L: Unsung Artist/Band Documentaries
by JustStone | created - 11 Jun 2021 | updated - 1 week ago | PublicThese are documentaries about bands that flew under the radar, or didn't get the recognization they deserved.
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1. Finding Fela (2014)
Not Rated | 119 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A look at the life and music of Nigerian singer Fela Kuti.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Fela Kuti, Yeni Kuti, Femi Kuti, Seun Kuti
Votes: 849
2. The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005)
PG-13 | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Daniel Johnston, manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist is revealed in this portrait of madness, creativity and love.
Director: Jeff Feuerzeig | Stars: Daniel Johnston, Mabel Johnston, Bill Johnston, Laurie Allen
Votes: 10,538 | Gross: $0.33M
3. The Sparks Brothers (2021)
R | 140 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
A musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with Ron and Russell Mael celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks.
Director: Edgar Wright | Stars: Ron Mael, Russell Mael, Beck, Jane Wiedlin
Votes: 6,062
4. A Life in Waves (2017)
Not Rated | 74 min | Documentary, Biography, Musical
An exploration of the life and innovations of composer and electronic-music pioneer Suzanne Ciani.
Director: Brett Whitcomb | Stars: Peter Baumann, Don Buchla, Dorit Chrysler, Suzanne Ciani
Votes: 150
5. Theory of Obscurity: A Film About the Residents (2015)
87 min | Documentary, Music
Theory of Obscurity tells the story of the renegade sound and video collective known as The Residents. A story that spans 40 years and is clouded in mystery. Many details surrounding the ... See full summary »
Director: Don Hardy | Stars: Gerald Casale, Les Claypool, Chris Combs, Nolan Cook
Votes: 565
6. Tiny Tim: King for a Day (2020)
78 min | Documentary, Animation, Biography
The story about the outcast, Herbert Khaury's rise to stardom as Tiny Tim. Either considered a freak or a genius Tiny Tim left no one unaffected.
Director: Johan von Sydow | Stars: Tiny Tim, 'Weird Al' Yankovic, Jonas Mekas, Richard Barone
Votes: 361
7. Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell (2008)
Not Rated | 71 min | Documentary, Romance
Director Matt Wolf's critically acclaimed documentary examines the life and work of Arthur Russell, an influential singer, songwriter, cello player and disco auteur who died tragically in 1992.
Director: Matt Wolf | Stars: Bob Blank, Ernie Brooks, David Byrne, Allen Ginsberg
Votes: 791
8. You Think You Really Know Me: The Gary Wilson Story (2005)
74 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary about musical genius Gary Wilson. Hailing from a small town in New York State, he revolutionized music forever.
Director: Michael Wolk | Stars: Gary Wilson, Christina Bates, Butch Bottino, Terrence Burke
Votes: 50
9. Cool Daddio: The Second Youth of R. Stevie Moore (2019)
78 min | Documentary
'Cool Daddio' is a tragicomic odyssey to discover underground music icon R. Stevie Moore, a man who recorded over 400 albums in his bedroom. Now in his 60s, Moore is finally receiving recognition, is it all too much and too late?
Directors: Monika Baran, Imogen Putler | Stars: Tim Burgess, Mac DeMarco, Theophilus London, R. Stevie Moore
Votes: 27
10. The Nomi Song (2004)
Not Rated | 98 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Having failed to break into professional opera in his native Germany (where, as an usher in West Berlin's Deutsche Oper, he would serenade the staff after the real performances were over) ... See full summary »
Director: Andrew Horn | Stars: Klaus Nomi, Ann Magnuson, David Bowie, Gabriele Lafari
Votes: 1,122 | Gross: $0.07M
11. Jobriath A.D. (2012)
Not Rated | 102 min | Documentary
Called "The American Bowie," "The True Fairy of Rock & Roll" and "Hype of the Year," Jobriath's reign as the first openly gay rock star was brief and over by 1975. Now, 35 years later, "... See full summary »
Director: Kieran Turner | Stars: Jerry Brandt, Jayne County, Dennis Christopher, Joe Elliott
Votes: 242
12. Anvil (2008)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
Since 1978, Anvil has become one of heavy metal's most influential yet commercially unsuccessful acts. In 2006, after a fledging European tour Anvil sets out to record their thirteenth album and continue to follow their dreams.
Director: Sacha Gervasi | Stars: Robb Reiner, Steve 'Lips' Kudlow, Tiziana Arrigoni, Scott Ian
Votes: 16,848 | Gross: $0.67M
13. Derailroaded (2005)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary on the life and music of manic-depressive, paranoid-schizophrenic cult music icon Wild Man Fischer.
Director: Josh Rubin | Stars: Wild Man Fischer, Harold Bronson, Solomon Burke, Ruth Buzzi
Votes: 236
14. Wesley Willis's Joyrides (2008)
Not Rated | 77 min | Documentary
A look at the life and work of controversial rock musician and cult hero, Wesley Willis.
Director: Chris Bagley | Stars: Jello Biafra, Tabitha Soren, Howard Stern, Wesley Willis
Votes: 114
15. A Band Called Death (2012)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary on the 1970s punk trio Death, and their new-found popularity decades after they disbanded.
Directors: Mark Christopher Covino, Jeff Howlett | Stars: Bobby Hackney, David Hackney, Dannis Hackney, Robbie Duncan
Votes: 4,005 | Gross: $0.13M
16. Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
PG-13 | 86 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.
Director: Malik Bendjelloul | Stars: Rodriguez, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman, Dennis Coffey, Mike Theodore
Votes: 72,930 | Gross: $3.97M
17. Red Elvis: The Cold War Cowboy (2022)
91 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Meet Dean Reed, the American popstar who defected to the Soviet Bloc in the '70s and became a superstar. He packs stadiums, preaches Marxism and inspires a generation...until his body is found, drowned, in a lake in East Berlin.
Director: Thomas Latter | Stars: Dean Reed, Ramona Reed, Mike Wallace, James Reed
Votes: 150
18. Scott Walker: 30 Century Man (2006)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary on the influential musician Scott Walker.
Director: Stephen Kijak | Stars: Sara Kestelman, Arnie Potts, Jarvis Cocker, Scott Walker
Votes: 1,543
19. Screamin' Jay Hawkins: I Put a Spell on Me (2001)
102 min | Documentary, Music
Portrait of an important American musician through the testimonies of fellow musicians and people from his environment, but also through archival material and documents from various stages of his life and career.
Director: Nik Triantafyllidis | Stars: Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Frank Ash, Arthur Brown, Eric Burdon
Votes: 192
20. Sisters with Transistors (2020)
86 min | Documentary, Music
Follows the story of electronic music's female pioneers, composers who embraced machines and their liberating technologies to utterly transform how we produce and listen to music today.
Director: Lisa Rovner | Stars: Jean-Michel Jarre, Kim Gordon, Wendy Carlos, Laurie Anderson
Votes: 996
21. The Eyes Scream: A History of the Residents (1991 Video)
50 min | Documentary
A pseudo-documentary about the band The Residents blends comedy with live clips, music videos, interviews and documentary footage. Spanning the years 1972 to 1990, and including clips from ... See full summary »
Director: John Sanborn | Stars: Penn Jillette, The Residents, Teller
Votes: 22
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