Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
band formed in
Coquitlam
Coquitlam ( ) is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Mainly suburban, Coquitlam is the List of cities in British Columbia, sixth-largest city in the province, with a population of 148,625 in 2021, and one of the 21 municipa ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
in 1995. The band consisted of singer-songwriter/guitarist
Matthew Good
Matthew Frederick Robert Good (born June 29, 1971) is a Canadian musician. He was the lead singer and songwriter for the Matthew Good Band, one of the most successful alternative rock bands in Canada during the 1990s and early 2000s. Since the ...
, guitarist/keyboardist
Dave Genn
David Robert Madison Genn is a Canadian musician, producer, and songwriter. He is a member of the rock group 54-40, and a former member of the Matthew Good Band.
Early life
Genn was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, on 2 March 1969. He is the ...
, drummer Ian Browne and bassist Geoff Lloyd. Lloyd was replaced by Rich Priske in 1998. They became one of the most successful rock bands in Canada during the late 1990s and early 2000s, being nominated for 14
Juno Awards
The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
Best Rock Album
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the rock music genre. Honors in sev ...
" (''
Beautiful Midnight
''Beautiful Midnight'' is the third album released by the Matthew Good Band. It is the band's most commercially successful album. The album won the award for "Best Rock Album" at the 2000 Juno Awards.
The album produced four successful singles ...
'') in 2000. The band broke up after the release of their 2001 album, ''
The Audio of Being
''The Audio Of Being'' is the fourth and final album by the Canadian rock group Matthew Good Band, released in 2001. It included two singles: "Carmelina" and "Anti-Pop". The album sold 73,000 units in Canada by March 2003 and was certified Gol ...
''.
History
1995–1996: Formation, ''Last of the Ghetto Astronauts''
After beginning his music career as a folk musician,
Matthew Good
Matthew Frederick Robert Good (born June 29, 1971) is a Canadian musician. He was the lead singer and songwriter for the Matthew Good Band, one of the most successful alternative rock bands in Canada during the 1990s and early 2000s. Since the ...
formed a three-piece rock band in 1995 composed of himself, drummer Ian Browne and bassist Geoff Lloyd.
Dave Genn
David Robert Madison Genn is a Canadian musician, producer, and songwriter. He is a member of the rock group 54-40, and a former member of the Matthew Good Band.
Early life
Genn was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, on 2 March 1969. He is the ...
originally only recorded with the band as a paid session musician. The four recorded the band's debut
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
, ''
Last of the Ghetto Astronauts
''Last of the Ghetto Astronauts'' is the debut album of the Matthew Good Band. It was released independently in 1995 on a budget of roughly $5,000 CAD. With the singles "Alabama Motel Room" and "Symbolistic White Walls", the album achieved pop ...
''. The band released the album independently in 1995, after which Genn officially joined the band. The band was not originally called "Matthew Good Band". In fact, the first 5000 copies of ''Last of the Ghetto Astronauts'' were just titled "MGB". After the album was released, "Alabama Motel Room" began to receive significant radio airplay, and people began requesting the song on radio and the album at retail stores calling the band, "Matthew Good Band". At the time, the band had been having conversations about their name, and decided that they would be called "Matthew Good Band". Although initially popular only in the
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
area, they received more exposure across Canada in 1996, with the singles "Alabama Motel Room" and "Symbolistic White Walls" becoming significant hits on radio and their music videos being played on
MuchMusic
Much (an abbreviation for its full name MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults.
MuchMusic launched on August 31 ...
. In December 1996, Matthew Good Band signed a two-album deal with
Private Music
Private Music was an American independent record label founded in 1984 by musician Peter Baumann as a "home for instrumental music". Baumann signed Ravi Shankar, Yanni, Suzanne Ciani, Andy Summers, Patrick O'Hearn, Leo Kottke, and his former ...
.
1997–1999: ''Underdogs''
In mid-January 1997, on the first day of pre-production for their next album, the group was notified that BMG Entertainment North America was merging Private Music into
Windham Hill
Windham Hill Records was an independent record label that specialized in instrumental acoustic music. It was founded by guitarist William Ackerman and Anne Robinson (née McGilvray) in 1976 and was popular in the 1980s and 1990s.
The label was ...
/
High Street Records
High Street Records was a subsidiary label of Windham Hill Records from about 1990 to 1997. Notable acts who recorded for the label include John Gorka, Pierce Pettis, Patty Larkin, The Subdudes, Downy Mildew, and Dots Will Echo. Several singer-song ...
, putting a halt to the production of the album. In mid-March, after negotiations, Windham Hill/High Street released the group from its contract. Good was paid what he was owed for the two albums, and the group then decided to record the new album without label support, using the money received from the divorce of their contract with Windham Hill/High Street to fund it. The group then agreed to release the upcoming album under a distribution agreement with
PolyGram Group Canada
PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be ...
. After releasing the EP ''
Raygun
A raygun is a science-fiction directed-energy weapon that releases energy, usually with destructive effect.Jeff Prucher, '' Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction,'' Oxford University Press, 2007, page 162 They have vario ...
'' in May 1997, the band later that year released their second full-length album, ''
Underdogs
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the case where an underdog wins, the ...
''. The album was produced by
Warne Livesey
Warne Livesey (born 12 February 1959) is an English/Canadian music producer, mixing engineer, songwriter and musician. He has produced Midnight Oil, The The, Matthew Good Band and Deacon Blue.
Life and career
Warne Livesey started his career in ...
, who would go on to produce every full-length MGB album and most of Good's subsequent solo albums. The album spawned the singles "
Everything Is Automatic
"Everything is Automatic" is a song by the Matthew Good Band. It was released as the first single from the band's second studio album, '' Underdogs''.
Track listing
Inspiration
In a 1997 interview, Good said that he was inspired to write "Every ...
Apparitions
Apparition may refer to:
Supernatural
*Apparitional experience, an anomalous, quasi-perceptual experience
* A vision, something seen in a dream, trance, or religious ecstasy
*Ghost, the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear ...
" and "
Rico
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization.
RICO was en ...
", all of which were hits in Canada.
The band toured across Canada with
Edgefest
Edgefest was an annual outdoor rock festival in Canada. It was founded by staff members of Toronto radio station CFNY-FM. From 1987 to 2015, the festival was held every year in the summer (except for 2007). The festival was most frequently held ...
during the summer of 1998. In November 1998, Geoff Lloyd left the band. Lloyd was replaced by Rich Priske shortly after. On January 21, 1999, ''Underdogs'' was certified Platinum in Canada.
1999–2000: ''Beautiful Midnight''
In July 1999, the band again toured across Canada as a part of Edgefest, this time on the main stage. In September 1999, the band released ''
Beautiful Midnight
''Beautiful Midnight'' is the third album released by the Matthew Good Band. It is the band's most commercially successful album. The album won the award for "Best Rock Album" at the 2000 Juno Awards.
The album produced four successful singles ...
''. The album debuted at #1 on the
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...
and featured the hit singles "
Hello Time Bomb
Hello Time Bomb is a song by Canadian alternative rock group Matthew Good Band. It was released in September 1999 as the lead single from their third studio album, '' Beautiful Midnight''. It was nominated for Best Single at the 2000 Juno Awards ...
", "
Load Me Up
"Load Me Up" is a song by Canadian rock group Matthew Good Band. The song was released as the second single from the band's third studio album, ''Beautiful Midnight''. The song reached No. 1 on Canada's Rock chart, and continues to be one of th ...
" and " Strange Days". In January 2000, Good underwent vocal cord surgery after being diagnosed with
sarcoidosis
Sarcoidosis (also known as ''Besnier-Boeck-Schaumann disease'') is a disease involving abnormal collections of inflammatory cells that form lumps known as granulomata. The disease usually begins in the lungs, skin, or lymph nodes. Less commonly af ...
, prompting him to temporarily quit smoking. In March 2000, The band won two
Juno awards
The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
for "Best Group" and "Best Rock Album". Good himself did not attend the ceremony, and guitarist Dave Genn has been quoted as saying that he only attends for the open bar. ''Beautiful Midnight'' became the band's best-selling album, being certified Double Platinum in Canada and selling over 300,000 copies by 2016. In 2000, the band's song "Running for Home" was featured in an episode of '' Higher Ground''.
2000–2001: ''The Audio of Being''
In the summer of 2000, Good stayed in a hotel for three weeks in Whistler to work on songs for the new album. Good later wrote that he spent much of the time "trying to keep down
food supplement
A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement one's diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources or that are synthetic in order ...
bars, trying to forget the growing tension within the band, the high expectations of needing to produce 'hit songs' (whatever they are these days), throwing up, and trying to find some semblance of direction in my personal life". The band entered the studio in late 2000 to record the material. The sessions saw a great deal of intra-band turmoil. In February 2001, the band began a brief tour of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
to promote the American release of ''Beautiful Midnight''. In June 2001, the band released the EP '' Loser Anthems'', and followed it with what would be the band's final tour in the summer. In August 2001, Dave Genn quit the band, returning though four days later. The band released ''
The Audio of Being
''The Audio Of Being'' is the fourth and final album by the Canadian rock group Matthew Good Band, released in 2001. It included two singles: "Carmelina" and "Anti-Pop". The album sold 73,000 units in Canada by March 2003 and was certified Gol ...
'' on October 30, 2001.
Breakup
In November 2001, it was reported that Genn had left the band again and Ian Browne had also left the band. In February 2002, Universal Music Canada confirmed that the band had broken up. In March 2002, during his first interview after the breakup was confirmed, Good stated that the breakup was "a conscious effort on everybody's part". In a 2009 interview for
The Ongoing History of New Music
''The Ongoing History of New Music'' is a radio program produced in Canada by Corus Entertainment and hosted by Alan Cross.54-40 since 2003 and has written and produced songs for several artists. Geoff Lloyd died in January, 2010. Good briefly reunited with Browne in 2011, with Browne drumming for Good on his ''
Lights of Endangered Species
''Lights of Endangered Species'' is the fifth studio album by Matthew Good, released on May 31, 2011. The album's first single, " In a Place of Lesser Men", was released via SoundCloud two months prior on March 21, 2011. Subsequently, "Non Popu ...
'' tour. Rich Priske died on July 11, 2020.
Members
*
Matthew Good
Matthew Frederick Robert Good (born June 29, 1971) is a Canadian musician. He was the lead singer and songwriter for the Matthew Good Band, one of the most successful alternative rock bands in Canada during the 1990s and early 2000s. Since the ...
– lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1995–2002)
* Rich Priske – bass guitar (1998–2002)
* Ian Browne – drums (1995–2001)
*
Dave Genn
David Robert Madison Genn is a Canadian musician, producer, and songwriter. He is a member of the rock group 54-40, and a former member of the Matthew Good Band.
Early life
Genn was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, on 2 March 1969. He is the ...
Last of the Ghetto Astronauts
''Last of the Ghetto Astronauts'' is the debut album of the Matthew Good Band. It was released independently in 1995 on a budget of roughly $5,000 CAD. With the singles "Alabama Motel Room" and "Symbolistic White Walls", the album achieved pop ...
'' (1995)
* ''
Raygun
A raygun is a science-fiction directed-energy weapon that releases energy, usually with destructive effect.Jeff Prucher, '' Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction,'' Oxford University Press, 2007, page 162 They have vario ...
'' (1997)
* ''
Underdogs
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the case where an underdog wins, the ...
Beautiful Midnight
''Beautiful Midnight'' is the third album released by the Matthew Good Band. It is the band's most commercially successful album. The album won the award for "Best Rock Album" at the 2000 Juno Awards.
The album produced four successful singles ...
The Audio of Being
''The Audio Of Being'' is the fourth and final album by the Canadian rock group Matthew Good Band, released in 2001. It included two singles: "Carmelina" and "Anti-Pop". The album sold 73,000 units in Canada by March 2003 and was certified Gol ...
'' (2001)
See also
*
Canadian rock
Rock music of Canada is a wide and diverse part of the general music of Canada, beginning with American and British style rock and roll in the mid-20th century. Since then Canada has had a considerable impact on the development of the modern po ...
*
Music of Canada
The music of Canada reflects the diverse influences that have shaped the country. Indigenous Peoples, the Irish, British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has also subsequently been ...