Ponytail Picks #20 - Webs
We caught you! But we’re not going to eat you. Instead, we’re going to feed you. Come see the other things that got stuck in our web.
LISTEN
5 Songs About Spiders
“Boris the Spider” - The Who
For a long time, I’ve felt a cultural pressure to “grow out” of my love for The Who. Whether it’s Keith Moon’s Muppet-like drumming style, the band’s teenage smugness-turned-affinity for epic prog rock, or the juvenile innuendo in some of their lyrics, there seems to be a number of barriers keeping The Who from elevating to “respected legend” status.
To that, I say, “hogwash.” From their pre-punk “My Generation” days to their rock opera era, The Who always knew how to keep music fun. No song displays this more explicitly than “Boris the Spider.” Long Live our Childish Ways!
“Spiders/Kidsmoke” - Wilco
I promise I will stop talking about Wilco for awhile after this, but I couldn’t create this list without including “Spiders/Kidsmoke.” Every time I see a real-life arachnid, I think about it holidaying in Michigan and filling out tax returns because of it.
This song will tell you whether you’re a Wilco fan. It separates the sheep from the goats, if you will. For those of you on the “no” side of that, try this live version, which I had the pleasure of hearing at a Wilco show 10 years ago. It’s a little nicer.
“Black Widow Spider” - Them
I know Van Morrison’s early band more for its garage rock anthems like “Gloria,” but this song has Them up to their noses in the India-inspired psychedelic sounds of the late ‘60s. Though not actually on the soundtrack for Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocolypse Now, it would fit in nicely with that film’s hot, eerie feeling—especially that question in the last line: “Is fantasy real?”
Well? Is it?
“Tarantula” - Beck (This Mortal Coil cover)
Speaking of soundtracks, this This Mortal Coil cover was featured in Roma, a movie I have yet to see but was pleasantly reminded of while researching for this post. The track has Beck sounding as much like Phil Collins as I’ve ever heard him. Not something I asked for, but I’m here for it!
“Spider and I” - Brian Eno
Brian Eno is a master of a lot of things, but here’s another one to add to the list: the master of send-offs. This song closes his 1977 album Before and After Science, and it’s equipped to close a life. If it was the sound guiding me to Heaven, I wouldn’t complain. Press play and float on with your spider at your side.
-AK
WATCH
5 Films Weaving Unforgettable Webs
Nothing like a good ensemble drama or investigative procedural with a large and enjoyably tangled spider-home of characters and/or plot points, sometimes spanning vast amounts of time and space. Here are a few of my favourites:
The Company You Keep (2012)
A savvy journalist uncovers a fascinating web of former radicals still on the lamb. The past-present element is compelling and produces a refreshingly old and textured cast of characters, while the cat-and-mouse game is exciting without resorting to cheap action. The underlying themes of truth and justice aren’t given quite enough oomph but the movie remains an engaging thriller that looks great to boot.
The Devil All the Time (2020)
Well-made, not just in its technical elements but in the way it deftly ties its many characters and generation-long plot threads together in such a satisfying (and ultimately surprisingly positive) manner, making for a powerfully morbid epic on the dangers of religion.
Little Women (2019)
The timeline hopping is cleverly and masterfully executed and adds remarkable emotional depth to what is an already extremely well-written and acted web of characters (to the big emotional moments are added many brilliant little overlapping quips and quibbles). Often hilarious and always heartfelt, with a delightfully cheeky ending.
Magnolia (1999)
A masterpiece of dramatic storytelling, as multiple poignant narratives—superbly acted—are brilliantly woven together in both stark and subtle ways, in the script and on the screen (see the swirling montages of tracking shots and an ever-building soundtrack found throughout; the character voice-overs lengthened into other scenes; the unique and moving cross-character sing-along).
Zodiac (2007)
I’ve heard some people complain about this one being too long, but I could’ve used another hour—I mean, that’s how long I spent googling the Zodiac killer afterwards anyways. It’s that sort of mystery—complex, endless, with countless players and procedures to dissect, and the film with its excellent technique, turns, and script captures it all with a remarkable sense of cohesion and momentum.
-JB
READ
3 Substacks About The Web
For the amount of time we spend on it, it seems to me like many of us don’t pay a lot of attention to the Internet itself. The following Substack journalists keep an eye on the medium and deliver the details to keep you informed. And somehow, they make it fun to read! Because of them, I can know what’s happening on social media without actually having to use social media. Thanks guys!
Garbage Day
We’ve recommended
’s since Substack launched its “Recommendations” feature. And while I shift that list around a little every now and then, I never feel ready to change GD’s position there.Why’s that? Well, you know that line above about not needing to be on social media? Broderick and his co-writer, Allegra Rosenberg, make that statement true. Their newsletter is the reason I know what Goncharov is. If you know, that’s the best endorsement I could give you. If you don’t, read this post to find out.
Ed Zitron’s Where’s Your Ed At
has a slightly different approach to his coverage of the Internet. Rather than try to keep to you updated on everything, Ed goes on what I would call “tangents.” For weeks, he’ll jump head first into a current topic—the media’s shoddy coverage of the remote work phenomenon, Elon Musk’s self-destructive Twitter takeover, the epic fall of crypto-scammer Sam Bankman-Fried—and then, without any announcement, he’ll move on. It works. And it works because Zitron doesn’t hide his frustration with it all. He also does his homework. Speaking of the ironically named Bankman-Fried, check out this post for an example. If you’ve managed in the last couple years to learn nothing about cryptocurrency, it tells you all you really need to know.
Embedded
and tend to keep things light with , but without sacrificing interest. The two Atlantic employees interview Very Online people with their “My Internet” segment and otherwise simply offer their takes on Internet trends like Taylor Swift conspiracy theories or the nostalgification of digital cameras.If you want to learn about the Internet without learning to hate the Internet, Embedded is probably your best bet.
-AK
That’s it for this 20th edition for Ponytail Picks—thanks for sticking with us. Grab a mug of ‘nog and get cozy with us two weeks from today as we pick out our favourite gifts to read, watch, and listen to for
"Web" by The Oh Sees is quite a sonic field trip if you haven't heard it.