"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.
Reception
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". 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.
Exclaim! called it "infectious", stating that listeners may "want to hate" it, but that it is nonetheless "hard to resist"; similarly, NOW categorized it as "bubble-gum" and "a perfect popcult novelty hit."
PopMatters, however, found the song to have "forehead-smacking lyrics", and to be "the most obvious" example of the album's "over-cuteness". 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".
Modine's reaction
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".
References
- 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