ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 28, 2000 Matthew Good is a loud rocker. That’s easily discernible from a quick spin of his band’s latest CD, Beautiful Midnight. Matthew Good is also a loud talker, as I discover for myself when he calls the Straight from his West End apartment prior to his five … Continue reading Matthew Good and the great Radiohead controversy of 2000
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 30, 1999 Matthew Good is doing pretty well for a guy who was lugging stuff around in the shipping-and-receiving department of Army & Navy six years ago. His band’s 1997 album, Underdogs, has gone way past platinum in Canada, having sold roughly 140,000 copies so far. And now … Continue reading Feedback and cheerleaders “turn shit into solid gold” for the Matthew Good Band
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 23, 1997 Inside the False Creek offices of A&M Records, a scrawny young guy is struggling to record a promotional sound bite over the phone for a Prince George radio station. “Hi, this is Matthew Good, and you’re listening to…what are those call letters again?” After a couple … Continue reading “Hi, this is Matthew Good, and you’re listening to…what are those call letters again?”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 26, 1996 Christmas came early for Matthew Good this year. On the same day that the Straight interviewed the up-and-coming local rocker, he received a present from his publisher at EMI: an autographed picture of American astronaut Buzz Aldrin walking on the Moon. The souvenir is in keeping … Continue reading Matthew Good, 25, walks home in the cold after opening for the Who
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, AUG. 5, 2004 On the new Matthew Good CD, White Light Rock & Roll Review, there’s a printed message on the disc itself from the shit-disturbing local rocker. It reads “INSERT IN PLAYER/FEEL THE GLOW OF COMMERCE.” Although Good notes that it’s a “tongue-in-cheek” statement, it’s also very accurate, as the music … Continue reading Matthew Good sees the light
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, SEPT. 19, 2007 By Steve Newton Rock musicians aren’t known for giving away their last beer, so it comes as a bit of a shock when Matthew Good offers up his lone Pilsner Urquell. It’s a muggy Friday afternoon, though, and I’m just parched enough to accept it. “I gotta leave … Continue reading Dark times inspired Matthew Good’s Hospital Music
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, NOV. 4, 2009 MATTHEW GOOD’S LATEST album is called Vancouver, but any fawning tourists who pick it up thinking they’ve scored an upbeat musical postcard of our picturesque city are in for a surprise. There are no odes to the mountains meeting the sea, no ditties about shopping on Robson or cocktails at … Continue reading Matthew Good’s feeling much better
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 4, 1999 By Steve Newton Matthew Sweet is best-known for stripped-down, three-and-a-half-minute pop-rock tunes that require no more than five people to perform. But on his new CD, In Reverse, the Nebraska native goes hog-wild in the personnel department, lining up as many as 17 musicians to play … Continue reading Matthew Sweet channels Phil Spector, goes session-player crazy on In Reverse
By Steve Newton Back in the early ’80s I used to laugh my ass off to the comedy stylings of the Canadian musical-comedy duo MacLean & MacLean. They were rude ‘n’ crude and downright hilarious at times. They were comically abusing the F-word long before the Trailer Park Boys made a career out of it. … Continue reading That time Matt Minglewood told me that MacLean & MacLean were good people
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 16, 2009 By Steve Newton Back in 2006, power-pop stalwart Matthew Sweet and sometimes-Bangles singer Susanna Hoffs collaborated on Under the Covers Vol. 1, in which they performed versions of ’60s hits by groups like the Beatles, the Who, and the Beach Boys. On Under the Covers Vol. 2 the … Continue reading Album review: Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs, Under the Covers Vol. 2 (2009)
By Steve Newton Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown was one of those old blues guys who didn’t talk much–especially during interviews. When I chatted with him back in 1997 he was 73, and touring behind an album called Long Way Home that featured guest spots by Leon Russell, Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, and Sonny Landreth. At one … Continue reading That time I told “Gatemouth” Brown that he played pretty good boogie for a 73-year-old
By Steve Newton Long before he started getting known in guitar circles for his extremely tasty playing both onstage and in the studio with Eric Clapton, Doyle Bramhall II was a member of Arc Angels. He and Charlie Sexton shared the singer-songwriter-guitarist duties in the band, with a rhythm section comprised of bassist Tommy Shannon … Continue reading That time Doyle Bramhall II told me that being in Arc Angels was both a good time and a bad time for him
By Steve Newton I interviewed Dave Martone last week for a story in the Georgia Straight‘s annual Best of Vancouver issue, because when I think about who might be the best guitarist in Vancouver, he always comes to mind. At one point in the conversation I asked Martone about his relationship with Joe Satriani, because … Continue reading Guitar wizard Dave Martone calls his mentor Joe Satriani a member of “the Good Guy Club”
By Steve Newton The 2001 David Spade white-trash comedy Joe Dirt isn’t the best movie ever made, but it sure featured a rockin’ soundtrack. Some of my all-time fave bands are on there, including Thin Lizzy, Blue Oyster Cult, Van Halen, Foghat, BTO, the James Gang, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Canada’s own April Wine also shows … Continue reading That time Myles Goodwyn told me how April Wine’s “Roller” got on the Joe Dirt soundtrack
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 27, 1987 By Steve Newton Whenever Steve Earle hits town, you’re pretty well guaranteed a hellraisin’ good time. It happened at his Vancouver debut last May at the 86 Street Music Hall, and then again last Thursday (November 19) when he and his rip-snortin’ band the Dukes returned to the Expo … Continue reading Steve Earle takes Exit O back to Vancouver and delivers another hell-raisin’ good time
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 18, 1987 By Steve Newton Not too many bands make it to the 20-year mark. But Scottish rockers Nazareth will reach that milestone next year. Singer Dan McCafferty, guitarist Manny Charlton, bassist Pete Agnew, and drummer Darrell Sweet have been kicking royal butt for nigh-on two decades now, and with the … Continue reading Nazareth’s Dan McCafferty says Manny Charlton was writing good tunes for Cinema, so they used ’em
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 24, 1987 By Steve Newton England’s Iron Maiden is different than most other heavy metal bands in a lot of ways. For one thing, they can all play their instruments, and very well. Their songs are quite complex, and the lyrics aren’t simple-minded: there are no likes like … Continue reading Iron Maiden’s Dave Murray, age 30, says “it’s good to know we’ve got a few years to go yet”
By Steve Newton Sometimes when I listen to a musician perform I wonder to myself, “How did they get so goddamn good?” And sometimes–if I meet said musician in my capacity as a music writer–I’ll just flat out ask them how they got so goddamn good. I did it with guitarist Guthrie Govan in 2015, and … Continue reading That time I asked bass goddess Tal Wilkenfeld how she got so goddamn good
