New York's singer-songwriter
Jeffrey Lewis jumped on the anti-folk bandwagon on
The Last Time I Did Acid I Went Insane and Other Favorites (2002),
that features guitar-only hardly-sung rigmaroles like Life, Seattle and especially the breathless The Last Time I Did Acid I Went Insane and songs that take traditional folksinger styles into unorthodox territory (the seven-minute The Chelsea Hotel Oral Sex Song),
comically punkish rants like Another Girl (a` la Jonathan Richman)
and the stately nine-minute choral singalong Springtime.
It's the Ones Who've Cracked That the Light Shines Through (2003) was
more fragmented and invested mainly in the goofy humor in the tradition
of
Jonathan Richman and
Daniel Johnston
(Back When I Was 4).
City & Eastern Songs (2006) was a more pensive affair, notably in
the supersonic-speed rant
Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror, but also includes
the ditty
Posters, that winks at
bubblegum-pop of the 1960s.
12 Crass Songs (2007) was a Crass tribute album.
City & Eastern Tapes (2008) was a collaboration with his brother Jack.
'Em Are I (2009), featuring the backing band Junkyard,
runs the gamut from breathless bluegrass (Whistle Past the Graveyard) to
calm meditation (To Be Objectified).
The Bundles (2010) was him, his brother Jack, drummer Anders Griffen, multi-instrumentalist Karl Blau and keyboardist Kimya Dawson of the
Moldy Peaches.
Come On Board (2011),
Hey Hey It's (2013) and
Both Ways - The Great Lost 2017 Double-Album (2021)
were collaborations with Peter Stampfel of the Holy Modal Rounders.
He continued his anti-folk mission on
A Turn In The Dream-Songs (2011),
featuring an extended band with
cello, mandolin, sax, flute, melodica, bass and drums,
Jeffrey Lewis & The Jrams (2014), with the unusually calm You're Invited,
The Artist Alone Decides What You Will Hear On His E.S.P. (2015),
Manhattan (2015),
and
Another Secret Album (2016).
He played tribute to the Fugs on Works by Tuli Kupferberg (1923-2010) (2018).
Bad Wiring (2019), professionally produced by Roger Moutenot, transformed
his breathless rigmaroles into
hard-rocking songs (In Certain Orders and Depression Despair)
catchy power-pop (My Girlfriend Doesn't Worry) and
frenzied garage rave-up (LPs, the standout).
Then came:
2019 Tapes (2020),
2020 Tapes (2020),
2021 Tapes (2021),
2022 Tapes (2023),
The Even More Freewheelin' (2025), with drums, bass and Mallory Feuer on violin, keyboard and backing vocals.
