Tagged: documentary

Holman by Arne Svensen Michael Holman - he of the band Gray, associate of Jean Michel Basquiat, and general scenemaker on the downtown scene of early 80's NYC - has something else he'd like you to know about, and its worth a look. He was one of the earlier promoters of hip hop & graffiti culture in New York. Not only did he do a lot to bring hip hop downtown (literally), he also conceived of and hosted a short lived, but nevertheless influential TV show, [...]

I'm just about finished reading Mike Scott's memoir, Adventures of A Waterboy , and boy, was it a sorely needed shot in the arm to my reading habits. After getting bored with so many memoirs & biographies (between shitty editing & crappy writing & predictable story telling), Scott has renewed my faith in the genre. It's a quick yet compelling read. Scott is incredibly articula te, and really knows how to paint a picture. He obviously loves language, and has a [...]

To hell with James Franco and Zosia Mamet's self-indulgent art farts. THIS is what Indiegogo was made for: Funding a feature-length documentary that explores the life and legend of WWF's iconic bad guy Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, a.k.a. The Iron Sheik. Filmmakers Jian Magen and Page Magen have followed Sheik for the last six years and collected interviews (hopefully this one ), footage and readied the hard partying wrestler's media archives (i.e. basement raid!) for what's been their labor of love, " Iranian Legend: The Iron Sheik Story ." [...]

The pimp game just isn't the same. With so many of them parading around and associating with stars, we are many years removed from the incognito ways of Iceberg Slim. But what still makes the legendary Chicago pimp turned author so mystical and revered was his ability to depict the tales of his pimpalations and Chi-town hoods so well on paper. And through all his novels, memoirs, and interviews, his legacy is still somewhat of a mystery. That’s where Ice T and Phase 4 Films come in. With this documentary Iceberg Slim: Portrait of [...]

Derek Vincent Smith's new Pretty Lights  album has been a long time in the making. So long, in fact, that fans (myself included) have become overbearingly curious as to what the glitch hop mastermind has been up to this whole time. Thankfully, VICE 's new documentary on the making of A Color Map of the Sun has elucidated Derek's rigorous process. Approaching his new album without the use of extraneous samples, Smith worked with countless musicians in New York and New Orleans to create and render his own vinyl. Watch VICE 's new video for an extended [...]

- Frequenze video - Prendi una classica mattina londinese a parlare di roots reggae, gospel boogie e new wave spagnola così come fosse la cosa più normale del mondo. Negozi in grado di miscelare cosi bene la world music con le nuove tendenze tanto da diventare veri e propri luoghi di culto legati all'unicità della proposta in italia non ce li abbiamo. Dobbiamo accontentarci di vederli in questa serie mini film girati a Londra da Vinyl Factory Manufacturing. Dietro al bancone Nicole McKenzie e Theo Leanse del Sounds Of The Universe di [...]

Before Scotland faves Franz Ferdinand release the brand new Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action , the band gave a little taste of the studio process with "A Weekend In Glasgow." The mini-documentary shot feature, which barely crawls past three minutes, features a brand new Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action track "Bullet." Although it's not the finished product (patience, guys), it's the first brand new music we've heard from the band since 2009's post Tonight: Franz Ferdinand dance collaboration release Blood . Watch the short below and pre-order [...]

Iggy by Danny Clinch This popped up via EV Grieve this morning, and its fun. Iggy, living in the East Village at the time, shows documentary filmmaker, Bram Van Splunteren , around his neighborhood.

This one goes out to Maritza. Includes commentary from Billy Taylor, Candido Camero, and Chico O'Farrill.

Before - Lester during the El Cajon years After - Lester towards the end Check out the extra long trailer for this upcoming documentary about Lester Bangs, A Box Full of Rocks: The El Cajon Years of Lester Bangs. The website for the film doesn't have a ton of info, but can be accessed here . [...]

Lydia at Max's in 1978 by Eugene Merinov Here's a fun way to waste a Saturday afternoon - watching this retrospective of Lydia Lunch videos from 1978-2006. This retrospective of Lydia Lunch's musical collaborations from 1978-2006 is an incredible representation of her approach to art. Hailed by the Boston Phoenix as "one of the 10 most influential performers of the 90's", no other artist of the 20th century has fought, forged, punched, and sculpted their own artistic vision in such [...]

Not a Beat, Not a Scene  is a short documentary covering the diversity, roots, and promise of the beat scene - for lack of a better word -in Los Angeles, California.Featuring appearances from  Daedelus ,  Free The Robots ,  Juj , and  MNDSGN , among others, the video tells the story behind one of the most influential music scenes in recent memory. Throughout the 10-minute clip the artists describe their own musical beginnings and inspirations, discuss the birth and rise to [...]

Long time music biz vet & photographer, Michael Alago remembers Arturo Vega. This is an outtake from an in-progress documentary being shot about Alago. Vega's obituary ran yesterday in the NY Times. Read it here .

Dennis Ferrer (Slices DVD Feature)

This looks terrific...a friend just sent this trailer to me, and I feel compelled to share it. If These Knishes Could Talk: A Film About The New York Accent is for anyone who really loves New York. I was hooked by the trailer even before the Mingus music comes in towards the end. It will be shown June 21st at the Quad Cinema as part of the Manhattan Film Festival. Official website Facebook Twitter

Shane MacGowan, circa mid 70's, well before the alcoholism set in This unflinching, music-driven documentary provides the first real insight into the background and career of this legendary Irish artist who, as lead singer and songwriter for the Pogues, became a worldwide icon. The film includes contemporary interviews with his family, fellow musicians like Nick Cave, his longtime partner Victoria, and direct one-on-one sessions with Shane himself. These are interwoven with performance material stretching back to Shane's earliest work, along with [...]

The Troggs - Official website

Following the posting this week of Donald Johnson (A Certain Ratio)'s Stupefied Playlist , let's stick with the Factory Records vibe for the first MOTW for the weekend. Here's Umbrellas In The Sun - an incredible collection of bands from the Crepuscle, Benelux & Factory loose family of labels. This collection wouldn't otherwise ever be possible without the hard & obsessive work of labels like LTM , so go buy a copy of this, or any of their DVD comps , now! [...]

There have been quite a few quality adds to the Netflix Instant Streaming Database in June 2013, other than what I mentioned here. Take a look and happy watching! I was sad to see South Park go, and I'm fairly bitter about it. I always used it as a go-to background noise show. High reply-ability [...] Like this? Check out some Related Posts: New on Netflix Instant Streaming: June 2013 New on Netflix Instant Streaming: Adult Swim Shows, April 2013 New on [...]

Synthesizer pioneer and inventor  BOB MOOG was probably the coolest nerd on the planet. Thanks to Mr. Moog , the deliverance of the synthesizer and its funny, quirky sounds, which is now heavily used in our music world, was created. In remembrance of the late  Bob Moog , Moog Music Inc has uploaded a documentary excelling just over an hour's worth of footage of Bob and the evolution of Moog instruments for what would have been the man's 79th birthday. Not only is it extremely interesting, it's simultaneously quite educational. [...]