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Beck - "Guess I’m Doing Fine"
From Beck’s heartcrushing divorce album, Sea Change. One of
the saddest, most nakedly honest and unpretentious songs I’ve ever heard.
Coming from Beck, no less, who generally shies from confessional songwriting.
Ryan Adams - "Come Pick Me Up"
While I was working on Paste’s Ryan Adams cover back in 2007, Adams told me about this
song, “So she took a couple records. Big fuckin’ deal. I just made that shit up
anyway. I stole her records.”
Crafty bastard.
Okkervil River - "Calling and Not Calling My Ex"
Why it took me so long to get excited about this band is
beyond me. I sort of (stupidly) blew them off until their latest record, The Stand
Ins, just knocked me on my ass. This is tied for my favorite song on the
album (with "Singer/Songwriter"). It’s a mix of nostalgic remembrance and
slightly removed present-day observation of a lover who’s gone on to become a
celebrity. Lyrically, melodically and - in pretty much every other way, too -
brilliant.


Thanks for a needed dose of cynicism, Steve. (I enjoy most list that include Ryan Adams). What about Ween's "Baby Bitch"? Though I'm not totally anti-Valentine's Day - I did, after all, treat my girl to monster truck rally box seats - I came up with my own pessimistic Valentine's Day mix. My theme was love and murder. You can check it out on my site, if you're interested.