Today's episode is on "Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)", a 2025 Questlove jawn about Sly Stone (and the Family Stone). The movie shows us how Sylvester Stewart evolved into Sly Stone, co-founded the Family Stone, and cranked out a pile of classic tunes over the course of a few years. And, of course, we learn about Sly's drug-fueled down…

Today's episode is on "George Harrison: Living in the Material World", a 2011 film about The Quiet One directed by Martin Scorsese. It's available on Max. Our guest today is George Harrison and Bob Dylan superfan Britt Eisnor. Check out her excellent Dylan content on Instagram. This movie is about George's mysticism, more or less, and weaves in and…

Today's episode is on "Searching for Sugar Man", a 2012 film about the long-forgotten Detroit balladeer Rodriguez, his mysterious fame in South Africa, and his rediscovery. This Academy Award-winning classic was directed by Malik Bendjelloul. Sixto Rodriguez, who recorded as Rodriguez, had a brief recording career from the late 60s and early 70s. H…

Today's episode is on "Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell", a 2008 film about the singer, instrumentalist, composer, collaborator, and all-around musical pioneer whose work has become more widely recognized well after his untimely passing. The movie is directed by Matt Wolf. Our guest today is Matty Monroe, the person behind the Indiehe…

Today's episode is on "Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band", a 2024 film about Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's 2023-2024 tour. It's directed by frequent Springsteen collaborator (and a guy who shows up a lot on Rock Docs), Thom Zimny. The film can be found on Disney+, the official home of rock and roll. Our guest today is …

Today's episode is on "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan", a 2005 film about Bob Dylan directed by our old pal Martin Scorsese. Our guest today is Erin Callahan, host of the "Infinity Goes Up on Trial" Bob Dylan podcast. Please also check out the Treble 100 essay on "Blonde on Blonde". No Direction Home was originally broadcast as part of the American M…

Today's episode is on "Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary", a 2024 MAX/Music Box documentary about the smooth sounds coming out of LA's finest music studios in the late 70s & early 80s. We're joined by the director of the film, Garret Price. Garret previously joined us to discuss his 2021 documentary "Woodstock 99: Peace, Love and Rage". As you'll hear, th…

Welcome to Nick's Pick's Vol. 4, in which we invite our friend and returning champion Nick McCann on to discuss any documentary he chooses. Today's episode is about "Backstage", a 2000 doc about the 1999 Hard Knock Life Tour that featured several of hip-hop's top acts including Jay-Z, DMX, Method Man, and Redman. As well as, of course, Pain in da A…

Welcome to the Very Special 100th Episode of Rock Docs! Today's episode is on "History of the Eagles", a 2013 film about the California rock band, directed by Alison Ellwood. Our guest today is our pal, American Painter Jake Longstreth, who's in the bands Mountain Brews and Richard Pictures as well as being a co-host of the Internet Radio Show Time…

Today's episode is on "Listening to Kenny G", a 2021 film about the saxophone colossus, directed by Penny Lane. Our guest today is Franz Nicolay, multi-instrumentalist and composer, who records his own music and also is known from bands such as The Hold Steady. Franz' fascinating new book, Band People, features interviews with musicians who have ma…

Today's episode is on "Supersonic", a 2016 film about the trio Oasis, directed by Mat Whitecross Our guest today is Brendan Dentino, an Oasis superfan who wrote the excellent article "The hope and selfishness of Oasis". Please also check out "1995: The year Oasis made us want to live forever" on Treble. Supersonic is a chronicle of the band's rise …

Today's episode is about "Not Not Jazz", a 2024 film about the trio Medeski Martin & Wood, directed by Jason Miller. Our guest today is Josh Frisch of the Dad Rocks podcast, which we were on years ago, and now we get to return the favor. As you'll hear, there was a bit of confusion, as Andy ended up watching a different MMW documentary. But we made…

Today's episode is about "Instrument", a 1999 film about the D.C. post-hardcore legends Fugazi, directed by Jem Cohen in collaboration with the band. Check out "Celebrate the Catalog: Fugazi" on treblezine.com Our guest today is Vish Khanna, the host of the Kreative Kontrol podcast. This is a first for Rock Docs...in prep for this episode, and in r…

Today's episode is about "Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple", a 2024 HBO/MAX doc about Little Steven aka Miami Steve aka Silvio Dante aka the Lillehammer guy, directed by Bill Teck. This doc has almost everything you ever wanted to know about the legendary sideman, front man, and Renaissance man. The man who likes scarves, who loves rock & roll, and who a…

Today's episode is about "Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr.", a 2020 doc about the legendary indie rock power trio, directed by Philipp Reichenheim. Early in the movie, Dinosaur Jr.'s singer and guitarist says, “I don’t know where people got this idea that it’s supposed to be fun to play music.” Their music is fun to listen to and their shows a…

Today's episode is about "Scott Walker: 30 Century Man", from 2006, directed by Stephen Kijak. Our guest today is Zara Hedderman, who listens to albums & writes (mostly) & talks (sometimes) about them in The Quietus, Aquarium Drunkard, Northern Transmissions, RTÉ Arena, and The IMRO Podcast. The movie is about Scott Walker, who evolved from a 50s &…

Today's episode is about "The Decline of Western Civilization", from 1981, directed by Penelope Spheeris. Our guest today is Ian Grant of the Jokermen podcast and media empire. This is Ian's second Rock Docs appearance, having previously joined us to discuss "Bob Dylan: 1978-1989 - Both Ends of the Rainbow" with his fellow Jokerman Evan Laffer. The…

Today's episode is a rare one where the subject is not a specific documentary (although there is some rock doc talk). We're joined by returning guest Steven Hyden to discuss his new book "There Was Nothing You Could Do: Bruce Springsteen's “Born in the U.S.A.” and the End of the Heartland" and all things Bruce. Steven previously joined us to review…

Today's episode is about "Let It Be", from 1970 and 2024, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. Our guest today is Jeremy Kaplan of the band Dogs in a Pile. A restored version of the original Let It Be movie has shown up on Disney+. We talk about it. It's the Beatles, you know the story. How does this movie fit into the great context of the Get Back ex…

Today's episode is about "Joan Baez I Am A Noise", from 2023, directed by Miri Navasky, Karen O'Connor, and Maeve O'Boyle. Our guest today is Allison Rapp, a music writer and the host of the brand-new podcast all about Joni Mitchell, Big Yellow Podcast. Check it out! Joan Baez I Am A Noise covers the life of the folk music legend from her early day…

Today's episode is about "In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon", from 2024, directed by Alex Gibley. It's on MGM+, a streaming service the everybody definitely subscribes to. Our guest today is Dan Jasper, who previously joined us to discuss the Rolling Stones documentary "Crossfire Hurricane". In Restless Dreams is a two-part, three+ hour c…

Today's episode is about "Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback", from 2006, directed by Dietmar Post and Lucia Palacios. Our guest today is Evan Laffer of the Jokermen podcast and media empire. This is Evan's second Rock Docs appearance, having previously joined us to discuss "Bob Dylan: 1978-1989 - Both Ends of the Rainbow" with his fellow Jokerman I…

Today's episode is about "Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten", from 2007, directed by Julien Temple. Our guest today is Elizabeth Nelson of the band The Paranoid Style. Check out their outstanding new album The Interrogator: https://theparanoidstyle.bandcamp.com/album/the-interrogator Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten is more of a wake for t…

Today's episode is about "Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him)?", from 2010, directed by John Scheinfeld. Our guest today is Galen Howard, star of stage and screen. Check out his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/galenhoward/?hl=en Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him)? takes us through the life o…

Today's episode is about "All I Can Say", from 2019, directed by Danny Clinch, Taryn Gould, Colleen Hennessy, and, posthumously, Shannon Hoon. Our guest today is Ryan Bradford. Check out his Substack at https://awkwardsd.substack.com/ as well as our previous episode with Ryan about GWAR. "All I Can Say" is compiled from VHS footage taken by Blind M…

Today's episode is about "The Greatest Night in Pop", a 2024 Netflix doc about the making of "We Are the World", directed by Bao Nguyen. The move has two acts - Act 1 is a heist film-style tick-tock about how the concept came together at the behest of Harry Belafonte, the song got written despite Stevie Wonder ghosting Lionel Richie, and the Avenge…

Today's episode is about "Ain't in It for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm", from 2010, directed by Jacob Hatley. Our guest today is a returning champion, Eamon O'Flynn, host of Record Roulette Podcast, which can be found on Twitter @rrmusicpod - check out our previous episode with Eamon about "Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band". …

Today on Rock Docs we discuss "The Song Remains the Same", a 1976 film about Led Zeppelin directed by Peter Clifton and Joe Massot. For those who haven't seen the film, or whose memory of seeing it is lost in a drug-addled haze (as it was meant to be seen), the movie starts with LZ manager Peter Grant dressed as a 1930s gangster shooting a Nazi wer…

Today on Rock Docs we discuss "Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone", a 2010 film about the alternative rock band Fishbone, co-produced and co-directed by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler, and narrated by actor Laurence Fishburne. Our guest for this episode is Dallas McLaughlin, Fishbone superfan and the world's foremost satirist. Check out his s…

Welcome to Nick's Pick's Vol. 3, in which we invite our friend and returning champion Nick McCann on to discuss any documentary he chooses. Today's episode is about "Sound City", a 2013 doc about the LA recording studio Sound City. The movie was directed by Dave Grohl. The movie features a bunch of Dave Grohl's buds such as Stevie Nicks, Paul McCar…

Today's episode is about "Don't Look Back", a 1967 doc about Bob Dylan directed by D. A. Pennebaker. Our guest for this episode is Ray Padgett, author of "Pledging My Time: Conversations With Bob Dylan Band Members", the Dylan Substack "Flagging Down the Double E's", and the "Every Tom Waits Song" Substack. Don't Look Back is one of the most well-k…

Today's episode is about "X: The Unheard Music", a 1986 doc about the LA-based punk legends X. The movie was directed by W.T. Morgan. Our guest for this episode is another legend: Juliana Hatfield! Juliana is known for her many solo albums along with her work with the bands Blake Babies and the Lemonheads. Her new album, Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO,…

It's our 2nd annual Thanksgiving look at The Last Waltz. This time we're joined by Julia Swanson, noted superfan of the late Robbie Robertson. Plus: imagine all of the guests at the Last Waltz got sick and had to cancel at the last minute. Who among the constellation of rock stars circa 1976 would you draft for your very own Last Waltz team? Rock D…

Today's episode is about "Anvil! The Story of Anvil", a 2008 doc about the then-obscure Canadian heavy metal band Anvil. The film was directed by Sacha Gervasi. Our guest for this episode is Fran Broderick, who records as Left-Handed 2nd Baseman. Check out his new album "The Dogs Race to the Door" and more at lh2b.com. The movie follows the band's …

This episode is a recording of the first-ever live Rock Docs podcast, recorded at the home of Michael and Kristy Rennie along with friends and fans of the podcast. Along with King Crimson superfan Roger Morrison, we watched the 2022 documentary "In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50", directed by Toby Amies. What you'll hear in this …

Today's episode is about "Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing", a 2006 doc about the (formerly Dixie) Chicks and the fallout from Natalie Maines' famous 2003 comment, "We do not want this war, this violence. We're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas". The film was directed by Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck. Our guest for this episo…

Today's episode is about "The Devil and Daniel Johnston", a 2005 doc about the musician, outsider artist, and revered cult figure Daniel Johnston, directed by Jeff Feuerzeig. The movie was selected by our guest Noah Bond, who plays drums with many excellent bands including Cut Worms, Bonnie Doon, Sylvie, and Anna St. Louis. Daniel Johnston was an i…

Today's episode is about "Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliche", a 2021 doc about the British punk legend and X-Ray Spex leader, directed by Celeste Bell and Paul Sng. The movie was selected by our guests, Sweeping Promises. Check out their outstanding new album Good Living Is Coming for You. Poly Styrene, born Marianne Joan Elliott-Said, was the child of a…

Today's episode is about "Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami", a doc about legendary Jamaican singer and style icon Grace Jones, directed by Sophie Fiennes. The movie was selected by our guest, Kyp Malone, who you probably know from the seminal 2000's Brooklyn indie-rock band TV on the Radio. Bloodlight and Bami and is a verite portrait of Grace Jone…

Today's episode is about "The Elephant 6 Recording Co." (C.B. Stockfleth, 2023), about the titular record label's roster of wild outsider indie artists such as Neutral Milk Hotel, the Olivia Tremor Control, the Apples In Stereo, Elf Power, the Music Tapes, the Minders, the Gerbils, of Montreal, Beulah, Dressy Bessy, Great Lakes & more. Our Very Spe…

Today's episode is about "WHAM!" (Chris Smith, 2023), a hot new Netflix doc about the massively successful George Michael/Andrew Ridgeley collab. Our Very Special Guest is Candice Renee from Treble Media! Our podcast is brought to you by Treble Media. And Candice was our guest way back in 2021 for our episode about the documentary "Hype!"! She only…

Today's episode is about "Grateful Dawg" (Gillian Grisman, 2000), which chronicles the friendship and artistic collaboration between Jerry Garcia and David Grisman. Our Very Special Guest is Brian Weinsten of the podcast Attendance Bias. Brian was nice enough to have us on his show and we're returning the favor. Grateful Dawg is very much a family …

Today's episode is about "Harvest Time" (Neil Young, 2022), which consists of footage shot by Neil and his crew between January and September 1971 during the creation of his acclaimed and beloved album "Harvest". Our Very Special Guest is Tyler Wilcox, who plays in the band Prairiewolf (check out their self-titled album out now!), curates the excel…

Today's episode is about "Gimme Danger" (Jim Jarmusch, 2016), which is about Iggy & the Stooges. It's a rags-to-more rags story. We are all at least halfway to Jarmusch-heads. And of course we all love Iggy & the Stooges. If you care about punk rock, or any kind of rock, or music, or just watching Iggy, an extremly articulate and thoughtful person,…

Today's episode is about "20,000 Days on Earth" (Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, 2014), which is about Nick Cave. Is this even a documentary at all? It's sort of a semi-fictionalized day in the life in which we follow Nick as he records some music, performs live, visits his therapist, hangs out with friends including Warren Ellis, Kylie Minogue, and…

Today's special Father's Day episode is about "The Muppets Mayhem", a Disney TV series about Dr. Teeth and Electric Mayhem. Our Very Special Guests are our kids, Callum Keatts (age 5) and Miles Lizerbram (age 6). Please...enjoy?...this Father's Day treat. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled serious grownup stuff in a few days. Rock Docs is a T…

Today's episode is about "Classic Albums: Steely Dan: Aja" (Alan Lewens, 1999). Part of the "Classic Albums" series, this film explores Steely Dan's best-known and best-selling album. Our Very Special Guests are Alex Pappademas and Joan LeMay, the author and illustrator of "Quantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers, and Other Sole Survivors from t…

This is a rerun of our 2021 episode about the Tina Turner documentary. RIP Tina, we love you. Today's documentary is TINA, released on HBO Max in 2021, directed by Daniel Lindsay & T. J. Martin. An examination of Tina Turner's life story, including her troubled childhood, her more than troubled marriage to Ike Turner, and her 80's pop triumph. Plus…

Today's episode is about "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco" (Sam Jones, 2002). Widely considered one of the all-time greatest music documentaries, the film follows the band through the making of their breakthrough album "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", the unstable relationship between lead singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy and multi-instrume…

Today's episode is about "Jason Isbell: Running With Our Eyes Closed" (Sam Jones, 2023). The documentary covers the recording and release of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit's album "Reunions", including Jason's marital discord with his wife and bandmate Amanda Pearl Shires and how Covid affected their family and the album's release. Also, it's the re…