Since 2010, Riot House Records has released albums from the likes of EmptyMansions (the solo project of Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino), Spencer Moody of The Murder City Devils, and proto-punk heroes Rough Francis, among many others. Now, the label is making its first foray into film with the forthcoming release of a brand new feature-length documentary entitled Records Collecting Dust.
Written and directed by musician Jason Blackmore (White Mule), Records Collecting Dust “documents the vinyl record collections, origins, and holy grails of alternative music icons,” according to a press release. The film includes interviews with Keith Morris, Jello Biafra, Chuck Dukowski, John Reis, and over 30 of their “underground music comrades,” alongside live performances from Biafra, Big Business, and The Locust.
In a statement, Blackmore said, “I wanted to capture the pre-internet world of finding your new favorite band and record. Before the internet, you didn’t have blogs, Spotify, and YouTube to find new music. You went to your local record shop and many times purchased a record because you liked the cover art. I also hoped to capture the intimacy of sitting down in these people’s living rooms and talking about the records and bands that influenced them. For many of the people featured in our film, it’s not just the music that played a major influence — it’s the process in which they discovered it.”
As an early look, the film’s producers have unveiled a new trailer. The 90-second clip focuses on the record collection of Morris, in addition to a sampling of live performance footage. Check it out below.
Records Collecting Dust will begin a series of nationwide premieres this January, with screenings scheduled through the end of March. In a statement, film producer and Riot House founder Brian Jenkins said there was a conscious push to bring the film to venues outside of larger, more “established” cities.
“Many indie films do a year of theater premieres on the film festival circuit and primarily play in major markets across the country,” Jenkins said. “When I was brought on to this project, Jason and I agreed that we wouldn’t alienate our audience and that we would do our best to make this film accessible to everyone. We’ve got premieres from Los Angeles to Grand Folks, ND scheduled. It’s a film about punk rock records and we wanted to carry that ethic and approach through the filming, editing, and distribution of Records Collecting Dust.”
Consult the full schedule below, followed by the film’s first trailer.
Records Collecting Dust 2015 Showtimes:
01/09 – San Diego, CA @ Digital Gym
01/10 – San Diego, CA @ Digital Gym
01/23 – Los Angeles, CA The Nerdist Showroom
01/27 – Oakland, CA @ The New Parkway Theater
01/29 – San Francisco, CA @ Balboa Theater
01/15 – Washington DC @ The Black Cat
02/04 – Gainesville, FL @ The Wooly
02/06 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Atomic Pop Shop
02/08 – Baltimore, MD @ Otto Bar
02/11 – Portland, OR @ Hollywood Theatre
02/13 – Grand Forks, ND @ Ojata Records
02/16 – Rockford, IL @ Nordlof Theater
02/19 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
02/20 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Total Drag
02/21 – Phoenix, AZ @ Film Bar
02/27 – Richmond, VA @ Black Iris Gallery
02/28 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Frida Cinema
03/07 – Savannah, GA @ Graveface Records and Curiosities
03/08 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
03/13 – Fort Wayne, IN @ Cinema Center
03/20 – Louisville, KY @ Modern Cult Records
03/27 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree Café
03/28 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club
03/28 – Bowling Green, KY @ The Public Theater of Kentucky
