6 More Incredible Music Docos You Can Watch For Free Right Now

As music fanatics, there’s one thing we love almost as much as the live experience, and that’s a compelling music documentary.

After it was announced that Morrissey would be gracing Aussie shores for an exclusive performances in one city, we revisited a doco the ultimate crooner which reminded us it was about time we compiled another list of our favourite music-inspired feature-lengths.

From a behind the scenes look at of one of 2015’s most exciting records to the birth of hiphop, the harrowing story of a Bluesfest headliner to the hilarious focus on Australia’s shuffle scene of the ’90s, we implore you to turn off your phone, kickback with a bev, some popcorn and enjoy.

The Importance Of Being Morrissey

Love him or loathe him, there’s no denying the lyrical genius that is Stephen Morrissey.

The iconic mopey crooner’s legacy rivals any other within the music industry. Ex-frontman of the nowdisbanded pop group The Smiths, Moz is one of the most outspoken, articulate and all-round brilliant entertainers this world will ever see.

This doco shows snippets of live performances as well as interviews with the great man himself, whilst dedicated fans including Noel Gallagher, Bono and even JK Rowling give adoring testimonials to the one-of-a-kind British musician.

Soul Of America

Warning: before you watch this film, have a box of tissues on hand – this story will make you weep.

Don’t be thrown by the title, this ain’t no America: Fuck Yeah 75-mintues of Yank patriotism, it’s the harrowing story of one of soul’s most beautiful and talented figures, Charles Bradley (who is Australia bound for this year’s Bluesfest.)

Bradley’s story is unlike any other having been discovered by the music industry very late in life, the James Brown loyalist’s narrative is laden with heartaches and pain that translates in his tear-soaked live performances and bleeding vocals.

Without question, Soul Of America is our favourite pick of the litter.

A$AP Rocky: SVDDXNLY

One of hiphop’s most interesting characters to emerge of recent years is Rakim Mayers, more commonly known under his performance moniker, A$AP Rocky. The young emcee’s rise to glory is full of intrigue, the guys form Noisey pieced a five-part series detailing exactly this.

From home videos and interviews with friends and family, to the very first seminal moments of his career caught on tape, Rocky takes viewers behind the scenes into his life as he takes A$AP from Harlem, to the world.

Scratch

While on the surface Scratch is a documentary about hip-hop DJs, through the pain-staking hours of interviews completed with some of the hip-hop world’s most prominent deck masters, including DJ Shadow, QBert, Madlib, and Mix Master Mike, the film takes on a new and far more important role – a love letter to hip-hop.

The film starts from the beginning, when club DJs began extending breaks on records, and goes from there, covering everything from turntablism, to crate-digging. If you still think it’s just a bunch of interviews with DJs, just wait for the part where DJ Shadow describes the infamous basement at Rare Records as “a big pile of broken dreams”.

Melbourne Shuffler

With a name like this there’s no way that you’re not already insanely intrigued, why wouldn’t you want to know about Australia’s shuffle culture?

Placing Melbourne’s dance culture of the ’90s under a microscope, tracing the roots of a dance move that has now taken the world by, erm, storm.

Alright, this may sound a little absurd, but the documentary is the real deal and although kind of cringeworthy at times, truly is fascinating. from interviews with copious amounts of ravers and avid shufflers, the feature is a brilliant snapshot of dance culture in the ’90s and ’00s that any electronic music fan should check out.

Panda Bear And Sonic Boom: Greeting The Reaper

The year 2015 in music shot-off to a flying start with Noah Lennox under the moniker Panda Bear dropping easily one of the most captivating records that have graced our ears in some time, Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper.

A journey through the experimental meets psychedelic laboratory of Lennox, this short doco gives a behind the scenes look into how and where this forward-thinking and innovative record was created. Sure, this isn’t an hour long narrative of sex and drugs, but for those that are about the music, we think you’ll dig really enjoy this.