Good Music Docos / Documentaries

[PaulDesmondTutu]

Awesome Zappa documentary about his work with the synclavier and in general insights into his perspective on composition:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYmIacqyKCg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tonebender]

Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey

A very interesting doco on Leon Theremin's life.

[Plumerai]

there is a thread

Also, I've missed the screening but really want to see Nick Cave - 20,000 Days On Earth (2014).

I went to the premiere of this. The film itself is well made; it tries not to be a stereotypical 'music documentary', but it made me dislike Nick a lot. What kind of person pays four staff to maintain an archive dedicated to themselves? A fucking narcissistic arsehole trying to generate and maintain a cult of personality.


Some good ones are:

Instrument - Fugazi
Slow Century - Pavement
Slint - Slow Century
American Hardcore
The Decline of Western Civilization
Stop Making Sense - Talking Heads
Also, not linked to any specific artist/band but All Tomorrow's Parties is great.

Not all of the nick doc is true. Caught the film-performance-q&a and he said some things were made up to move te storyline along. I think he mentioned the archive bit was fake.

My likes: iron maiden the early days pt 1,
a bbc(?) one called punk family tree that focused on siouxsie & the banshees,
& Cliff'em all!

[Tweez]

there is a thread

Also, I've missed the screening but really want to see Nick Cave - 20,000 Days On Earth (2014).

I went to the premiere of this. The film itself is well made; it tries not to be a stereotypical 'music documentary', but it made me dislike Nick a lot. What kind of person pays four staff to maintain an archive dedicated to themselves? A fucking narcissistic arsehole trying to generate and maintain a cult of personality.


Some good ones are:

Instrument - Fugazi
Slow Century - Pavement
Slint - Slow Century
American Hardcore
The Decline of Western Civilization
Stop Making Sense - Talking Heads
Also, not linked to any specific artist/band but All Tomorrow's Parties is great.

Not all of the nick doc is true. Caught the film-performance-q&a and he said some things were made up to move te storyline along. I think he mentioned the archive bit was fake.

My likes: iron maiden the early days pt 1,
a bbc(?) one called punk family tree that focused on siouxsie & the banshees,
& Cliff'em all!

Ahh on the release night at the Barbican the Q&A was after the screening, I went out for a fag when Nick came on and didn't go back in. I still don't get why so many people think he's any good.

[shadowplay]

Joy of ABBA. On the BBC iplayer atm. Has a talking head or two I can't abide but actually an interesting wee film, with some sociological angles explored.

Ah here it is on yootoob!

There's also Agnetha: ABBA and After which we've not watched yet but it might be good. EDIT...no it won't, she's done a song with fucking Gary Barlow. WHAT! Totally beneath her!

D

[StereoStereo]

Recently, I've seen a few I really enjoyed.

Slint - Slow Century
The Punk Singer - A Film About Kathleen Hannah
A Band Called Death
Fimage - The Story of Descendents/ALL

[dc]

Joy of ABBA. On the BBC iplayer atm. Has a talking head or two I can't abide but actually an interesting wee film, with some sociological angles explored.

Ah here it is on yootoob!

There's also Agnetha: ABBA and After which we've not watched yet but it might be good. EDIT...no it won't, she's done a song with fucking Gary Barlow. WHAT! Totally beneath her!

D

thanks, i'm totally going to watch and enjoy these! they were one of my gateway drugs into pop as a kid, and i've worked out an arrangement of "SOS" that i use as a fingerstyle exercise all the time

[shadowplay]

Joy of ABBA. On the BBC iplayer atm. Has a talking head or two I can't abide but actually an interesting wee film, with some sociological angles explored.

Ah here it is on yootoob!

There's also Agnetha: ABBA and After which we've not watched yet but it might be good. EDIT...no it won't, she's done a song with fucking Gary Barlow. WHAT! Totally beneath her!

D

thanks, i'm totally going to watch and enjoy these! they were one of my gateway drugs into pop as a kid, and i've worked out an arrangement of "SOS" that i use as a fingerstyle exercise all the time

It's a good one, though if you are anything like me you'll be left with an overwhelming desire for wicker riot shield!

Rock man likes to sneer at the likes of ABBA but those girls voices were lazer locked weapons of pop destruction.

Seeing John Grant in that film was unexpected. Made me stick this on right after; Piano Magic - Your Ghost (feat John Grant)


D

[jim93]

Go here and look for musicians

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Johnophean]

My fav music docs this year have been -

A band called DEATH
Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon
Thunder Soul
Sound City
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage

...and my fav of all time must see's -

Standing In the Shadows of Motown
Pink Floyd: LIve at Pompeii
The Who: The Kids Are Alright
It Might Get Loud

[CheapsuitG]

It might get loud where jack white tries soooooooo hard not to grin.
I am an Elliott Smith fan and seeing "Finding Elliott Smith" was fantastic.

[soggy mittens]

Bluebottle Kiss, Australian band that essential flew under the radar for a long time, trails one of their tours playing to almost empty rooms. It is a realistic look at a band on the road playing amazing music to largely bedazzled onlookers. I love this doco and band and find it a little sad in ways but still fun and interesting to see what they go through.
http://vimeo.com/16804917

Seafood, British obscure indie rock band in much the same predicament as bluebottle kiss, playing in small rooms to small crowds. Amazing music, amazing bunch of people, fun, creative and cool but sadly, perhaps too amazing. This doco follows them on the road through europe on what became their last tour.
http://vimeo.com/17185988

[andy_tchp]

Bluebottle Kiss, Australian band that essential flew under the radar for a long time, trails one of their tours playing to almost empty rooms. It is a realistic look at a band on the road playing amazing music to largely bedazzled onlookers. I love this doco and band and find it a little sad in ways but still fun and interesting to see what they go through.
http://vimeo.com/16804917

Seafood, British obscure indie rock band in much the same predicament as bluebottle kiss, playing in small rooms to small crowds. Amazing music, amazing bunch of people, fun, creative and cool but sadly, perhaps too amazing. This doco follows them on the road through europe on what became their last tour.
http://vimeo.com/17185988

Ahh, I LOVE Bluebottle Kiss and the 'Blue Road' movie; I re-watched it again last weekend. We opened for BBK on the tour they did prior to the one in the doco and it brings back a lot of (fond) memories of the time.

Have you checked out much of the Infinity Broke stuff? I only found out they existed two weeks ago, 'River Mirrors' is very Jamie/Bluebottle and the new album should be out early next year.

Also, Jamie is doing "Jamie Hutchings (solo) Careering Through the Wilderness 1995 - 2015" all around the place in late Jan/early Feb.


Thanks for the Seafood doco - downloaded, I love those guys too.

[soggy mittens]

god damn it, they're playing with Sounds like Sunset this friday, i live in the wrong state.
So no live shows for me in the foreseeable future. ;_;

[InLimbo]

I DREAM OF WIRES (2014) looks like a promising documentary on the synth - my jammates and I are trying to carve out a day when we're all free of the wives and kids to watch this (roughly 4 hours long).

Don't waste your time with Moog (2004). It's sort of a drag - Dr. Robert Moog isn't someone who I consider as a good interviewee.