Articles by Matthew Newton
The Last Night Of The Year
My uncle used to refer to New Year’s Eve as amateur night. That was because, well, he was a high-functioning alcoholic, and most social drinkers are not as well-versed in the dubious art of driving under the influence.
In the Tunnels Beneath Las Vegas
Back in November 2010, Austin Hargrave wrote about his experience photographing the homeless who live in the tunnels beneath Las Vegas. His photographs appeared in Matthew O’Brien’s book, Beneath the Neon, which documents the people who live (for a variety of reasons) in the drainage tunnels beneath the city. With homelessness numbers in Las Vegas tripling since 2009, it makes you wonder if the tunnels have seen an influx of residents in the last year.
David Lyle: This Ends Here
Last year I kept seeing this image (pictured) pop up all over Tumblr, but never with any attribution. Somewhere along the line, though I don’t remember when or how, I learned that photographer turned painter David Lyle was responsible.
Alice Cooper and the ‘Chicken Incident’ of 1969
After an unrehearsed stage routine involving Cooper and a live chicken garnered attention from the press, the band decided to capitalize on tabloid sensationalism, creating in the process a new subgenre, shock rock. Cooper claims that the infamous ‘Chicken Incident’, which took place at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival concert in September 1969, was in fact an accident.
Public Service: Preaching The Evils Of Comic Books
When I was a boy and played with the gang we did a lot of things. We roasted potatoes and went on expeditions, we tipped over garbage cans now and then, we wrote nasty remarks about the teacher on the sidewalk. We never spent our afternoons like this, reading.
Larry Carroll On The Weight Of Explicit Imagery
Several years back I attempted to write about the work of painter Larry Carroll, known best for his two-decade collaboration with Slayer, painting every album cover from Reign In Blood to Christ Illusion. At the time, I could find little information about Carroll, and his work was only briefly covered in a piece I wrote for Swindle back in 2005.
The Giant Gila Monster vs. Glenn Danzig
The font of the movie’s title on promotional posters has been copied on most albums and associated promotional materials released by Glenn Danzig’s musical acts Samhain and Danzig.
In Search Of Hanni El Khatib
Garage-rock revivalism holds a certain amount of sway over me, especially the type Hanni El Khatib has assembled on Will The Guns Come Out (Innovative Leisure). Most likely my interest has something to do with an adolescence steeped in power-chord worship.
Railyard Dispatches: BuZ Blurr’s Diversion From Boredom
“I’m a retired railroad man who indulged in the folk art tradition of making chalk drawings on the railcars as an announcement of presence, and diversion from boredom. Although against the rules of the railroad, it was a common enough practice by the employees and hobos, by ignoring enforcement it was de facto tacit approval, for I dispatched drawings for…
Call For Submissions: Death Of A Good Job
Looking for personal stories from individuals who lost a job in the months and/or years following the stock market crash of 2008. The submissions will be edited and published in the epilogue to Death of a Good Job, a zine/micro memoir that will be independently published sometime in 2012.
When Slugs Rule The World
Walmart needs to adopt Slug CEO (pictured) as their corporate mascot. This yellow-skinned, pipe-smoking millionaire is adorable.
Skinemax: The Lure Of Adolescent Nostalgia
In the description for this hyper-nostalgic audio-video mix, Smash TV explains that “Skinemax is Koyaanisqatsi for a generation raised on late night television and B-movie VHS tapes. It’s long form entertainment for short attention spans.”
Permanent Reminders Of Our Academic Shortcomings
To blame Radiohead would be satisfying but unfair. After all, it’s Thom Yorke’s love of a good pun that set a fire in this young man’s heart; moved him in such a way that only a permanent mark in the skin would suffice as a proper way to express his winking acknowledgment.
The Lawyer Who Wanted To Be A Writer
A recent law school grad (who also happened to be a Juggalo) emailed me the other day: “I am graduating law school in [a] few months but don’t want to bury my life in briefs. Instead, I’d rather write. Any advice?”
How Stevie Wonder’s ESP Intensified
“Well, I think he’d always had some awareness of the spiritual side of life. But the accident really brought it to the surface,” said Michael Sembello. “Like now I know he really sees and uses every concert as the spiritual opportunity it is, to reach people.
Rise Of The Son Of Ponzi
Dad may be doing a 150-year bid at a federal correctional facility in Butner, North Carolina, but Andrew Madoff (i.e., Son of Ponzi) is on the media circuit, hustling a tell-all style book.
Halloween In Harlem
Halloween often looks vastly different depending on the zip code of where you live. In the case of photographer Amy Stein’s study of kids trick-or-treating in Harlem (view project), with neighborhood markets and landmarks as a backdrop, there’s a strange sense of warmth on a holiday known for such an abundance of tiny ghouls.
