Matthew Modine (song)
"Matthew Modine" is a 2005 song by Montreal band Pony Up!, from their 2005 self-titled EP. The song describes the life of actor Matthew Modine, and the band members' sexual desire for him. It is the first song they ever recorded.[1]
Reception
[edit]CMJ New Music Monthly lauded "Matthew Modine" as "hilarity" with "salacious lines" that "ultimately leave (listeners) wanting more", comparing it to Toni Basil's "Mickey".[2] The Village Voice described it as "deceptively simple", with "kicky naughtiness" in its lyrics and "'50s girl-group ooohs and ahhhhs and 'Surfin' Bird' papa-oom-mow-mows" in its vocals.[3]
Exclaim! called it "infectious", stating that listeners may "want to hate" it, but that it is nonetheless "hard to resist";[4] similarly, NOW categorized it as "bubble-gum" and "a perfect popcult novelty hit."[5]
PopMatters, however, found the song to have "forehead-smacking lyrics", and to be "the most obvious" example of the album's "over-cuteness".[6] The Indiana Daily Student faulted the song's vocals as "Mates of State-esque" and "(unable to) pass the first round of American Idol", further stating that the "Yoko Ono-esque orgasmic shrieking" at the song's conclusion is "obnoxious", and that the lyrics' description of female sexual arousal is "yucky".[7]
Modine's reaction
[edit]In a 2006 interview, the band's co-vocalist Laura Wills reported that Modine's manager had contacted them and offered to arrange a meeting — "If you're ever in the New York area, let us know. He'd like to meet you," — but specified that no such meeting occurred; however, Wills emphasized that Modine "definitely heard (the song) and apparently thought it was funny".[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Pony Up! Montreal-based indie poppers issue their lo-fi debut., at Pitchfork; by Peter Macia; published March 21, 2005; retrieved January 22, 2020
- ^ Pony Up!, reviewed by Reed Fischer, in CMJ New Music Monthly issue 139 (2005); retrieved January 22, 2020
- ^ Songs About Going Down on Celebrities Not So Simple, by Jessica Grose, in the Village Voice; published April 12, 2005; retrieved January 22, 2020
- ^ Pony Up!, reviewed by Vish Khanna; in Exclaim!; published Apr 01, 2005; retrieved January 22, 2020
- ^ Pony Up!, reviewed by Sarah Liss; in NOW; published April 7, 2005; retrieved January 22, 2020
- ^ Pony Up!: self-titled, reviewed by David Malitz, in PopMatters; published May 15, 2005; retrieved January 22, 2020
- ^ Pony immature and unoriginal, by Nate Gowdy, in the Indiana Daily Student; published Feb 22, 2005; retrieved January 22, 2020
- ^ Pony tale: How four friends from Montreal formed a band, wrote some songs and hucked their demo at the right person, by Tara Thorne, in The Coast; published October 19, 2006; archived 2014; via archive.org