Question: what's worse than archival footage of questionably-talented bands doing their thing in grainy clips with horrible sound quality? The aging "punks" from the clips talking about how great and important they were/are.
I watched a documentary last night about the early punk, or "No-Wave" music scene that happened between 1975 and 1982. It's called "Kill Your Idols" - I recommend it if you have an hour and a half to burn that you never want back. You can stream it on Netflix, so at least you don't have to go out of your way for it. I suppose it could act as a warning to up-and-coming bands on how NOT to act when someone shoves a camera in your face. Basically, don't be an ego-maniacal, self-important asshat.
I seriously almost turned this thing off about 10 minutes into it. I felt bad that I subjected my wife to it at all. Now, to be fair, a few good bands (The Ramones and Sonic Youth amongst them) came from this scene, but they were, you know, talented. Several interviewees admitted that they didn't even know any chords, etc when they formed these so-called "bands". They were, apparently, trying to avoid being derivative of anything. A couple of guitar lessons wouldn't have killed them to be honest. The worst of the lot was Lydia Lunch. She started out as a groupie, eventually forming "Teenage Jesus and The Jerks". I suppose you have to have a certain amount of ego to be able to get up in front of a room full of people and play shitty "music", but seriously, Lydia made her band out to be the Black Sabbath of early punk.
And yeah, I suppose that part of the whole thing was supposed to be art, which is all well and good, but string some chords together once in a while for fuck's sake.
The second half of the film concentrated on the modern-day NYC scene, circa 2002. The Yeah Yeah Yeah's and Gogol Bordello, both reasonably talented and entertaining bands, are interviewed in this part of the film. And aside from Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeah's
saying "like" and "you know" about a million times during the interviews, and the guy from A.R.E. Weapons being a douche, I found them fairly interesting, and not nearly as self-flagellation inducing as the old guard interviewees.
I think the most amusing thing about this whole film is how the old-timers completely turned on the newer bands, dismissing them outright as "poseurs" (or posers, if you will) and/or being derivative of themselves. Whatever - The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, and Gogol Bordello are at least talented and make *music*.
Now, I'm not one of those people who think just because a band has become popular, that they are suddenly no good, sell-outs, or what-have-you. I'm also not in the camp that says that an obscure band, regardless of genre, is not worthy of attention and accolades. Some of the best music ever made is stuff that we sadly, may never hear. However, I know music. Some of the crap that was being served up by these bands could be considered music, but only because the noise being produced was emanating from musical instruments.
I watched a documentary last night about the early punk, or "No-Wave" music scene that happened between 1975 and 1982. It's called "Kill Your Idols" - I recommend it if you have an hour and a half to burn that you never want back. You can stream it on Netflix, so at least you don't have to go out of your way for it. I suppose it could act as a warning to up-and-coming bands on how NOT to act when someone shoves a camera in your face. Basically, don't be an ego-maniacal, self-important asshat.
I seriously almost turned this thing off about 10 minutes into it. I felt bad that I subjected my wife to it at all. Now, to be fair, a few good bands (The Ramones and Sonic Youth amongst them) came from this scene, but they were, you know, talented. Several interviewees admitted that they didn't even know any chords, etc when they formed these so-called "bands". They were, apparently, trying to avoid being derivative of anything. A couple of guitar lessons wouldn't have killed them to be honest. The worst of the lot was Lydia Lunch. She started out as a groupie, eventually forming "Teenage Jesus and The Jerks". I suppose you have to have a certain amount of ego to be able to get up in front of a room full of people and play shitty "music", but seriously, Lydia made her band out to be the Black Sabbath of early punk.
And yeah, I suppose that part of the whole thing was supposed to be art, which is all well and good, but string some chords together once in a while for fuck's sake.
The second half of the film concentrated on the modern-day NYC scene, circa 2002. The Yeah Yeah Yeah's and Gogol Bordello, both reasonably talented and entertaining bands, are interviewed in this part of the film. And aside from Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeah's
saying "like" and "you know" about a million times during the interviews, and the guy from A.R.E. Weapons being a douche, I found them fairly interesting, and not nearly as self-flagellation inducing as the old guard interviewees.
I think the most amusing thing about this whole film is how the old-timers completely turned on the newer bands, dismissing them outright as "poseurs" (or posers, if you will) and/or being derivative of themselves. Whatever - The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, and Gogol Bordello are at least talented and make *music*.
One Netflix reviewer put it thus:
"ZZzzzzzzzzzz. and then I wake up and its still obscure musicians glorifying obscurity and then defending their brand of obscurity. ZZzzzzzzzz."Now, I'm not one of those people who think just because a band has become popular, that they are suddenly no good, sell-outs, or what-have-you. I'm also not in the camp that says that an obscure band, regardless of genre, is not worthy of attention and accolades. Some of the best music ever made is stuff that we sadly, may never hear. However, I know music. Some of the crap that was being served up by these bands could be considered music, but only because the noise being produced was emanating from musical instruments.
The movie itself was OK - the footage of the bands was grainy (intentionally?), and the sound quality was generally bad, but I can't fault the movie makers for the quality of the music being presented. I suppose if "No Wave" is your thing, you might dig this documentary, as some of the big names from that era are interviewed. Otherwise, save yourself the aggravation.
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