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I have watched a couple music documentaries recently, ones on Arthur Russell and Judee Sill, and have enjoyed them. They are somewhat formulaic biopics so they arenât super hard to process but offer a lot of information on the artistry of a person I find interesting and their music plays in the background and it gets in my head! They are also usually pretty short so you can throw them on if you have a spare hour and a half.
May 3, 2024
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Maybe some unorthodox choices but Iâve always been into non-narrative, experimental documentaries. Some of the best I know are âAs I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beautyâ, âKoyaanisqatsiâ, âSans Soleilâ. These were some of the purest, most powerful cinematic experiences Iâve had in my life, so Iâd suggest you peep them.
On a (slightly) more conventional note, literally any documentary made by Herzog
Feb 6, 2025
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On a big olâ documentary kick and have been steadily working through Adam Curtisâs filmography.
More than being informative and engaging, theyâre almost like multimedia collage pieces. I read on his Wikipedia that he cites Robert Rauschenberg as an influence and I definitely see and feel that. Beautiful stuff. Great soundtracks.
He goes in so many different historical, geopolitical, cultural directions and somehow it doesnât feel insane or boring or overwhelming. Itâs almost relieving to have someone articulate so clearly the depth of the mess we have made.
Most of his work can be found for free on YouTube/Internet Archive. Proceed w caution, may contribute to feelings of anger and frustration.
Mar 16, 2025
I decided to watch this on a long bus ride and I was pleasantly surprised. This was such a unique documentary. If youâre looking for Bowieâs history etc. you might be disappointed, but if you want to learn about his artistic process and be inspired by something more visual and art-focused this is for you.
Apr 29, 2024
Top Recs from @buck_mcgraw
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Just because I see a window to get across the street doesnât mean you donât have to look both ways. Iâve been on the other side of that thoughâŠ
May 11, 2025
I met Erin (@RIOTGRRRL) and Jake (@SLOWDAZZLE) last year after I started using PI.FYIâwe organized a meetup before a Jonathan Richman show and immediately clicked over our shared taste in music and similar sensibilities. We started hanging out a lot and had some great times together. Iâve also gotten to know many of their friends, who are all really cool. Erin and Jake started dating a couple of months after the three of us became friends, but our group chat still pops off. Their friendship has meant a lot to me, especially since moving to NYC in 2023, and I really appreciate having them in my life.
May 16, 2025
Come hang with some PI.FYI folks at Franklin Park in Crown Heights in Brooklyn on 7/19 @ 6:30. riotgrrrl and slowdazzle will be there too! Link is the Partiful invited!
Jun 22, 2024