HALF JAPANESE: THE BAND THAT WOULD BE KING (DVD VANF 001)

Half Japanese is a band you want to love. Like the Shaggs, Daniel Johnston and Gary Wilson, Half Japanese earned their cred from their eccentric personalities and unconventional yet honest musical style. The great thing about watching a well made music documentary about this band, is that you don’t actually have to listen to the fifteen or so albums they produced before they knew how to play their instruments (arguably). The live and studio footage is enough to give you a feel of the band’s aesthetic and progression, and, thanks to a great editor, are all surprisingly enjoyable. Band members David and Jad Fair are fantastic eccentrics, who explain their inspirations and diligence with a seriousness that is both endearing and honorable. Footage of the band is interspursed with interviews with legend Mo Tucker of the Velvet Underground, and music critic Byron Coley, among others. This film is an homage to music nerds everywhere.

Other music documentaries I suggest for kids who never got any good at sports: American Hardcore (DVD SONYHE 036), The Devil and Daniel Johnston (DVD SONYHE 038), and Joy Division (DVD GENI 047).