Starring Authority Zero
Written By:
Directed By:
Studio: IRock
Buy on Amazon.com link

Authority Zero have become one of my favorite punk bands that have surfaced in the last few years. Well, they have been around since 1994 but only have 2 albums out since 2002. But hey, if I never had my website I probably wouldn’t have heard of them because I had to review their albums. I like a lot tracks off their debut album “A Passage in Time” but I think the second album “Andiamo” is brilliant! There’s so many awesome punk/ska songs on that album and the band really focuses on their signature sound. I really hope they release another full-length album soon because it’s been awhile since “Andiamo.”

But Authority Zero: and I Am Zero is a half hour or so documentary about the band, intermixed with some live footage and music videos. The band talked about starting Authority Zero, and how some members came in from other bands. Jim, the drummer, was the one who talked the most in the documentary and he did a good job of summing everything up. He seems like he could just talk for hours and I wouldn’t mind listening to it either! He just had a lot to say and it was cool to listen to. The beginning of the documentary focuses on the band before they were signed, and the middle part was all the stuff that happened after they were signed to a major label. They wanted a label were they had the most creative input for their music, which is understandable. Jim & the band said they wanted to take the band as far as they can, and it’s their job but it’s also something they love to do. Not everyone is about Anti-MTV, or Anti-major labels because people want to see their band succeed and get their name out there. Even though a band is on a major label, doesn’t make them a sellout, and people have to understand that. My idea of a sellout is when they totally change their sound to fit in a scene and Authority Zero are no where near that. I see them as a band who works hard and are just on a major label.

The last part of the DVD, the band members offer advice for up and coming bands. I think they gave people good advice on how to succeed with getting your band name & music out there. Starting up a website is a must, put out tons of flyers or hand out demo tapes to people, go on MySpace and PureVolume and post music and try to generate word of mouth, and even harass radio DJs and websites to have your music played and CDs reviewed. Besides the interviews with members of the band & people associated with the band, there are some live performances and music videos on the DVD. Some are actually videos, and some are live concert footage BUT with the studio track over it. So you get live footage, but not the live audio. I guess they wanted to have the footage look like music videos more than show footage. Maybe the audio wasn’t that great for the show footage. For the song “Ratlin Bog,” I still can’t believe how fast Jason sings that song OR how he can even remember the lyrics for it. I guess that’s why I’m not a singer, I can’t remember a damn thing. But for the DVD, I would have liked to see a full concert or lots of different concert footage included. Perhaps the band will release a live concert one of these days, maybe for the Show Must Go Off Series (nudge nudge Kung Fu Records). But for right now, Authority Zero fans should buy this DVD and watch the documentary on the band. You’ll see how much hard work AZ puts into their music, so go to their website (http://www.authorityzero.com) and buy the DVD already!

Features:
Behind the Scenes
Music Videos:
A Passage In Time
1000 Years Of War
Mesa Town
Mexican Radio
Painted Windows
Superbitch
Taking On The World
Ratlin Bog
Siempre Loco

Audio:

Video:

Subtitles:

Favorite Scenes: Mexican Radio, Taking on the World, Painting Windows, Ratlin Bog
Rating: NR
Running Time: 0 minutes
Extras Rating:
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