Oliver Tree (2022)

One Liner:  Weird ass rapper with terrible hair and bad sunglasses

Wikipedia Genre:  Alternative rock, electropop, alternative hip hop, EDM, pop rock, country pop, country (really?  alternative rock?!?)
Home: Santa Cruz, CA

Poster Position: 5
Both Weekends.  Sunday.

Thoughts: Gah.  He was here in 2019 as well, and I thought it sucked then too.  What the hell is this?  He went up on the poster somehow?  Clicked on the first track, expecting that this name was going to lead me to some pastoral indie music about nature or something, and instead its like an angry ass rap/yeller with a horrible haircut who grew up on Die Antwoord and some singer/songwriter from Mars.  Just listened to "Fuck," which comes on the 2019 single of the same name, and has a cover incorporating this guy, with his super shitty haircut and weird sunglasses, standing in an inferno, holding a nail studded bat, wearing a pair of jeans that are so wide they look like a dress, and grinning maniacally.  And the song sounds like he took the basic idea for Mo Bamba, dropped out the singing part, and just went for it over an ominous beat.  I'm sure my middle kid is already listening to this each night before bed.

Back in 2019, he had no actual albums, just a 2018 EP called Alien Boy, which throws me off somewhat.  It has these semi-ballad type tunes, guitar and beats and song/rapped lyrics, as well as regular rap songs.  That includes his biggest streamer, the title track, with 243.2 million streams.  Er, actually, this video is two songs - starts with "All That," more of the regular rap sounding song, and then shifts into "Alien Boy" at about 1:30 after he gets killed while scooting.

He really is a good scooter rider - or at least his stunt double is pretty solid.  He also really enunciates the words as he is singing them - his tongue and teeth are really getting an appearance!  Also, why does he have make beef with the muscle-bound ginger? Sure, Giantsbane probably takes the beef too far with the murdering, but don't run on nobody's minivan if you don't want none, yo.

2020's Ugly is Beautiful was the first true album.  "Alien Boy" also makes an appearance on that album.  The third biggest streamer had been number one in 2019, and somehow, this weird ass version of rap/yelling/singing stuff is beloved by a group of people out there.  I'm so old.  Here is "Miracle Man."  89.8 million streams.

Yuck.  Here is what I said in 2019: "I mean, this guy just absolutely feels like someone who inexplicably made the 10th line of the ACL poster this year, and a year from now, all of the people who think he is hilarious will have graduated from middle school and no one will even remember his name.  Again, with the wrecked face/broken glasses, and over-enunciation of words, and getting run over by a vehicle.  I'm so confused why this is a thing."  Shows you what I know!  He moved five lines up the poster and got to come back!  BUT, in my defense, back in 2019 Wikipedia said that he had announced his final tour, saying he was going to stop music.  He's a LIAR!

Apparently, his name is really Oliver Tree Nickell.  Not sure why to go with Tree in the musician name instead of Nickell.  When he got started, he went just under the name Tree, and got to open for Tyler the Creator and Frank Ocean, which is pretty wild.  Tree apparently covered "Karma Police" and Thom Yorke approved.  

Finally, he released Cowboy Tears in 2022.  Shockingly, I still think it blows.  So far, people have not flocked to it for streaming since it's February release.  One song has a bunch, but most of them are in the 1 million range.  The one with a bunch is "Cowboys Don't Cry."  24.2 million streams.

Less of the yelling rap garbage, and more of a lame, poignant tune.  Like Kid Rock putting away the dick jokes for a minute to sing a duet with Sheryl Crow.  Actually, you know what he sounds like?  The Blink 182 dude doing his weird nasal enunciation in their slow songs.  His mouth is still overenunciating everything too.  

Nope.  This is still very bad music.  I hope he is not back in 2025 on the 2nd line of the poster.