Music Documentaries Worth Watching

I'm back! Well, sort of. Some of you may know I've been kept rather occupied by my PhD-nightmare, which is now finally submitted. I'm now waiting to hear about my defense date (i.e. the dreadful day I will be attempting to justify to two experts that what I did is the next big thing in science!). Wish me luck, I will need it!

Anyways, back to the point! Recently I had some time to catch up with Netflix etc (a lot) and watched a few music documentaries. I thought a post about some of my recent favourite/recommended watches would be helpful for those of you not familiar with them already. No intros needed but just a note that I'm not only looking at heavy metal documentaries.

Artifact (Dir. Jared Leto, 2012)
This documentary follows the American rock band of genius, in my opinion, Jared Leto Thirty Seconds to Mars as they fight the dark force (i.e. their music production company) that sued the band for $30 million. Yes, that happens apparently. It also offers a glimpse on how the band came to produce their album, aptly titled, This is War. Featuring appearances from Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Chester Bennington (Linkin Park), and Brandon Boyd (Incubus) among others the film is eye opening to music fans some of whom may think that their valued money go to the band instead of big multi-billion companies.
Takeaway: Save your money, spend it on gigs instead.

20 Feet from Stardom (Dir. Morgan Neville, 2013)

An American documentary that gives voice to back-up singers who are left in the shadows and beyond the spotlight. It highlights how our favourite tracks are "pimped up" by the harmonies of talented women and men. Notable appearances include Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones), Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Stevie Wonder, and some of the most amazing back-up singers including Darlene Love (The Blossoms) and Merry Clayton (The Rolling Stones, the chilling voice behind gimme shelter).

Takeaway: Once again we are being reminded that sadly a perfect voice isn't the key to fame nor "success". 

Beware of Mr. Baker (Dir. Jay Bulger, 2012)
This is a documentary about legendary drummer Ginger Baker (Cream). It looks back on the career of one of the most important drummers of all time but also his many quirks and loss of fortune and his current reclusive life in South Africa. Featuring interviews from Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lars Ulrich (Metallica), and many more, this documentary is an ode to the trivial, enigmatic Mr. Baker. Must-see not only for keen drummers but every single musicphile out there.
Takeaway: Beware Mr. Baker's punch!

Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey (Dir. Ramona S. Diaz, 2012)
After searching all over for a new lead singer, Journey members take to YouTube to find their next front man. Their prayers were answered with Arnel Pineda, a Filipino singing in cover bands; the band felt that he could fill Steve Perry's shoes. The documentary is a very brief introduction to the new Journey lead singer and his background. A little bit boring at times but you will be captivated by Arnel's personality.
Takeway: Remember the film Rock Star?

Sound City (Dir. Dave Grohl, 2013)

A documentary about the history of recording studio Sound City Studios in Los Angeles. Dave bought several items from the studio when it closed in 2011 and was inspired to make a movie about it. Some very famous albums were recorded at Sound City Studios by Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, Neil Young, Slipknot etc. Some notable appearances include Vinny Appice (Dio, Black Sabbath), Paul McCartney (The Beatles), Neil Young, and Krist Novoselic (Nirvana) but many more share their experiences.
Take-away: There will always be eras greater than the present.

Roswell Films

Mission to Lars (Dir. James Moore & William Spicer, 2013)
This is a chronicle of William and Kate Spicer's mission to make their brother's dream of meeting Lars Ulrich (Metallica) come true. Tom is suffering from Fragile X syndrome, a genetic condition that causes developmental issues. Although I was a bit skeptical about William and Kate's intentions (you can feel they are also doing it for the spotlight), this documentary is informative and heart-warming as the siblings try to reconnect through the mission. Featuring Metallica but most importantly Lars himself, who appears to be more of a nice guy that many of us give him credit for.
Takeaway: Music does bring people together.

These documentaries are some of the most recent ones I watched and enjoyed. You can watch most of these on Netflix (it's worth the small subscription fee trust me), YouTube etc. I will be updating the list in the future with new releases and old favourites. But if you have any recommendations for me, I'd love to hear them.

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Not Another Music Review!

I hate music reviews. There I said it! I hate the fact that they all read the same. I hate that the reviewer thinks their opinion matters. I hate that they actually think they can do it properly. I even hate that they think they are in a position to do it in the first place!

As I said before, any person, with a functional set of ears (or one), and a good taste in music (anything except pop; I have an issue with that) can actually "review" an album, a band, a song, or a gig. But basing your whole preferences and taste on certain people's judgements and opinions (which can be situational by the way) is, plainly put, ridiculous. Fair enough, there are impressive reviews out there by important people in the music business, who use a combination of fancy and intellectual words to describe the lyricist's subconscious struggle with their inner fears or the guitarist's solo virtuosity or even the bass player's skilful versatility in balancing harmony with rhythm, which can be somewhat "use"-full(?). [We all know that a music review that uses the word "bass" -let alone the bass player's skills- does not really exist!]

So you can imagine the position I was in when I was asked by a friend to review an alternative band. At first I hesitated, because as I mentioned above "Who the hell am I to tell you what is good and bad", right? Plus, I am not into alternative rock that much and I have no reviewing skills as you may have noticed from previous attempts! But then it occurred to me that I have actually been doing it (reviewing that is)...a lot, but in an alternative way! So I thought, why not do an "alternative" review for these guys? Also, the band is actually good. 

Here it is then. It's small, different (or alternative if you prefer), with links so you can see for yourself. I don't currently have a personal relationship of any sort with the band members and I made sure I listened to their album before I even talked to them. So basically, I am not that biased! Also, just to make it perfectly clear, I have no musical education of any kind. Therefore, I base my opinion solemnly on what my two perfect ears feed back to my brain neurons!

The Band
The band is called Waterblack. It originates from Cyprus and the city of Limassol but with strong UK connections as most of the band members were born and/or currently reside in the UK.

From left: Eco, Marcos, Xenios, Chris, & Byron

They formed in 1996 by Andreas Economides a.k.a. Eco and Chris Charalambides who are the only two original founding members in the band today. Eco, much like Dave Grohl (but a bit more "blessed" in the vocal department in my opinion), developed skills in an array of musical instruments starting as the band's drummer and ending up as the lead vocalist and guitar player. Also, he's the main player in regards to writing the lyrics and the songs' structure along with Chris.

Chris is the tech-guy being the band's keyboardist, producer, and sound engineer all together. Kind of like a mixed grill! He is also responsible for the song arrangements and I hear that his live performances are... well, noticeable!

Xenios is the newest addition to the family. Having traveled around the world and acquired a buttload of skills, he soon realised his place as the band's lead guitarist. He does mixing, sound engineering, recording, producing.... to perfection. I am pretty sure he does some other "little" things too! He even built his own Fender Stratocaster (!) and is one of those people who claim to listen to all kinds of music!

Byron is the bass player as well as the "marketing director" of the band. He is well-educated in music composition, so much that he is planning a career out of it by starting a PhD. Although he started off with classic guitar he ended up taking up the bass and refusing to let go!

Last but not least, Marcos, is unlike your typical drummer. He is characterised as a mature, well-behaved, professional, and composed drummer! A breed we need to help sustain! He is also an aspiring genius (considering he's currently doing a PhD in Neurophysics).

The Music
The album which was produced at Soundscape studios is called Orem and consists of 11 songs. The songs are infused with grunge sounds reminding me of the '90s era I grew up to, with the sounds of Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden blasting out from the radios. The drumming is sometimes funky, especially in the first song, and gave away the drummer's "jazzy" influences. This compliments the bass guitar which is skilfully prominent at times and pretty impressive. You've got to love their song arrangements! The keyboards remain somewhat ingeniously in the background, yet powerful, filling in the right places and creating a nice ambience while the guitars are simple and clear almost speaking to me explaining the songs in a way the lyrics cannot. The lyrics are very creative and poetic yet remain a mystery to me, but I think they represent their personal experiences and I got a hint of social angst as well! The voice is quite powerful, and "oozes" grunge but without the annoying post-grunge growling/yarling "singing" style (i.e. Nickelback).

Conclusion
I could characterise their sound as "alternatively grunge" served in a bed of funk, in a sauce consisting of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, with a hint of Nirvana, a sprinkle of Red Hot Chilli Peppers, some U2 flavourings, and complimented with a good old Greek Rock!

Songs I really enjoyed listening to multiple times are "M", "Burdened Youth", and the darker "Living in the Ruins". But all the above don't really matter. What matters is your own opinion which will only be formed by listening. Here are some links to get you started:

Website where you may find more information about the band and their music, including the list of awards they received.
Facebook page where you may listen to their album for free and try to decode their lyrics.
YouTube channel where you may see some of their previous live performances and some unreleased songs.

I must point out and say I don't listen to grunge that much and I don't know much about it either. Hence, the lack in usage of fancy words and technical critique. All I know is that I liked their music and can't wait to see them live so that I form a well-rounded opinion. I'm just glad to know that original music from talented people is still being produced back home!

Hmmm.... I think I'm getting good at this alternative reviewing thing! So, what are your thoughts on the featured band then?
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Image credits:
http://www.innovatrs.com/

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