NEW GRUNDGE POP: “Couch” by PONY
Starting a website in an oversaturated music journalism space, about largely unheralded musicians from a widely overlooked and somewhat underdeveloped and far-flung music market like Connecticut isn’t exactly a mother’s dream for her son. But here we are. My dream wasn’t to be a pharmacist. Sorry mom. As I reach the closing moments of an extended career sabbatical and prepare to return to the rat race, I’ve discovered “Couch” by PONY; chicken soup for the intrepid entrepreneurial soul. It’s a song for people who believe in bringing dreams to reality. It’s music for people who persist in the face of long odds to create. Most importantly though, it’s music worth listening to.
Toronto’s PONY is a grunge pop band with strong vibes coming straight from the 80s and 90s. Lead by Sam Bielanski, the band’s debut LP TV Baby is due out on April 9th. The album’s second single “Couch” was released on Friday. Prepare for a pixie stick fueled sugar rush.
PONY is the second coming of The Go-Gos with a more aggressive edge. Bielanski’s sweet, saccharine voice rises above the fray, as the band shreds some tried and true chords and rhythms. “Couch” is about the struggle of making your way in the world and being surrounded by people who mean well, but don’t really believe in you. Bielanski croons, “my sister says she’s proud of me/but I can hear her lying through her teeth.” Now, maybe more than ever, we’re living in a world where there is a disconnect between those who have found success in the traditional economy, and those who have been forging a path through contract work and the gig-economy. “Couch” really captures the chasm between the dream-chasers and the more practically minded. As you listen, you can hear the sound of your mother saying, “When are you going to give up that little project you’re working on and get a real job?” While not completely out of touch with reality, the idea of working a 9 to 5 and slowly filling your 401(k) for 45 years just isn’t accessible for a lot of people, and it’s an avenue with diminishing returns. “Couch” is a song for the future. It’s a song for Millennials and Gen Zers who are willing to bet big on themselves, and who” getting smarter” and “keep [their] head above the water” everyday.
TV Baby is availiable on a variety of formats including vinyl via PONY’s BandCamp. “Couch” is availiable now for purchase via BandCamp and through your favorite streaming service.
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Michael Stroneski, editor at mvsicthovght, has started several blogs and multi-media projects you’ve never seen. He is a life-long cheerleader for Connecticut and underground music. You can reach him at contact@mvsicthovght.com.