Pete Crigler

H.R., the legendary singer of the equally legendary Bad Brains, has had a very interesting life. This documentary does a very impressive job of talking about his career and the myriad of issues surrounding him offstage. Some of the greatest insight comes from H.R.’s brother, Bad Brains drummer Earl Hudson. This is actually the most I think I’ve ever heard Earl talk and what he talks about is fascinating, namely their childhood and H.R.’s subsequent decline into what is basically undiagnosed mental illness. His friends and bandmates in his various reggae bands also talk at length about H.R.’s solo career.…

This long overdue retrospective documentary of legendary guitarist Mick Ronson is quite interesting. Interviews with friends, colleagues, admirers, and the occasional voiceover from Bowie himself paint a picture of a musician who was one of the most talented of his ilk. Not only could he play like a demon, but he could arrange and produce as well. For the most part, he will be remembered as Bowie’s partner in the Spiders From Mars, and a lot of time in this documentary is used to talk about his association with Bowie. Bowie’s former wife Angie tries to steal the show with…

If you’re not familiar with L7, then watch this film and you will be. Four rockin’ badasses from Los Angeles formed the ultimate female alternative rock band and took the ‘90s alt rock underground by storm. Hell, 1992’s Bricks Are Heavy spawned three of the most memorable songs from the alternative rock explosion: “Pretend We’re Dead,” “Wargasm,” and “Shitlist.” This documentary is a bit different from most other rock docs; you never see the ladies of L7 on camera, only in voice-overs. But through scattered praise from fans including members of Garbage, Distillers, Bratmobile, and others, it is highlighted just…

As I sit here on Christmas Eve, thinking about the 20 years of Daily Vault and the almost 31 years I’ve spent on this planet, I look back on some of the most influential and life changing music I’ve ever heard. This list brings back plenty of memories for me and hopefully, dear reader, it will do the same for you! 20. Tripping Daisy – Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb (1998) Not the type of record I was expecting after hearing “I Got A Girl,” but it’s a record I’ve always liked. It’s one of those records I bought on…

Morphine: Journey of Dreams documents the career of Morphine, the acclaimed “low-rock” trio of saxophone, bass and drums that blew up in the indie alt-rock scene of the ’90s. The band—drummers Jerome Deupree and Billy Conway, sax man extraordinaire Dana Colley and bassist/singer/songwriter Mark Sandman—released four critically touted albums before Sandman tragically died of a heart attack on stage in Rome in the summer of 1999. The film follows the band’s journey from Boston bar band to indie rock darlings to the aftermath of picking up the pieces following Sandman’s death. The film doesn’t really offer much that wasn’t previously…

Soundgarden has always been one of the most distinct bands of the Seattle grunge era. Hell, they were one of the bands that started everything, being one of the first bands to appear on the “Deep Six” compilation in 1985 alongside Melvins and Green River. They always took a different path, though, dealing in everything from psychedelia, metal, pop, and almost everything in between. The band has some of the most played songs of the whole era and they are still in demand today from the guys’ own solo projects. Presented here is a ranking of everything the band has…

Alice In Chains was always one of my favorites from the Seattle era, and they still are. Though they went through unspeakable tragedy, they channeled the pain and darkness into the music and came out with some of the bleakest and dreary rock music of the ‘90s. Losing Layne Staley to an overdose in 2002 nearly crippled them for good, but Sean Kinney, Jerry Cantrell, and Mike Inez rose from the ashes, and together with William Duvall, came back not only stronger but lighter. The music still has the same intensity, but it’s not as overwhelmingly black and that’s a…

Well, here it is, the first definitive documentary of the legendary Southern alt rockers Drivin’ N’ Cryin’. The band’s whole story is told here, warts and all; it gets a bit dark after a while, but the silver lining is the recognition the band has received in the last 10 years or so as one of the definitive bands of the South. Best known to the general public, if they remember them at all, for songs like “Straight To Hell” and “Fly Me Courageous,” the band has had a very long career – over 30 years in all with frontman/guitarist/songwriter…