As music fanatics, there’s one thing we love almost as much as the live experience, and that’s a compelling music documentary.

Every so often we scour the internet to piece together a nice shortlist of music inspired docos that you can watch at home, whether it be a focus on up-and-coming artists, the story of the greatest names in music, industry focused pieces or just oddities of musicians, we strive to provide you with something interesting that you may not have seen before.

In saying that, we’ve got six more brilliant docos we think you’re really going to dig, so kick back, relax, and enjoy some top-tier music edutainment from the comfort of your desktop… unless of course you’re at work, in which case bookmark and watch later at your leisure.

Back in 2014, we saw the release of Pepperoni Playboy, a free half-hour music documentary on Mac DeMarco put together by the folks at Pitchfork.TV.

The new ‘Macumentary’ focused on the exploits of the ‘jizz jazz’ pioneer who once told Tone Deaf that being at Meredith 2013 was “the most messed up [he’d] ever been in [his] entire life”, and it got us thinking about other great online music docos. So after going on a bit of a digital scavenger hunt we put together a showcase of some of the best that the net has to offer. 

Beginning with the new Mac DeMarco feature, we take you through everything from an intimate look at one of indie rock’s most legendary ensembles to digging through the vinyl collection of a hip hop pioneer, and plenty in-between.

So kick back, relax, and enjoy some top-tier music edutainment from the comfort of your desktop… unless of course you’re at work, in which case bookmark and watch later at your leisure. Enjoy

Pepperoni Playboy: A Macumentary (2014, Dir: Jon Leone)

This 34-minute portrait of Mac DeMarco acts as both a fan-savvy tribute to the gap-toothed Canadian goofball as well as the perfect introduction for novices. There’s ‘making of’ footage as DeMarco records his latest album Salad Days at his Jizz Jazz Studios in Brooklyn, charmingly silly self-shot footage by the musician and his bandmates, plenty of undressing, and even some light-hearted digs at indie peers like Bon Iver and shoegaze rockers DIIV.

It’s a bonkers ride and while its the slacker-brand humour that’s the obvious drawcard, much like Mac DeMarco’s music, there’s a sincerity at the heart of all the zany antics.

Dig! (2004, Dir: Ondi Timoner)

If you’ve not seen this cult classic about the love/hate relationship between The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre yet, stop whatever you’re doing and watch now below.

Covering seven years of intimate (sometimes embarrassingly so) documentation of the two Portland rock bands’ careers, Dig! follows the consequences of two close-knit musical peers seeking musical revolution – except only one experiences mainstream success and all the luck in the world (The Dandies), while the other (TBJM) seems to doomed to underground cult status due to petty in-fighting and bizarre leadership style of their ringleader, Anton Newcombe. The resulting film is fascinating on so many levels, managing both to perpetuate sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll mythmaking while simultaneously revealing the ugliest side of the music business.

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LoudQUIETLoud: A Film About The Pixies (2006, Dir: Steven Cantor & Matthew Galkin)

Following over a decade’s worth of ‘will they? won’t they?’ hearsay, in 2004 the Pixies decided to do what many assumed they never would: get the band back together. Documenting both the reunion tour and the years following their messy break-up, LoudQUIETLoud’s filmmakers got unprecedented access to the vintage indie band and its sometimes media-shy members.

13 years on from the famed reunion, its nice to revisit the seminal band back when Kim Deal was still a permanent member and they weren’t so concerned about biting back at the likes of Pitchfork after negative reviews of their new music. Plus, if you’re one of the lucky ones catching Pixies Down Under this March, this 90-minute timepiece will totally get you in the mood.

RiP! A Remix Manifesto (2008, Dir: Brett Gaylor)

It’s fitting that a feature length movie all about how corporations’ lust for copyright control is available to view for free online (with thanks to the National Film Board Of Canada). Gaylor’s entertaining look at copyright laws are stifling creative growth in the modern era is a globetrotting, history-spanning adventure that uses the history of music sampling as its main narrative thread. And the star? None other than Greg Gillis, better known to the world as mashup maestro Girl Talk.

Though RiP! risks coming off a little one-sided, portraying Girl Talk as a modern day cross of Robin Hood and David battling the corporate Goliath – the discussion it opens up about the future of music, and the equal distribution of its profitability, makes for crucial pop cultural analysis any music fan will thoroughly dig.

Red Bull Music Academy Lecture: Brian Eno (2013, Interviewer: Emma Warren)

This isn’t strictly a music documentary per sé, but given the fascinating insights offered by the Red Bull Music Academy’s ongoing series of filmed lectures, it would be pretty remiss of us to neglect them. There’s a whole treasure trove to dig through on the official website and choosing just one to spotlight is difficult but it’s hard to go past this 80 minute chat with legendary producer and musical boffin Brian Eno.

Taking to the Red Bull couch in New York last year, Eno draws deep from his historic CV touching on his groundbreaking ‘discreet music’ and ambient background, as well as tidbits about the big names he’s worked with and for (Bowie, U2, Coldplay et al). Some of it makes for pretty dense viewing when the great domed one gets philosophical, but the genteel way he highlights the important links between music and technology is thought-provoking stuff. The highlight? Fanboy and fellow electronic music maker Four Tet (aka Kieran Hebden) getting to ask the final question and Eno’s reply of “and what do you play?”

Crate Diggers: J. Dilla’s Vinyl Collection (2013, Dir: FuseTV)

Even if you don’t know who legendary hip hop producer J Dilla is – in fact, scratch that. Especially if you don’t know who J Dilla is, you owe it to yourself to take a look at this half-hour examination of the man’s influence on the genre though the lens of his amazing record collection. As part of their Crate Diggers series, Fuse hits up Dilla’s family and rappers like Talib Kweli and J. Rocc as they sift through the deceased beatmaker’s eclectic and expansive vinyl library.

Reflecting on his work, with the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Slum Village, Common and many more, the doco show how when the producer died from a rare blood disease in 2006, he didn’t just leave behind an eBay worthy music collection, but a deathless musical legacy.

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