Such Hawks Such Hounds (2008)

This film tells a story that needs to be told. Since the Alternative Revolution of the early 1990s, there has been a heightened interest in music with roots in the underground, hence such excellent genre studies as Hype!, Scratch and American Hardcore. While a similar celebration of sounds held dear, Such Hawks captures a moment as it is happening.

Such Hawks Such Hounds explores the music and musicians of the American hard rock underground circa 1970-2007. Focus is on the psychedelic and/or ’70s proto-metal-derived styles that have in recent years formed a rich tapestry of unclassifiable sounds. The film charts the evolution of these styles and their creative components, while primarily serving as a character study of the musicians themselves – artists on the fringes of both straight society and hip indie circles.

For every music fan who says rock ’n’ roll ain’t what it used to be; for every pundit who concurs with Hunter S. Thompson’s assessment of the music business as “a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free;” there are an equal number who will say that the business of creating and releasing innovative and satisfying music is as healthy as ever – it’s just done on a smaller scale.