Rock Docs

Latest Episodes:

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band with Caryn Rose Jan 21, 2025

Show notes

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 Caryn Rose, whose newsletter jukeboxgraduate is essential and whose essay "Why Bruce Springsteen's 'Road Diary' works so well" inspired this conversation.

Road Diary follows Bruce and the band as they embark on their first post-Covid world tour. Do they shake off the dust and rediscover their connection to the rock and soul that inspired them so many years ago? Does the film feature loads of great previously-unseen archival footage? Does our pal Steven Van Zandt get in a few classic zingers? You bet!

Rock Docs is a Treble Media Podcast hosted by David Lizerbram & Andrew Keatts

Twitter: @RockDocsPod Instagram: @RockDocsPod Cover Art by N.C. Winters - check him out on Instagram at @NCWintersArt

No Direction Home: Bob Dylan with Erin Callahan Jan 07, 2025

Show notes

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 Masters series on PBS. It features lengthy interviews with Bob as well as many of the musicians and other folks he interacted with on his rise to superstardom. It ends in 1966 and then that's that. It's the kind of documentary that mostly hits the highlights, but honestly, the dude had a lot of highlights! So that's OK.

Rock Docs is a Treble Media Podcast hosted by David Lizerbram & Andrew Keatts

Twitter: @RockDocsPod Instagram: @RockDocsPod Cover Art by N.C. Winters - check him out on Instagram at @NCWintersArt

Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary with Director Garret Price Dec 10, 2024

Show notes

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, this one is way mellower but no less compelling.

The movie features luminaries from the era such as Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, various members of Toto, and (sort of) Steely Dan's Donald Fagen, as well as contemporary musicians who are inspired by the genre. Also included are the creators of the mid-2000s Yacht Rock webseries that ended up defining "Yacht Rock" as a thing.

Garret tells us how the movie came together thanks to a surprising pair of roommates, shares the real story behind the Fagen encounter, and happily engages in the time-honored "What is Yacht Rock?" debate.

Rock Docs is a Treble Media Podcast hosted by David Lizerbram & Andrew Keatts

Twitter: @RockDocsPod Instagram: @RockDocsPod Cover Art by N.C. Winters - check him out on Instagram at @NCWintersArt

Backstage: Jay-Z and DMX - Nick's Picks Vol. 4 Nov 26, 2024

Show notes

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 Ass. The movie was directed by Chris Fiore.

If you like arguments about which hip-hop record label's brand should appear on the official tour jacket, then this is the doc for you.

Rock Docs is a Treble Media Podcast hosted by David Lizerbram & Andrew Keatts

Check out Treble's review of Jay-Z's "The Black Album". Twitter: @RockDocsPod Instagram: @RockDocsPod Cover Art by N.C. Winters - check him out on Instagram at @NCWintersArt

Episode 100: History of the Eagles with Jake Longstreth Nov 12, 2024

Show notes

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 Crisis. Our longtime listeners may recall Jake previously joined us to discuss "We Are Twisted Fucking Sister!"

History of the Eagles is, of course, the Godfather of rock docs. It's the ur-text from which this all began.

Rock Docs is a Treble Media Podcast hosted by David Lizerbram & Andrew Keatts

Check out this cool Treble article on the Talking Heads Live in Rome

Twitter: @RockDocsPod Instagram: @RockDocsPod Cover Art by N.C. Winters - check him out on Instagram at @NCWintersArt

Listening to Kenny G with Franz Nicolay Oct 29, 2024

Show notes

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 made a career in the music industry, often outside of the spotlight.

Listening to Kenny G was released under HBO's "Music Box" series, which may no longer be a thing? The G man himself sat for extensive interviews and the film dispassionately explores what makes his music both appealing and controversial to audiences and music fans around the world. It's a rich text, and one could view Kenny as either the hero or villain of the movie.

Plus: Is Kenny G like Phish? Co-host Andy Keatts was unavailable for this episode, so he didn't get a chance to weigh in on this important topic, but we bat it around a bit anyway.

Rock Docs is a Treble Media Podcast hosted by David Lizerbram & Andrew Keatts

Twitter: @RockDocsPod Instagram: @RockDocsPod Cover Art by N.C. Winters - check him out on Instagram at @NCWintersArt

Supersonic - Oasis with Brendan Dentino Oct 15, 2024

Show notes

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 right up to their triumphant shows at Knebworth in 1996 - and it ends exactly there. Like Liam Gallagher, we are living in an eternal 1996. Along the way, we learn about the benefits of taking a hammer to the head, explore "the Oasis brothers" and their respective personas, and we discuss the time Noel Gallagher popped into a pub in San Diego to watch some footie.

Rock Docs is a Treble Media Podcast hosted by David Lizerbram & Andrew Keatts

Twitter: @RockDocsPod Instagram: @RockDocsPod Cover Art by N.C. Winters - check him out on Instagram at @NCWintersArt

Not Not Jazz - Medeski Martin & Wood with Josh Frisch Oct 01, 2024

Show notes

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 it work.

"Not Not Jazz" asks as many questions as it answers - when was it filmed? What happened to the music that was being recorded during the filming of the movie? Why is it coming out now? Is music really its own kind of language, man?

Rock Docs is a Treble Media Podcast hosted by David Lizerbram & Andrew Keatts

Twitter: @RockDocsPod Instagram: @RockDocsPod Cover Art by N.C. Winters - check him out on Instagram at @NCWintersArt

Fugazi Instrument with Vish Khanna Sep 17, 2024

Show notes

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 recognition of the film's 25th anniversary, Vish got Jem Cohen and all four members of Fugazi together for a rare interview on his show. You can listen to that episode here.

We over at Rock Docs HQ are thrilled to have played any small part in that momentous event. Nonetheless, we managed to keep it together and have a lively conversation with Vish about the band, his history with them, and this incredible film.

Finally, Vish was also nice enough to share his thoughts about his friend, the late Steve Albini, a Rock Docs legend who we never approached about being on the show, to our regret.

Rock Docs is a Treble Media Podcast hosted by David Lizerbram & Andrew Keatts

Twitter: @RockDocsPod Instagram: @RockDocsPod Cover Art by N.C. Winters - check him out on Instagram at @NCWintersArt

Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple Sep 03, 2024

Show notes

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 ain't gonna play Sun City.

If you're a fan of almost any subgenre of rock music between approximately 1955-1990, or if you just thought he was fun in The Sopranos, you'll dig this one.

Rock Docs is a Treble Media Podcast hosted by David Lizerbram & Andrew Keatts

Check out Treble's piece on the Springsteen classic "Born to Run": https://www.treblezine.com/bruce-springsteen-born-to-run-treble-100-no-33/

Twitter: @RockDocsPod Instagram: @RockDocsPod Cover Art by N.C. Winters - check him out on Instagram at @NCWintersArt

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected