Sound City

Have ya'll heard about this?

It's a documentary directed by Dave Grohl about the iconic recording studio Sound City.

And um. It's awesome.

Dave Grohl decided to get 20 of his closest drinking buddies together and make his movie after he bought one of the studio's famous analog mixing consoles - the Neve 8020. The studio closed its doors in 2011 and Sound City  is Grohl's way of immortalizing the space that hosted the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Elton John, and Rage Against the Machine. This is also the studio that birthed Nirvana's Nevermind. Johnny Cash, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Neil Young also swung through the Sound City studio doors once or twice. And Charles Manson even did a few recordings there in 1969, just before the Manson family murders that Summer.

When you watch the film, it comes across as more of a love letter than a documentary. A love letter signed by Stevie Nicks, Trent Reznor, Paul McCartney, and Tom Petty, just to name a few, as they pay homage to the dumpy, dingy studio that managed to transform the sound of rock n' roll from the 1970's onward.

Whether you're a fan of Grohl, an appreciator of music, a musician, or a lover of a really good friggin movie, Sound City is worth watching. Just go here, buy the download, and then mentally thank me for exposing you to something so cool, and innovative, and touching.

And after you buy the movie, you get an awesome form email from Dave:

From day one, it was the most incredible experience of my life. I swear. Sitting down with Neil Young talking about recording guitars, John Fogerty telling me about the day he decided to become a musician, Stevie Nicks telling me the story of how she joined Fleetwood Mac, Trent Reznor schooling me on the world of computers and digital technology, etc etc etc.....can you imagine? All I had to do was listen...I am the luckiest man on earth.

And, being a completely independent film, no one told us how or what to do! Me and my crew of under 20 people did it OUR way. It was like a keg party with a camera. WE got to tell the story of a place we all held so dear. WE wanted to do it justice. And I think we did.

But, SOUND CITY is only part of the story.....

What is it that happens when 4 people turn on, plug in, and really play that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up? What is it about those moments when you hear something and it immediately puts its hooks in you, and you feel.....understood? What is it that will inspire the next generation of kids wanna do what I did when I was a little punk growing up in Springfield, Virginia? That feeling like, "Wait......I can do this too....."

That's what I'm talking about. That human connection. That human feel. That human sound...that isn't perfect...but it's sooooo good.

I really feel like SOUND CITY is my life's most important work. I hope you do too.

Psyched that you get to see it! Show it to your friends! Get together, start a band, sound like shit, and change the world. GO!

I've included the trailer below if you needed a little more convincing.

Happy Hump Day, lovers!

xo.

Images and film trailer found via Google Images and YouTube. I claim no rights to them.