"Mudhoney - I'm Now: The Story Of Mudhoney" DVD (directors: Ryan Short and Adam Pease)

As the great 90's rock scene of the Pacific Northwest (aka the "Seattle/Sub Pop Scene") dissolved due to drugs, death, and self-destruction, one prominent and influential band persevered and survived. Mudhoney may have been cut from similar cloth as Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and others, and perhaps they never had a huge radio hit, but the band did well enough, traveling the globe, playing for rabid fans, and inspiring countless others in their wake.

From their classic debut single, "Touch Me I'm Sick" (which still stands as a scuzz-rock landmark), Mudhoney crafted a series of solid albums that joined heavy "superfuzz" rock with sixties-inspired pop (aka "songs"). They survived Sub Pop's lean period, a major label signing, a member leaving, and the inevitable drug and alcohol abuse. And they're still around.

Short and Pease's superb documentary includes the participation of all Mudhoney members, and the interviews and footage here are as world class as it gets. Sub Pop's owners (Pavitt and Poneman), affiliated bands (Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Tad), label personnel, and friends are all interviewed, and there's plenty of old live and promo footage as well. As far as rock docs go, "I'm Now" is as comprehensive as I've seen. Kudos to everyone involved for a well-done history (and celebration) of this band's life and times, from the underground to the "grunge" explosion to now. Excellence.

King Of Hearts Productions

Mudhoney Movie site

Branca - "Songs '77-'79" CD

Collecting 8 tracks recorded by Glenn Branca's early New York "no wave" groups The Static and Theoretical Girls, this 32-minute set shows 2 distinct faces of the post-punk legend's history. Since then, Branca's "guitar symphonies" have become a well-known part of underground music history, and he's inspired countless avante-rock bands and artists (some of which include SWANS and Sonic Youth -- both of which include members who, at one time, performed as part of Branca's symphonies). These early works show hints at what was to come, but remain firmly attached to the "rock" paradigm.

"Don't Let Me Stop You" and "My Relationship" are both songs from The Static, and the resemblance to early Sonic Youth is uncanny. Clearly, a large part of Sonic Youth's inspiration came from Mr. Branca. These tracks (which pre-date SY by several years) are evidence. There are weird, de-tuned walls of guitars, primal drumming, and quirky vocals. Excellent and seminal work.

The remaining 6 cuts are Theoretical Girls, and are more artful slices of odd post-punk weirdness. "You Got Me" is a bouncy bit of art pop, and "Jill" is a twisted attempt at  acoustic pop, whereas "Fuck Yourself" could almost be very early Swans with it's repetitive riffs and nihilist simplicity/single-mindedness. Simply said, this is a historically viable, if brief, look at an underground inspiration in his earliest permutation. Very cool and unique work.

(Atavistic)

Glenn Branca website

"Road Rant - A Week On The Road With Lydia Lunch" DVD (director: Merrill Aldighieri)

Lydia is unquestionably one of subversive rock's first ladies, having led no-wave progenitors Teenage Jesus And The Jerks and working alongside such names as Einsturzende Neubauten, Foetus, Swans, Sonic Youth, and the Birthday Party. She's done extensive work in music, film, and print, and deserves "legendary" status, for sure. This is a documentary of her 2007 French tour to promote her book, "Paradoxia", and it's a curious look at her persona onstage and off.

Swinging back-and-forth between Lydia's spoken cabaret performances and some travel and tour footage with bandmates Joe Budenholzer and Terry Edwards, "Road Rant" is a mixed bag. Lydia's usual confrontational dissection and dissertation on sexual politics is tiring and overdone. Where director Aldighieri succeeds is in showing Lydia "opening up" to more honest opinions and attitudes, outside of her public persona. She undoubtably has tons of stories to tell, and much insight. As it stands, "Road Rant" is an interesting look at Lydia Lunch, definitely worthy for fans but I don't think it's going to convince her detractors that she's much more than an aging punk rocker who's bitter about life. (MVD Visual)

Lydia's official website

"I Need That Record! - The Death (Or Possible Survival) Of The Independent Record Store" (director: Brendan Toller) DVD

Having not grown up with iTunes or Amazon (or even eBay) at my fingertips, it's easy for me, at my age, to understand the ideals and importance of the independent record shop. I credit certain amazing, thoughtful, and creative record shops for helping me find my niche(s) in music, both as a (debatable) musician and as a collector and fan. Having a central location to find (and discuss) obscure, unknown, and amazing recorded music has been a blessing to those of us who live and breathe music. This full-length documentary examines the reality and relevance of having an indie record shop in your hometown, and the alarming reasons so many have dropped off and closed over the past decade. To make his case, director/editor/writer Brendan Toller assembles a worthwhile and knowledgeable base of interviewees, from indie musicians like Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Ian Mackaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi, Dischord), Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith), Mike Watt (Minutemen, Stooges), Glenn Branca, Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers) to writers like Legs McNeil and actual record store owners themselves. Did the corporate record industry kill the indie shop scene? Do chain music stores that cater only to the lowest common denominator ultimately hurt indie shops? Is the increasing homogenization of radio also to blame? Or is it technology's ever-changing grasp at fault? These topics are debated and discussed intelligently and with a hopeful nostalgia, and they make a compelling case to go local and indie. As if you'd consider otherwise, right? Right? (See Of Sound via MVD Visual)

Angelique Bosio - "Llik Your Idols" DVD

This documentary of the late 80's-early 90's New York movement now known as the 'Cinema Of Transgression' examines the reactionary/nihilist film/art/music scenes that intersected at this revolutionary time. Interviews with scenesters like Nick Zedd, Richard Kern, Lydia Lunch, Thurston Moore, Richard Hell, Jarboe, Joe Coleman, Russell Simmins, and others lend an air of credibility to the proceedings, as folks like Zedd, Kern, and Lunch were responsible for some of the most shocking and (some would say) tasteless films of our generation. The violence, gore, and sexual depravity of this period is examined and reflected upon by actors and film-makers alike, and although some can be arguably be assessed as little more than Z-grade trash cinema (or fetishistic titillation), there were some important inspirations and aspirations there. In fact, it can be noted that some of this underground cinema has infiltrated modern pop culture, with everything from fashion spreads, photography, and horror films taking cues from some of these still-hard-hitting films. Bosio does a fine job illustrating what made this "scene" tick, with plenty of excerpts and clips. The bonus bits include 2 of Zedd's films, 'Police State' (which is a horrifyingly extreme and pointed look at police brutality, starring himself as the victim), and 'War Is Menstrual Envy' (a weird and almost moving look at, eh, a burn victim, Annie Sprinkle, and Kembra Pfahler in various compromising positions). Well worth a look if this sounds like your cup of tea leaves. (MVD Visual)

"Kill Your Idols" DVD (director: S.A. Crary)

Tracing the history of the famous New York 'no wave' scene of the 70's up until it's supposed re-emergence in recent years, Crary and company manage to compile some interviews and footage of some pretty instrumental progenitors of the NY noise scene. Appearing here: Suicide's Martin Rev, Jim Sclavunos (who curiously details his early sexcapades with the notorious Lydia Lunch - why this was included is a mite suspect, but nonetheless it's an entertaining dialogue), Lydia, Glenn Branca, Arto Lindsey, Michael Gira, Jim Thirlwell, Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore. All of these sonic innovators contribute some 'been-there' thoughts and observations on what made this 'scene' so inspirational. And the old footage (though often rough and grainy) is amazing - particularly the early exorcisms of SWANS' classic noise-throb days. Talk about gutteral and abrasive. That was the serious shit - forget metal or punk.

But far from just a look at the past, 'Kill Your Idols' also spends a good amount of time examining some of the current wave of NY bands - Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Karen O seems pretty oblivious, honestly), Gogol Bordello, A.R.E. Weapons (parody or assholes?), Liars, Flux Information Sciences, and Black Dice. The comparisons between old wave and new wave here are very telling, and a bit alarming. Whereas Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello seems to have a firm grasp on what makes music and art unique, some of the others included here seem particularly clueless. A shame, but at least we have all the great records from the 'No New York' period to remember it all by, right? (Palm Pictures)

Richard Kern - "Extra Action (And Extra Hardcore)" DVD

Forget the Suicide Girls and their glammy burlesque swill. Veteran filmmaker/photog Kern captures the essence of REAL girls, sans the trappings of some supposed or imagined 'scene'. Emerging in the 80's amidst the cacophony of the influential New York noise/scum/rock scene (which spawned monolithic acts like Sonic Youth, SWANS, Live Skull, Lydia Lunch, and grew to encompass Foetus and others), Kern has been creating, on no budget, short films that emblazon the unbridled, uncensored creativity of the downtown NY art/hipster rock elite. He uses sex and violence in often shocking ways to shock and repulse (or titillate) viewers. He's certainly a polarizing artist in this respect.

Anyhow, to dispense with the foreplay (hah, pun intended)...this new hour-long film features brief vignettes of a number of girls (some barely born when Kern's dangerous filmmaking began) in various, eh, predicaments - being themselves and just 'being interesting' for the camera. There's no semblance of plot or story here, so no confusion with that. Is it porn? Probably, by most definitions. Lots of writhing and naked young ladies, in bed, in the bathtub, shower, in public, you name it.

And with a playful soundtrack by Thurston Moore, I place this into a new category altogether...indie porn? To make this doubly worthwhile, there are, as an added bonus, 6 more older Kern shorts included, mostly from the early 90's, and these are even rougher and more jagged bits of disturbing, dirty, dangerous, even violent skits - darkly humorous and perverse, yet entertaining in their over-the-top assaults on 'taste'. Kern is a master of visual raunch, and his films have always carried with them the weight of his musical compatriots, who add another angle to what could be pretty pedestrian work. An entertaining collection of amateur 'indie porn' with a decidedly dark twist. (MVD Visual)