"Holy Grail: The T206 Honus Wagner"

Check out this great little short on the Honus Wagner T206 tobacco card.  CONFESSION: I spent a good portion of my childhood in baseball card stores.  I spent a good portion of my weekly allowances on baseball cards.

"Youth Museum"

The always interesting Bradford Cox now has a documentary about his 'everyday life'...looking forward to this one.

Chasing Ice

Chasing Ice Trailer from milkhaus on Vimeo.

I don't believe in overzealism.  You find this a lot when it comes to the matter of global warming and the impact human toll is having on our planet.  I prefer to rationally look at all sides and theories but I'll keep my personal views to myself because they do not add anything to the fact that Chasing Ice is an excellently well conceived and shot story.  It's got more than just another 'the world is dying and you are doing this' point of view and tone.   The film does have an agenda, a very rational one.  One that the creators set out to back up with scientific opinion and evidence which they capture for the film.

Check it out.

Bradford Cox Soundtracks New Doc On Teenagers

Bradford apparently has contributed an "original score" (according to Pitchfork) for the upcoming Matt Wolf doc Teenage...about, teenagers.  Really this makes a lot of sense- Cox's music has a lustful, yearning, sepia toned dream-like quality to it...exactly what I think of when I take a moment to think of teenagers from eras past (which I do a lot).  Unfortunately, the trailer above highlights music Bradford has already released as Atlas Sound.  I have a feeling most of the new material will be on the textured, ambient side of things- definitely not complaining there!

"Zammuto - Shape of Things to Come"

Check out this excellent micro doc on the Books' Nick Zammuto.  Beside the fact that this makes me want to pack up and live his life for a while, check out a taste of how he produces some of his percussion sounds.

Gram Parsons - Fallen Angel

Well, this one sure doesn't end happy but an excellent story on the short, underknown life of Gram Parsons. The juxtaposition of Gram's personal life with the music he created/pioneered creates a remarkably odd picture.

American Juggalo

This is absolutely amazing.

"Tiny Giant"

TINY GIANT // FEATURE DOCUMENTARY // TRAILER from HOLY COW FILMS on Vimeo.

"Tiny Giant" is a documentary about Jeff Steinberg, a gospel music singer born without arms and with other physical ailments. Jeff's story is intriguing to me not only because of his unique situation but because I know very little about gospel music except what I have seen in late 1970's black and white - early 1980's over saturated color footage of performances...where gospel music church culture may have peaked if you will. It will be interesting to me to see if, in addition to telling the story of Jeff overcoming his adversity, the doc mentions how the perception crowds have of him and how the overall art he is a part of has changed over his 30+ year career.
IMDB does not list a release date...

"People Who Do Noise"

I'm pretty sure I've posted bits of this doc in the past but here is the full deal in case you needed two hours of information on noise. The term 'noise' in itself has a definition, but in practice and in interpretation, it can't be pinned down uniformly across every set of ears. I'm not that into 'noise' music per se, but then again maybe I am...depending on how certain sounds I enjoy are interpreted. If anything, there is something to be said about the theory, culture and practice of the noise music (total oxymoron) community.

The Electric Drone: sunn o)))

Check out this short doc on sunn o)))...low end guitar drone wizards (If you prefer, insert other synonym relating to a mysterious cloaked figure.). I haven't had the opportunity to see the guys yet, but it certainly won't be a 'fun' experience when I do.

"Visual Acoustics"

Visual Acoustics is a documentary chronicling architecture photographer Julius Shulman's work and his importance in shaping how we view the modernist period of architectural distinction as he returns to the sites of some of his most recognized work. It seems this one is on the festival circuit now, but here's to a release sometime in the near future.

'On the Road'

About roadies: "They're they cowboys of the 21st century." Yeah, kinda I guess...This looks pretty entertaining nonetheless!

Just Gimme Indie Rock!

...Really looking forward to this so I should probably donate (but that's not very punk rock now is it?).

Kraut-Doc

Here's a documentary about the genesis of Krautrock and its influences on a number of other genres. 

A Short Doc on the Fall (1994)

A short doc on the Fall (1994)

Mark E. Smith: "If you drink, you f&*%ing put it on the table, man...that's they way I was brought up...If you drink in the open, you don't become an alcoholic."

"Cracked Actor": A Ziggy Stardust Era Bowie Doc

The Heart is a Drum Machine

Here's the trailer for a documentary exploring the connections music makes with people and the relationships it can form with them...looks pretty interesting.

William S. Burroughs: "A Man Within"

Check out this trailer for a new documentary on the life of beat poet, junkie, gun enthusiast and self described "queer" William S. Burroughs which is making its way around the festival circuit. Burroughs was very open about his sexuality and drug use during a time when these topics were taboo (say the very least) and he found himself hailed as a revolutionary by artists and disdained as a lowlife by pretty much everyone else.
Burroughs' work is now considered an important addition to American culture and society.
A Man Within features interviews with such all-stars as: John Waters, Genesis P-Orridge, Jello Biafra, Iggy Pop, Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo among others. Sonic Youth and Patti Smith do the soundtrack.

A Man Within is due in theatres this fall via Oscilloscope Pictures.

A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake

Perhaps best viewed on a rainy Sunday afternoon, this short documentary is a thorough account of the life of Nick Drake as told by family members and friends. Footage, shot on film, of the English country side and towns where Nick lived and grew up, along with the quality and the methods of mixing the audio give the film a very pastoral, PBS-like feel to it - all of which is a perfect fit for Drake's music which can be heard throughout the story.