Sundance music documentaries that will rock your world

If you love music documentaries you will be excited to hear about some exciting films premiering at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

Sound City

Musician Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame finds himself in the directors seat on a mission to resurrect the rapidly vanishing human touch behind the creation of music.

His film "Sound City" shines a light on the legendary California studio of the same name, along with iconic musicians who at sometime or another called the studio home. Interviews with Paul Mcartney, Neil Young, Tom Petty and others offer a glimpse into the potentially painful transition from analogue to digital technologies.

Twenty Feet From Stardom

In this documentary, director Morgan Neville takes a fascinating look at the lives of professional background singers and shatters pre-conceived notions about the profession. Often overlooked, these exceptional artists have shaped much of the popular music we are are familiar with.

Twenty Feet from Stardom juxtaposes interviews with industry legends (Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler, and others) and the relative unknowns who support them like Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, and Judith Hill as they illuminate the art of melding their own distinct voices with lead vocals and reveal their desires for careers as solo artists.

Muscle Shoals

This fascinating documentary tells the tale of a tiny town in Alabama, and its undeniable contribution to music as we know it. At the heart of the story is music producer Rick Hall who managed to entice Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett to record what would become hit albums backed by the funkiest white boys of all time -- The Swampers. Once word got out about the legendary sound being created in this unexpected place, the likes of Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, the Staples Singers, the Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Simon and Garfunkel magnetically followed suit. Interviewing an incredible roster of musicians, director Greg Camalier unearths a rich history of this unheralded gold mine of American music.

The History of the Eagles - Part 1

Alison Ellwood’s intimate, meticulously crafted patchwork of rare archival material, concert footage, and unseen home movies explores the evolution and enduring popularity of one of America’s truly defining bands. 

The band was reluctant to make the film before meeting producer Alex Gibney known for his documentaries 'Taxi to the Dark Side' and 'Enron' amongst many others. Director Alison Ellwood had worked previously with Gibney on 'Enron' and 'Gonzo' making them an excellent team to tell an incredible rock and roll story.

The Eagles plan to begin a world tour in June based on this documentary.