Hit So Hard, the new documentary about Hole drummer Patty Schemel, got us thinking about rock documentaries that aren’t just about the well-known, well-covered stars. There are more than enough films about those guys, with all the usual clichés of rock 'n' roll excess. But what about the other dudes? - the ‘normal-looking’ musicians making interesting, 'alternative' music that rarely ever reaches the ears of the masses. We’ve thrown Mick Jagger out the window like a TV in a hotel room and gone with the bands and artists that really excite us.
Gouge (Matt Quinn, 2002)
We la, la love them. This TV documentary on ‘90s alt-rock/art pop legends The Pixies is easily the best one on the band. With eloquent commentary from David Bowie, Jonny Greenwood and PJ Harvey, as well as late ‘80s footage of the band at their peak, this one had us reaching for our old beat-up Surfer Rosa record, which is still glued to our record player.
The Shield Around the K: The Story of K Records (Heather Rose Dominic, 2000)
Beat Happening, early Beck, The Halo Benders – they all came from the loins of small Olympian record label K Records, one of the coolest underground labels out there, and still going strong today. This is the inspirational story of a bunch of friends making music together and putting records out in the simplest way possible. And you can do it too!
Pavement: Slow Century (Lance Bangs, 2002)
Pavement aren’t the liveliest act on stage (think of shoegaze acts with their heads hung low and minimal swaying) but they do – they did – create some of the greatest quirky, jangly guitar-laden pop songs of the ‘90s. In one of the most bizarre scenes in the film, the band play lollapalooza - watch out for the mud balls, Malkmus!
Strange Powers: Stephen Merritt and the Magnetic Fields (Kerthy Fix, Gail O'Hara, 2010)
New York’s Magnetic Fields have been going since 1989 and have still, astonishingly, never found a place in the mainstream. They might be a gazillion miles from the aforementioned rock ‘n’ roll clichés but their personalities are much more compelling than any Mick Jagger wannabe. They’re also very witty, dry and enigmatic, which is why this documentary is so damn absorbing. In a word, genius.
Instrument (Jem Cohen, 2003)
Because of their politics, the MTV-shy Fugazi rarely did interviews and did absolutely EVERYTHING independently. So understandably fans of the seemingly mysterious band soaked up this stunning, Super-8, 16mm (and just about every other format) film on the band; which is as much a work of art itself as a document of Washington DC’s finest.
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