Seven recently released and upcoming Music Documentaries

A good music documentary can teach a viewer a lot about an artist or culture. And there are many good ones that have come out this year and are coming out next year that are very informative.

Vinyl Bay 777 has already brought you our list of music-related films that have given a fairly accurate portrayal of music, bands and the music business. Now, we are bringing you our picks for the top music documentaries that came out in 2016 and are coming out in 2017.

1.       “Gimme Danger”: This documentary about The Stooges was actually the idea of lead singer Iggy Pop. Pop brought on Jim Jarmusch to direct the film that details the band’s continued popularity over the last 40 years. Jarmusch collected approximately 20 hours of interview footage from Pop and the late Scott Asheton to tell the story.  The Stooges have always had an amazing sound and stage presence, so it will be great to hear the story of this influential punk band. The documentary was released on October 28.

2.      “Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends)": A new documentary is in the works about the attacks at the Eagles of Death Metal show in Paris last year.The film will detail what happened before, during and after the event that saw hundreds of innocent lives lost to terrorism. The documentary will air on HBO in February 2017 with a pending theatrical release.

3.       “Supersonic”: Oasis was one of the biggest bands of the 1990s and their success and demise were both fantastic. “Supersonic” takes a look at the band’s rise through interviews and unreleased concert footage. This film even sparked a rumor that Oasis would reunite for its premiere, but that didn’t happen.

4.       “Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk”: There have been major documentaries detailing the east coast hardcore and punk scene and the Salt Lake City punk scene, but surprisingly none for the East Bay punk scene, which led to some of the most well known bands still touring today. The focus of this film will be 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley, where bands like Green Day, Operation Ivy and Rancid got their starts. It’s being helmed by Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and features interviews with the likes of Kathleen Hanna, Iggy Pop and Ian Mackaye. The film will come out sometime in 2017.

5.       “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years”: Directed by Ron Howard, this film takes a look at The Beatles rise to fame, but as a touring band. That twist makes the film more interesting, as it comes from a different perspective than most of the other Beatles docs. The film is currently streaming on Hulu.

6.       “Score- A Film Music Documentary”: Many people take film music for granted. But it can actually make or break a film. Creating the right sound for the right moment is a tricky thing and “Score” delves into what goes into composing said right sound. The documentary is currently on the film festival circuit after successfully being funded through Kickstarter.

7.       “Miss Sharon Jones”: Sharon Jones’ story is an interesting one. Though now famous for her work with her band the Dap-Kings, Jones was in her 40s when she released her first album. Then in 2013, she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent treatment before triumphantly returning to the stage in 2015. This film, which came out over the summer, follows her story.

Whether already out or about to be released, these films look to tell fantastic stories about these artists’ careers. From the rise of punk in California to taking a whole new look at a band covered many times over to an artist that has persevered through hardships to get where they are,  there is a lot to learn about music from these selections.

Inspired by the music in these films? Pick up titles from all these artists and more in-store at Vinyl Bay 777 and online at vinylbay777.com. Our vast selection of vinyl, CDs, cassettes, DVDs and more covers a plethora of genres, so there is something for everyone!