Song for Cassavetes finds the truth
Film review by Dan Eldridge
Resonance, 02/01/01
If you're looking for a film that simply documents the indie-rock explosion of the 1990s, you've come to the wrong place.
Of course, from the sheer looks of it, anyone could easily pass off Songs for Cassavetes, a gritty documentary about bands making music on their own terms, as little more than a formulaic rock 'n' roll movie with a serious lack of focus. After all, the direction never moves beyond live footage and dressing room interviews, and with ten bands featured, it's tough to really get to know any of them in depth. What makes Cassavetes different than the rest, however, is the same thing that makes independent music different than top-40 pop: its ability to find meaning in what the rest of the world finds mundane.
Indeed, some of the most touching moments of the film take place not on stage, but in quiet, confessional settings where punk-rock heavyweights like Sleater-Kinney and Calvin Johnson talk about the scene they've created, grown up with, and watched as it became bigger than they ever could have imagined.
The music, in fact, takes a back seat to attitude and ideals, as Unwound ruminates on the importance of having all-ages shows, and Ian Svenonious of the Make-Up talks about getting young audiences energized and excited.
Even better than the unbridled enthusiasm, though, is the unflinching honesty that nearly every musician in Cassavetes seems to wear like a badge on their sleeve. When Sleater-Kinney start giggling about a Time magazine article that praised their originality and talent, for instance, you'd expect them to gush about their good fortune. Instead, they chastise the writer for not mentioning their connection to the punk-rock community. The main reason, they claim, that they've achieved as much success as they have.
Music junkies, fear not: Cassavetes has plenty of performance footage. The hyper-caffeinated PeeChees and the ultra-frenetic Hi-Fives are easily the most entertaining of the bunch, but indie-rock historians might also enjoy watching rare performances by old legends like Tullycraft and Some Velvet Sidewalk. No matter what gets you to the theater, though, you're sure to leave with the feeling that you've seen something special and uncommon. Thankfully, this celebration of the DIY aesthetic proves to be that rarest of birds: one that practices exactly what its proponents aim to preach
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