![They Will Have To Kill Us First: Malian Music In Exile: This haunting documentary focuses on Northern Mali in 2012, when Islamic Jihadists took control of the area and banned all forms of music. Radio stations were destroyed, instruments burned and acclaimed musicians faced torture and death. It's composed by the Yeah Yeah Yeah's Nick Zinner and features music from a number of artists, including Khaira Arby, Fadimata 'Disco' Walet Oumar, Amkoullel and Moussa Sidi.]()
They Will Have To Kill Us First: Malian Music In Exile: This haunting documentary focuses on Northern Mali in 2012, when Islamic Jihadists took control of the area and banned all forms of music. Radio stations were destroyed, instruments burned and acclaimed musicians faced torture and death. It's composed by the Yeah Yeah Yeah's Nick Zinner and features music from a number of artists, including Khaira Arby, Fadimata 'Disco' Walet Oumar, Amkoullel and Moussa Sidi.
![Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives: This documentary tells the story of Stretch Armstrong, Bobbito Garcia and their broadcasts on New York's WKCR, which pioneered the evolving rap scene. Containing previously unreleased footage and contributions from Nas, Biggie, Wu-Tang, Big Pun, Rosie Perez, Busta Rhymes, Eminem, Q-Tip, Jay Z and many more, this is a must watch for any hip-hop fan.]()
Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives: This documentary tells the story of Stretch Armstrong, Bobbito Garcia and their broadcasts on New York's WKCR, which pioneered the evolving rap scene. Containing previously unreleased footage and contributions from Nas, Biggie, Wu-Tang, Big Pun, Rosie Perez, Busta Rhymes, Eminem, Q-Tip, Jay Z and many more, this is a must watch for any hip-hop fan.
![Danny Says: Focusing on The Ramones' manager, Danny Fields, this riveting doc follows the influential figure and his involvement in some of the biggest music moment in the 1960's and 70's. He ignited the Beatles']()
Danny Says: Focusing on The Ramones' manager, Danny Fields, this riveting doc follows the influential figure and his involvement in some of the biggest music moment in the 1960's and 70's. He ignited the Beatles' "bigger than Jesus" controversy, made himself The Doors' press officer and worked with the Stooges and Lou Reed.
![American Epic Sessions: A truly one of a kind documentary, this film captures hugely talented artists like Jack White, Nas and Elton John recording on The Western Electric, a recording machine from the 1920's, lovingly rebuilt by engineer Nick Bergh. With the machine's mechanical system forcing artists to nail songs it one take, it creates songs soaked in charisma and urgency.]()
American Epic Sessions: A truly one of a kind documentary, this film captures hugely talented artists like Jack White, Nas and Elton John recording on The Western Electric, a recording machine from the 1920's, lovingly rebuilt by engineer Nick Bergh. With the machine's mechanical system forcing artists to nail songs it one take, it creates songs soaked in charisma and urgency. "The machine demands you to give an olympic level performance. You have to give the performance of your life to sound good on this thing", director Bernard MacMahon told Gigwise.
![Keith Richards: Under The Influence: Netflix have been killing it with their original features, from House Of Cards and Narcos to What Happened, Miss Simone and now their exclusive doc about The Rolling Stones Legend. Chronicling the creation of his new solo album, Crosseyed Heart, director Morgan Neville followed Richards to Chicago, Nashville and New York to gain a unique insight into the mind of a rock'n'roll icon. Tom Waits also makes a cheeky appearance...]()
Keith Richards: Under The Influence: Netflix have been killing it with their original features, from House Of Cards and Narcos to What Happened, Miss Simone and now their exclusive doc about The Rolling Stones Legend. Chronicling the creation of his new solo album, Crosseyed Heart, director Morgan Neville followed Richards to Chicago, Nashville and New York to gain a unique insight into the mind of a rock'n'roll icon. Tom Waits also makes a cheeky appearance...
![Elephant Days: As well as inviting us into a trying two year period when The Maccabees crafted their fourth album, Marks To Prove It, this doc also lifts the lid on the culturally diverse area and wonderful characters surrounding the band's makeshift, Elephant and Castle studio. Orlando Weeks told us,]()
Elephant Days: As well as inviting us into a trying two year period when The Maccabees crafted their fourth album, Marks To Prove It, this doc also lifts the lid on the culturally diverse area and wonderful characters surrounding the band's makeshift, Elephant and Castle studio. Orlando Weeks told us, "With the Peckham Prides ( a youth basketball team), I think the coach says 'this is bigger than basketball', and it's a testament to his sincerity as a coach that it doesn't seem corny. He means it. When you're in a band, you're also the sum of your parts."
![The Reflektor Tapes: Littered with unforgettable cinematography, staggering imagery and a bunch of wonderfully captured live footage from the band, this feature gives Arcade Fire fans a nice dose of the band's world. While not offering up as much insight into the creative process and the band's relationship as hoped, it's still a beautiful portrayal of a group of musicians truly in their prime.]()
The Reflektor Tapes: Littered with unforgettable cinematography, staggering imagery and a bunch of wonderfully captured live footage from the band, this feature gives Arcade Fire fans a nice dose of the band's world. While not offering up as much insight into the creative process and the band's relationship as hoped, it's still a beautiful portrayal of a group of musicians truly in their prime.
![The UK Gold: Mark Donne's documentary on the City of London's role in the tax-evasion industry might have been released back in 2013, and have very little to do with music, but it's just received a brand new original soundtrack, put together by Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Massive Attack's 3D. So it's not a music documentary per se, but it's documentary and music... Never mind, just watch it.]()
The UK Gold: Mark Donne's documentary on the City of London's role in the tax-evasion industry might have been released back in 2013, and have very little to do with music, but it's just received a brand new original soundtrack, put together by Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Massive Attack's 3D. So it's not a music documentary per se, but it's documentary and music... Never mind, just watch it.
![The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead: Featuring interviews with the likes of Chrissie Hynde, Motorhead's Lemmy, The Clash's Mick Jones and comedian Fred Armisen, this documentary explores the largely overlooked]()
The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead: Featuring interviews with the likes of Chrissie Hynde, Motorhead's Lemmy, The Clash's Mick Jones and comedian Fred Armisen, this documentary explores the largely overlooked "third prong in the holy trinity of UK punk," The Damned. Despite The Sex Pistols and The Clash enjoying significantly more fame, Wes Orshoski puts forward the case for The Damned's incomparable influence in the UK punk scene. "We had everything we'd ever dreamed of," they admit. "Somehow, we managed to fuck it up."
![No Manifesto: A Film About Manic Street Preachers: The film tells the story of the band's rise from]()
No Manifesto: A Film About Manic Street Preachers: The film tells the story of the band's rise from "mouthy punks to international renown", combining rare archival materials, fan interviews, home videos and new interviews and touching upon the disappearance of Richey Edwards in 1995. In one of the new interviews in the documentary, James Dean Bradfield says, "We're full of bile, we're full of love, we're full of hate, we're full of understanding, we're full of forgiveness and we're full of revenge." If that doesn't draw you in, nothing will.
![Not Afraid: The Shady Records Story: From his]()
Not Afraid: The Shady Records Story: From his "humble beginnings" as a struggling local rapper to his ascent to global stardom, this documentary follows not only Eminem's career, but that of the artists he nurtured through his record label, Shady Records. It's only half an hour long, but it's an interesting and detailed insight.
![Untitled Rihanna documentary: Three months ago, Peter Berg announced plans for a documentary providing an]()
Untitled Rihanna documentary: Three months ago, Peter Berg announced plans for a documentary providing an "unfiltered look into Rihanna's life and how she's ascended to become a global icon." Berg, who directed the Friday Night Lights film, cited the 1967 Bob Dylan documentary Don't Look Back as an influence on the doc, which he describes as "much more a character study than a music film."
![What Happened Miss Simone: The Netflix documentary celebrates the musical and culture legacy of Nina Simone without shying away from her struggles with bipolar and bouts of extreme violence.]()
What Happened Miss Simone: The Netflix documentary celebrates the musical and culture legacy of Nina Simone without shying away from her struggles with bipolar and bouts of extreme violence. "People think that when she went out on stage, she became Nina Simone," says her daughter in the film's trailer. "My mother was Nina Simone 24/7... and that's where it became a problem."
![Daft Punk Unchained: After being talked about for a year, BBC Worldwide's Daft Punk documentary, which features contributions from Kanye West, Pharrell, Skrillex and more, premiered in France this week. Thanks to the duo's famous refusal to show their faces or appear in the public eye in any way, the hype around this is ferocious.]()
Daft Punk Unchained: After being talked about for a year, BBC Worldwide's Daft Punk documentary, which features contributions from Kanye West, Pharrell, Skrillex and more, premiered in France this week. Thanks to the duo's famous refusal to show their faces or appear in the public eye in any way, the hype around this is ferocious.
![Soaked In Bleach: Unsurprisingly, this Kurt Cobain documentary does not have the approval of Courtney Love. Unsurprising, that is, because it basically accuses her of murdering her husband. While Cobain's death is widely accepted as suicide, this documentary hangs on the testimony of a private investigator once hired by Love herself, and puts forward a case for something more sinister. It's unsubstantiated and most likely complete fallacy, but it should make for compelling viewing.]()
Soaked In Bleach: Unsurprisingly, this Kurt Cobain documentary does not have the approval of Courtney Love. Unsurprising, that is, because it basically accuses her of murdering her husband. While Cobain's death is widely accepted as suicide, this documentary hangs on the testimony of a private investigator once hired by Love herself, and puts forward a case for something more sinister. It's unsubstantiated and most likely complete fallacy, but it should make for compelling viewing.
![Montage Of Heck: Such is the ongoing fascination over the tragic life of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, that there are two documentaries on him being released this year alone. This one, directed by Brett Morgen, has the approval of his family though. Co-executive produced by Cobain's daughter Frances Bean, the film was given access to the entirety of his personal and family archives, and the result is something truly moving.]()
Montage Of Heck: Such is the ongoing fascination over the tragic life of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, that there are two documentaries on him being released this year alone. This one, directed by Brett Morgen, has the approval of his family though. Co-executive produced by Cobain's daughter Frances Bean, the film was given access to the entirety of his personal and family archives, and the result is something truly moving.
![AMY: Asif Kapadia's documentary on the life and death of Amy Winehouse might have made her father Mitch]()
AMY: Asif Kapadia's documentary on the life and death of Amy Winehouse might have made her father Mitch "feel sick", but it's received overwhelming critical acclaim. Described as "intimate, passionate, often shocking and almost mesmerically absorbing" by The Guardian, and "gripping, jarring and ferocious" by Gigwise, the intimate and sensitive documentary features interviews with Winehouse's family and friends alongside unseen archive footage, home videos and interviews.