Marking 20 years
of bold journalism,
reader supported.
Music Picks

Bringing The Good News

Vancouver collective preaches danceable indie power pop.

Thom Wong 31 Jul 2008TheTyee.ca

Thom Wong is a drone in Her Majesty's Service. He writes regularly about music for The Tyee, and can be found ruminating about the state of menswear at The Sunday Best.

image atom
Will set your toes a-tapping and hands a-clapping.

We all know that MySpace has ruined people's lives, good design -- hell, the Internet itself. But MySpace, for all its numerous, numerous flaws, does one thing right: it gives you access to an artist's music without you having to buy the album, and makes a liar of anyone who says they download music "just to see if they like it."

Which is good news for bands like The Good News (guffaw), which, apart from MySpace, seem to have no Internet presence whatsoever. Google "the good news" and you're going to get a lot of Baptist verbiage dedicated to the gospel of Jesus Christ, which will disappoint music hunters not looking to convert the children of the world. Finding a band without a blog these days is a little like finding a Republican senator without undisclosed gifts, but kudos to The Good News for bucking the trend and making themselves that much harder to find.

Is the search worth it? It is if you enjoy power pop that will set your toes a-tapping and your hands a-clapping. The Good News does have the habit of sounding like a collection of all the latest indie tricks (such as on "StompApple," where the harmonizing and wailing can get a bit much), but that's a minor quibble when the songs are so danceable. From the thumping, New-Order-like "Backstage Underage," with its walking bass line and chirping keys, to the chugging guitar of "Oh Na Na," their songs should keep your bodies moving.

The Good News categorizes its music as Dutch Pop/Healing and Easy Listening/Hardcore, and it's hard to tell if they're just trying to cover all their search bases or if that is really how they hear their music. Either way, to these ears they share more in common with Dexys Midnight Runners than a twee Enya Fallout Boy collaboration, especially on the wonderfully manic "Our Love Is A Crime."

The Good News Vancouver's Richard's on Richards on Aug. 10.

Related Tyee stories:

 [Tyee]

  • Share:

Facts matter. Get The Tyee's in-depth journalism delivered to your inbox for free

Tyee Commenting Guidelines

Comments that violate guidelines risk being deleted, and violations may result in a temporary or permanent user ban. Maintain the spirit of good conversation to stay in the discussion.
*Please note The Tyee is not a forum for spreading misinformation about COVID-19, denying its existence or minimizing its risk to public health.

Do:

  • Be thoughtful about how your words may affect the communities you are addressing. Language matters
  • Challenge arguments, not commenters
  • Flag trolls and guideline violations
  • Treat all with respect and curiosity, learn from differences of opinion
  • Verify facts, debunk rumours, point out logical fallacies
  • Add context and background
  • Note typos and reporting blind spots
  • Stay on topic

Do not:

  • Use sexist, classist, racist, homophobic or transphobic language
  • Ridicule, misgender, bully, threaten, name call, troll or wish harm on others
  • Personally attack authors or contributors
  • Spread misinformation or perpetuate conspiracies
  • Libel, defame or publish falsehoods
  • Attempt to guess other commenters’ real-life identities
  • Post links without providing context

LATEST STORIES

The Barometer

Do You Think Naheed Nenshi Will Win the Alberta NDP Leadership Race?

Take this week's poll