Ponytail Picks #45 - First
First things first.
LISTEN
My favourite track 1s
Whether or not it’s a particularly amazing song, the first track on an album you like is usually one that sticks in your brain and gets a lot of play. So it’s nice when it’s enjoyable in its own right! I went through some of my most-listened to albums (you’ll notice most of them are from 2005-2015, when I was 15-25—my peak music discovery years) and picked some (well, 19—I couldn’t stop!) of my favourite opening tracks. Any of them resonate with you? What are some of your favourite album openers?
Now a three-time Ponytail Pick (well, sort of—Andrew in #41 - Medium references the Big Thief version), this is a song about Endings (#23) that begins this gorgeous album with a haunting warmth.
Speaking of warmth, this first of ten teen dreams from Beach House’s breakthrough 2010 album perfectly captures the duo’s immaculate blend of clean guitar tones, cozy organs, and soothing and soaring vocals.
A perth-ect track on a damn near perth-ect album.
Had to include an album opener from my favourite artist Bruce Cockburn here, and this one with its visions of beginnings felt like a fitting one.
Breaking my rule a bit here, as this one’s off of Chris Staples’ latest release, but he’s been one of my favourite artists for a decade and a half now, this might be my favourite album of his, and this track feels so quintessentially him, with its soft acoustic backdrop, chill vocals, and the sort of tasteful instrumental sprinkling of a guy who’s just as competent at producing a song as he is writing one.
After listening mostly to pop punk and rap throughout my teen years, this was one of the albums that not only broke open my music tastes to let in all things mellow and folksy but also made me want to be the dreamy guy with a beard who would get up on a creaky stool with his guitar and sing songs about love. I’ve got a beard now, at least.
My cooler-than-me cousin Adam had this as his profile song on his MySpace page back in the day. It’s still a very cool song and album.
Those strings on the chorus though…
Kicks off this key entry in the millenial indie folk canon with cutesy harmonizing about squirrels.
I was late to the HAIM game but better late than never cuz this song and this whole album slaps (I feel like this probably outdated by now term is especially fitting here considering the killer bass line in the chorus and throughout the whole album).
Right from the first strums of her guitar, Ponytail Press favourite Joni Mitchell just makes everything sound so effortless and free on this classic album.
A nine and a half minute classic cool Kurt jam perfect for slow Saturday mornings.
This album rocks and “The Only One” kicks things off quickly with that punchy, swelling synth.
This was the first album I heard by the folk-rock poets mewithoutYou and it blew my 16 year old basic bro mind.
A beautiful, mysterious, and warm intro to an old favourite album that continues in very much in the same vein.
A soaring, emotional opener to this rich post-breakup album by one of my longtime favourite bands.
I’d rather forget and not slow down
Than gather regret for the things I can’t change now
Starflyer 59’s another one of those bands where I just know I’ll enjoy anything they put out. Here’s an album opener that encapsulates their moody (and yes, often minor-key) soft rock sound.
In which The Tallest Man on Earth, with banjo-pickin’ fingers and mountain man vocals in tow, found his way into my heart in the fall of 2009.
A perfectly mellow and meditative first track on this folk rock masterpiece.
Maybe the sun will shine today
The clouds will blow away
Maybe I won’t feel so afraid
I will try to understand either way
-JB
WATCH
Notable first features by a few of my favourite filmmakers
Bottle Rocket (1996)
Possibly Wes Anderson’s funniest film, if not his most stylish.
Lady Bird (2017)
Okay, this is technically not Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut, but her actual first was as a co-director, so this is at least her first solo-directed feature film. A home run of a coming-of-age comedy.
First Cow (2019)
I’m cheating again, but this is a “first” feature of sorts, and I still have yet to catch River of Grass (1994), the other first feature by master indie director Kelly Reichardt.
Swiss Army Man (2016)
The directing duo of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert of Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) fame made their feature film debut with this artsy-fartsy film (I stole this joke from a Letterboxd review) that I give two thumbs up.
Hereditary (2018)
Ari Aster’s probably too good at directing considering how I’ll probably never be able to bear watching this one again. A masterfully crafted horror.
-JB
READ
First posts from first-rate Substacks
Your Internet Farm Cat already brings you plenty of new Stacks to read. Today, instead of looking at fresh offerings, we’re going to look at a few successful uses of the platform and how they got started.
These aren’t necessarily my favourite Substacks. But I like the way they get things off the ground, and how they show what can be done here. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get inspired to start one yourself!
Blogs With Purpose
wants to stay human.
has written personal, informed, funny blog posts on Substack since mid-2020. Her posts are fun to read. What else could you really ask for?
What I like about the way Amy starts is that she introduces her concept while simultaneously getting right into it. The post is a perfect indicator of what’s followed.
builds his personal canon.
is a relatively new find for me, but a closer look explains why it’s caught my eye. , a music major who switched to English (sound familiar, Mom and Dad?), he started his Substack five months ago in order to document his own taste. In many ways, I use Ponytail Press in the same way.John takes a slightly more explanatory approach to his first post, but like Amy, he manages to infuse his introduction with his passion for the subject. I’m looking forward to reading more.
New Homes
takes film seriously.
About ten years ago, before being bought by Conde Nast, Pitchfork had a sister site dedicated to movies called The Dissolve. Anyone remember that? Well, two of the guys who built it,
and , brought their brand of film criticism to Substack in September 2021 in the form of .Above, Scott and Keith use post #1 to share their story as colleagues, one that goes back to the late 1990s. It works because it sticks to what’s important—why they should be trusted.
keeps music eternally global.
Dust-To-Digital is many things: it’s a non-profit, an archival record label, an Instagram feed actually worth following, and, since August 2022, a Substack.
and have already had a kick-ass social media presence for years, but their first Substack post shows they’re no slave to the short form. It’s well worth a read for anyone who’s aware of them from other platforms.Updaters
puns the news.
At a time when the news couldn’t be more serious (barely a month after January 6, 2021),
took on the challenge to make it funny again with . It worked—and continues to work, garnering over 100,000 subscribers.Dave didn’t waste any time on his first post, jumping right into the thick of the most pressing matters of the time. A subscription will give you more of the same.
keeps your playlists (and vinyl collection) fresh.
has been keeping the world up to date on vinyl releases via for just under a year now, but he’s quickly become a must-read in the music community on Substack. Like Dave Pell, he gets right down to business on his first post, giving you a list of upcoming releases, sharing some stellar playlists, and even kickstarting a give-away for new subscribers.
-AK
You’re first in our hearts, dear readers. Do join us next time as we turn the clock back (or do we turn it forward?) to talk about all things
my man! Thanks for the shoutout and digging the grooves! Also didn't know Scott Tobias and Keith Phipps were on Substack, I've been getting recs from them on Letterboxd.
lots of nostalgia here!