20 FEET FROM STARDOM / MUSCLE SHOALS (DVD/Blu-ray)

Two of 2013's most critically-acclaimed music documentaries, now finally available on DVD and Blu-ray!

"Directed by Morgan Neville in fan-boy mode (that's high praise), Twenty Feet From Stardom is an exquisitely rendered look at the dialectics of celebrity and artistry, luck and hard work, its conversation laced with smart observations about race and gender...At heart, it's a praise-song for the many black women whose backing oohs and aahs have done the heavy lifting of turning good songs into classics and rock stars into icons." - Village Voice

"The Muscle Shoals sound was built out of conviction, rejection and raw vision. These muscular characteristics are what connected filmmaker Greg 'Freddy' Camalier with Fame Studio founder Rick Hall in the elegant documentary Muscle Shoals. Hall put Muscle Shoals, Ala. (pop. 11,924) on the map in 1961 when he produced the Arthur Alexander hit 'You Better Move On,' which was popularized by the Rolling Stones. He created from a dark and maverick energy that becomes the linchpin of the film. Similarly, Camalier never attended film school; Muscle Shoals is his directorial debut." - Chicago Sun-Times

Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me (DVD/Blu-ray/OST)

Offering respective peeks into both the biographies of the band and their Memphis scene peers as well as rough and alternate mixes made during the recording of their three studio albums, this documentary and soundtrack are must-see/-hear material for both Big Star fanatics as well as those new to the group.

"A treasure trove of home movies and photographs allows director Drew DeNicola and co-director Olivia Mori to document the band’s coming together and falling apart and offer a passionate tribute to its brilliant, beautiful music. The film is by turns joyous and poignant (Bell died at the age of twenty-seven), and the filmmakers unfold with great care the band’s stuttering beginnings, their record company’s fumblings, and the eventual rediscovery in the mid-eighties that brought the musicians some of the adulation they so richly deserved." - The New Yorker

"All too many music documentaries send you away feeling unsatisfied, but with its heartfelt backstory and generous helpings of music, Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me is a shining exception: the filmmakers' urge to be true to their subject is palpable. It doesn’t hurt that Drew DeNicola and Olivia Mori frequently crank up the volume and allow the shimmering chords and moody sweep of Big Star to enfold the influential rock band’s mythic story of years in the wilderness and late rediscovery." - Film Comment

VA - The T.A.M.I. Show: Collector's Edition DVD

Legal issues or superstar egos have kept some holy grails of the classic rock era in endless limbo over the years (see Let It Be, or Cocksucker Blues). The release of The T.A.M.I. Show (an acronym for Teenage Awards Music International) after decades of only being available on bootleg is a monumental event, and, guaranteed, after watching it, you will believe in the power of music once again.

Here’s the context: it’s October 1964, only eight months after the Beatles’ first trip to America. Three months before, the U.S. signed the Civil Rights Act. It was in this period of cultural and historical upheaval that thousands of high school teens rammed the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium for two days of screaming at a line-up that crossed key lines of race, sex, America/England, past/present. Twelve acts, including James Brown (in what he himself believed to be his greatest performance), The Rolling Stones (who foolishly followed Brown to close the set), Chuck Berry (who opened in a strange match-up with Gerry and the Pacemakers), Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Supremes, The Beach Boys (whose performance was removed after the initial run, leading to much of the legal headache over the years), and surprisingly smashing sets by The Barbarians and Lesley Gore all add up to one of the greatest package concerts there ever was. 

Anyone who has ever even liked one of these artists owes it to him/herself to check this one out, if only for the mind-boggling James Brown set. Or the quick glimpses of Jack Nitzsche leading the orchestra, or Teri Garr and Toni Basil as some of the irrepressible go-go dancers—seriously, the whiplash-inducing moves of the dancers is reason enough to grab this one. Combined with the exciting commentary and  collector’s edition package, this is truly foundational and mandatory viewing. Can I be any more clear about this?

VA - Local Customs: Downriver Revival

The fine folks at Numero Group have taken a break from flipping through bins to sort through the reels upon reels of tape at Double-U-Sound in Ecorse, Michigan. Opened in 1967, Double-U was a home studio operated by Felton Williams, an entrepreneur trained as an electrician at the Ford Motor plant, and as a steel guitarist at The Church Of The Living God. He recorded anyone who would knock on his door, in hopes of chancing upon a hit performance by neighbourhood talent. The focus of this compilation is gospel music, although the breadth of activity at Double-U is well-represented by some Hammond jazz, shaggy funk, and a even a garage-punk number that betrays its proximity to Detroit. There's little in the way of polish on these recordings, but the incredible music captured is more than worth the odd bump along the way. In addition to Numero's picks, they've also included a second DVD disc with even more tape to sift through on your own, and a 30-minute documentary about Felton and his studio.  

JUSTICE - A Cross The Universe (DVD/CD)

A techno rock'n'roll road movie less Spinal Tap than Leningrad Cowboys Go America in terms of the silent treatment our idols Xavier & Gaspard give to the camera (and the deadpan absurdity that results), the boys' blank slates grant their touring companions that do speak up all the more star power, especially the coexisting opposites of the serene bus driver, trying to break the world record for hitting the lowest note while bellowing along to country radio, and gun-crazy loose-cannon manager Bouchon, reading up on state differences in firearm legislation. Bonus Live In San Francisco CD gives you the cross-/strobe-/leather-free side of the story (buzzsaw beats included).

SIGUR ROS - Heima DVD

Few bands have been as continually associated with their homeland's geography as Iceland's Sigur Ros. The band's entire catalogue plays as a sort of audio language for the blind to describe the island's untouched landscape of creeping glaciers, thermal hot springs, dormant volcanos, sunlight summers and ink-black winters. So no one can feign surprise at the success of this marriage of homecoming concerts by the band and pristine footage of the country. After an album, Takk, that wasn't so much a failure as it was more of the same by a great band, watching Heima quickly reminds us of what makes Sigur Ros so special.

MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. - Sojourner (Box Set w/ DVD)

Like Will Oldham (Bonnie "Prince" Billy) or Bill Callahan (Smog), Jason Molina has the distinction of being one of indie rock's most prolific and mysterious personalities. Using his elusive psuedonyms like an undercover agent (first Songs:Ohia and now Magnolia Electric Co.), Molina is a narrator and observer of great quality and insight. This box set collects a wealth of unreleased material, both solo and in full-band lineups, that is anything but subpar. Complete with a lovely woodcut box and DVD, it won't bring you much closer to understanding the man, but it's a great pleasure being lost in his world. 

YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME - DVD

Legendary 13th Floor Elevators' singer, solo artist and psych-rock originator Roky Erickson is tailor-made for documentary treatment. Making said film is a tough proposition, but You're Gonna Miss Me succeeds nicely. Owner of a potent wail and explosive songwriting, Erickson was equally owned by a litany of drug addictions and mental health problems (culminating in shock therapy and an unfortunate stint in a mental institution). Director Keven McAlester focuses not only on Erickson, but on the toll his life has taken on his family, who battle to enforce their own view on how to best save him.