Staff Pix 9/18: First/Early Songs

“Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie” BY Joanna Newsom

Ask any Joanna Newsom diehard what their favorite record by the singer-songwriter/harpist is and you’re sure to receive a different answer for every person, which is impressive considering that her catalog released over the last twenty-some years essentially consists of just four full-lengths and one EP. Some will tell you that they prefer the labyrinthine melodic passageways and enigmatic wordplay of Ys, while others may favor more the lush expanse of Divers, or the rugged, clear-cut charm of Have One On Me. But what of The Milk-Eyed Mender? It’s hard to call any Joanna Newsom album especially underrated; with Joanna, you either adore everything, or nothing. Relative to the acclaimed progressive masterpieces that would come after, Milk-Eyed Mender seems relatively tame in comparison. But to best understand the musical nugget that kickstarted the career of one of our great modern songwriters, just look to closing track “Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie,” a tune which after enough listens unfolds as one of her most poignant and touching statements. Like much of Mender, it consists of little more than a harp and Joanna’s cherry-plum voice, with lyrics that are opaque as always (“There are some mornings / When the sky looks like a road”). The singer-songwriter’s academic wit never leaves her, but here the usual quirk is replaced largely by a profound melancholy that, like the best Joanna Newsom songs, never fully reveals its form. Is it a breakup song? Probably. But there are enough left-turns (“And some machines / Are dropped from great heights lovingly”) to leave you guessing all the same. And when Joanna finally hits that high note accompanied by, “And you are starry, starry, starry,” it’s affecting enough that it almost makes the entire image come into place. — Lucca Swain

“Sink to the bottom” by fountains of wayne

Named after a fake store in a Sopranos episode, Fountains of Wayne is mostly known for their gigantic hit “Stacy’s Mom,” but they have other songs too… and those songs are incredible. It all started in the mid 90’s when Adam Schelsinger and Chris Collingwood got drunk at a bar and wrote song titles on a napkin before giving each other a week to write actual lyrics for those titles. Among those was second lead single “Sink to the Bottom,” which went on to be a big hit before Stacy’s Mom was even a thought. Following an almost identical chord progression to Where is My Mind? by Pixies, Sink to the Bottom encompasses every part of the quirkiness that makes Fountains of Wayne so enticing. From their simple synth work, catchy pedal driver guitars, and both of Collingwood and Schlesinger’s silly lyrics, Sink to the Bottom feels like the perfect second single that a band can put out. — Mario Sierra

“!Franchesckaar!” by Charli XCX

I will not apologize for being one of the many annoying music losers who has been giving Charli flowers upon flowers for the past few years (though it’s more like the past decade). In fact, let me be even more annoying and buzz in your ear about 2008 Charli for a healthy 8 or 9 sentences. “!Franchesckaar!” is the first song off of 16-year-old Charli XCX’s debut album, 14. The song is an ode to what Charli describes as “typical posh girls from Cambridge.” Instead of a into a jealous, misogynistic musical fury, it’s is surprisingly and strangely sweet to the subject, explaining that the pretty posh princess doesn’t recognize her own status–or does, but doesn’t know what to do with it: “ Oh, but you can’t feel it, babe / The effect you have on all of them.” Sonically, the song is an unpolished, fuzzy explosion of undeniably Peaches-esque drum beats and spiky lyrics.It’s punchy, catchy, and a little bitchy in the best way as Charli rattles off reasons why everyone loves “Franchesckaar” (basically Francesca). The best part about “!Franchesckaar!” is hearing little bits and pieces of 2026 Charli already peeking through in her debut, as she begins to feel out her unapologetic, poppy style that has propelled her into the spotlight time and time again. — Julia Schramm

“Deceptacon” by Le Tigre

Le Tigre released their self-titled debut album on October 25, 1999. The opening track, “Deceptacon,” is an electronic, clashing fireball endlessly energized by its funky fun. “I take you home now / watch me get you hot,” Kathleen Hanna squeaks, “You’re just a parrot when you’re screaming and you’re shouting / More crackers please / more crackers please.” The joy of “Deceptacon” comes from its lyrics, which are both nonsensical and a delight to scream to: “Who took the bomp from the bomp-a-lomp-a-lomp? / Who took the ram from the rama-lama-ding dong?” My favorite part about Le Tigre is that I can hear how much fun the band had while recording. “Deceptacon” is proof that riot grrrls have just as great of a time at the electronic punk afterparty, too. — Heather Thorn

“Ghost Rider” by Suicide

It kicks off straight away. Blaring clashes of synthesized bass and manufactured drums loop in an alarming frenzy. The rest of Suicide’s seven-track debut album keeps up, maintaining this distinct rush of urgency, solidifying their dissonant, nervous energy as definitively their own. “Ghost Rider” is the first track ever released by Suicide, an introduction rooted in the band’s own fascination with the transformation of the metaphysical and the evocative imagery that accompanies it. Throughout the track they murmur uneasily, occasionally yelping “America, America, America is killin’ its youth.” Even as their first release, it’s the embodiment of Suicide, a band characterized by its pessimistic provocation and repetitive themes of self-destruction. — Sophie Parrish

“To Me, To You” by Normal Village

Normal Village’s first EP “Pile On” caught me in the gut one day by chance. The record came out in October 2025. The band sports a criminally low follower count on Instagram and (again, according to Apple Music, certainly unreliable for these things) has only one listed show scheduled at The Louisiana, an intimate venue in Bristol a three and a half hour drive from the band’s founding city of Leeds. Still, no song in recent memory has captured me the way “To Me, To You” has taken hold. Never before have I found myself scrolling booking.com and considering shilling out international flight costs to see a band that has been with me for less than a month, let alone done so for any band at all. The first time I heard the track I was walking down a busy street and found myself at a dead stop. There were chills. On more than one listen I have been brought close to tears. The lyricism, the riffs, the relentless drums: to me  it is as close to perfection as one track can get. Already I have gone to several artists I deeply respect and demanded they listen and I am sure before long I will have gone to many more. Really I am selfish. I can’t wait to say “I told you so” when the band inevitably explodes and stretches tendrils overseas. For my sake and for yours I ask you give it a shot. You won’t regret it. — Declan Ireland

“Run and Tell” by Faye Webster

Webster calls her debut record Run and Tell a “bad tattoo,” and this bad tattoo has a lot of southern charm. This title track and the rest of the record are the blueprint for indie country greatness to come. Only 16 when recording the collection of songs, it makes sense she doesn’t look back on the record super fondly, but giving it a listen, it’s clear to see how much potential Webster had even at a young age, and how much stronger her sound developed in her following releases. The sound? Bland folk-country music, the kind of music that doesn’t get you far in this industry, and it’s clear Webster figured that out early enough to switch up the vibe to the Faye Webster we know today. Now that we have this yo-yo wielding indie country legend, we can look back at that bad tattoo with a smile knowing that was just the start. — Sam Shipman