can watch it from the rooftop

Lay into the frying pan
Now she kisses her own hand
With a fiddle on the fire

When you want to be with me then we will see who's fucking with my head
Hey hey hey no no no fuckin' with my head
Make me feel like an asshole
I ain't got no soul! I ain't got no soul!

Total paranoia tryin' to annoy ya
Everything I do is to try and fuck you up
Screwdriver drillin' and I was such a spasm
Drop yourself on the situation, dude
Everyone's out to get you, motherfucker
Everyone's out to get you, motherfucker
Everyone's out to get you, motherfucker
Everyone's out to get you, motherfucker

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