Song Stories

Comments (0) By Hiya Swanhuyser Wednesday, Apr 7 2010

Warm, honest vocals à la Jack Johnson, a honeyed acoustic guitar, and philosophical lyrics characterize the songs of Goodfeather. Fans of Dave Matthews, this is the up-and-coming artist you dream of: the folky, Indian John Mayer; the one-man Bay Area ALO. Goodfeather is about positivity, an occasional reggae beat layered on his own elastic strumming, and most of all about finding redemption. His own story is a rather irresistible cinematic journey: Born in Wasilla, Alaska (we’re guessing he was never a Palin voter — too young), he lived in foster homes until he emancipated himself at 16 to go be a heavy metal dude in Los Angeles, where he picked up guitar skills and some bad habits. Enter stage left an uncle, with whom he traveled the country, getting a grip on his culture and his approach. Then when beloved troubadour Floyd Red Crow Westerman passed on a few years back, Goodfeather picked up a guitar again in Oakland — he knew some of Westerman’s great old songs, and people wanted very much to hear them. They liked Goodfeather’s original songs, too. “Basically,” he explains on his Web site, “the (Native American) community instantly plugged me in.” An eponymous album produced by Greg Landau soon followed; hear the results tonight.