Founded by Superchunk's Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance in 1989, North Carolina’s Merge Records quickly grew to become one of America’s essential indie labels. From supporting their fertile local indie rock scene to launching international stars, for 25 years Merge has carved out uncompromising success by staying true to its independent roots. Google Play is proud to celebrate 25 years of Merge Records with this exclusive documentary and series of covers of Merge classics by Merge acts including Superchunk, the Mountain Goats, Telekinesis and more.

Founded by Superchunk's Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance in 1989, North Carolina’s Merge Records quickly grew to become one of America’s essential indie labels. From supporting their fertile local indie rock scene to launching international stars, for 25 years Merge has carved out uncompromising success by staying true to its independent roots. Google Play is proud to celebrate 25 years of Merge Records with this exclusive documentary and series of covers of Merge classics by Merge acts including Superchunk, the Mountain Goats, Telekinesis and more.
2014-08-12
0
7.2Before Bad Brains, the Sex Pistols or even the Ramones, there was Death. Formed in the early '70s by three teenage brothers from Detroit, Death is credited as being the first black punk band, and the Hackney brothers, David, Bobby, and Dannis, are now considered pioneers in their field. But it wasn’t until recently — when a dusty 1974 demo tape made its way out of Bobby’s attic nearly 30 years after Death’s heyday — that anyone outside a small group of punk enthusiasts had even heard of them.
7.2Daft Punk Unchained is the first film about the pop culture phenomenon that is Daft Punk, the duo with 12 million albums sold worldwide and seven Grammy Awards. Throughout their career Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo have always resisted compromise and the established codes of show business. They have remained determined to maintain control of every link in the chain of their creative process. In the era of globalisation and social networks, they rarely speak in public and neither do they show their faces on TV. This documentary explores this unprecedented cultural revolution revealing a duo of artists on a permanent quest for creativity, independence and freedom.
7.2Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead, until now.
7.0Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire present more golden moments from the MGM film library, this time including comedy and drama as well as classic musical numbers.
5.9In this concert film, 'Hannah Montana' star Miley Cyrus performs a slew of hit songs, including 'Just Like You' and 'Life's What You Make It.'
7.8An in-depth and intimate portrait of Coldplay's spectacular rise from the backrooms of Camden pubs to selling out stadiums across the planet. At the heart of the story is the band's unshakeable brotherhood which has endured through many highs and lows.
7.6A documentary chronicling the Beatles' rehearsal sessions in January 1969 for their proposed "back to basics" album, "Get Back," later re-envisioned and released as "Let It Be."
7.5In March 2005, Neil Young was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. Four days before he was scheduled for a lifesaving operation, he headed to Nashville, where he wrote and recorded the country folk album Prairie Wind with old friends and family members. After the successful operation and recovery period, he returned to Nashville that August to play at the famed Ryman Auditorium, once again gathering together friends and family for this special performance.
7.6A years-in-the-making documentary on the legendary punk band the Ramones. Through a mixture of archival footage, archival and new interviews with all members of the band's various lineups, and new interviews with a number of their contemporaries, the film traces the peaks and valleys the band experienced over the course of its 20-plus year career before disbanding in 1995.
7.4Ginger Baker is known for playing in Cream and Blind Faith, but the world's greatest drummer didn’t hit his stride until 1972, when he arrived in Nigeria and discovered Fela Kuti's Afrobeat. After leaving Nigeria, Ginger returned to his pattern of drug-induced self-destruction, and countless groundbreaking musical works, eventually settling in South Africa, where the 73-year-old lives with his young bride and 39 polo ponies. This documentary includes interviews with Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Carlos Santana and more. Beware of Mr. Baker! With every smash of the drum is a man smashing his way through life.
8.0See Michael Jackson, one of the most recognizable and popular entertainers of all time, like never before in the feature-length tribute Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon. Known to millions of fans worldwide for his record-breaking albums, groundbreaking music videos, mesmerizing dance moves and humanitarian efforts, his true story has never really been told...until now. This unprecedented look into the King of Pop's fascinating life includes all-new interviews with his mother Katherine Jackson as well as siblings Tito and Rebbie Jackson, his nephew Jaafar Jackson and niece Tahkyah brings plenty Jackson and Friends ends and music legends such as Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick and his 3 children and many more.
7.0A backstage and on-stage look at Justin Bieber during his rise to super stardom.
6.8A look at the roots of the historic music scene in L.A.'s Laurel Canyon featuring the music of iconic music groups such as The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, and The Mamas and the Papas.
5.8In the tradition of Fantasia, Make Mine Music is a glorious collection of musically charged animated shorts featuring such fun-filled favorites as "Peter and the Wolf", narrated by the beloved voice behind Winnie the Pooh. In addition you'll enjoy such classic cartoon hits as "Casey at the Bat," "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met" and "Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet."
7.9Live Aid was held on 13 July 1985, simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, and the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, United States. It was one of the largest scale satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time: watched live by an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion, across 150 nations. "It's twelve noon in London, seven AM in Philadelphia, and around the world it's time for Live Aid...!"
7.7Martin Scorsese's documentary intertwines footage from The Band's incredible farewell tour with probing backstage interviews and featured performances by Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, and other rock legends.
8.2"One Direction: This Is Us" is a captivating and intimate all-access look at life on the road for the global music phenomenon. Weaved with stunning live concert footage, this inspiring feature film tells the remarkable story of Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis' meteoric rise to fame, from their humble hometown beginnings and competing on the X-Factor, to conquering the world and performing at London’s famed O2 Arena. Hear it from the boys themselves and see through their own eyes what it's really like to be One Direction.
7.8Featuring never before seen footage uncovered from the archives and interviews with Paul McCartney, Tommy Lee and others, God Bless Ozzy Osbourne is the first documentary to take viewers inside the complex mind of rock's great icon.
7.4Various MGM stars from yesterday present their favorite musical moments from the studio's 50 year history.
7.0Explore the evolution of Buzz Lightyear from toy to human in the making of Pixar’s Lightyear. Dive into the origin and cultural impact of everyone’s favorite Space Ranger, the art of designing a new “human Buzz,” and the challenges faced by the Lightyear crew along the way.
5.2A Dutch documentary about the history of the anarchist punk band Crass. The film features archival footage of the band, and interviews with former members Steve Ignorant, Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher.
6.6Bruce Macdonald follows punk bank Hard Core Logo on a harrowing last-gasp reunion tour throughout Western Canada. As magnetic lead-singer Joe Dick holds the whole magilla together through sheer force of will, all the tensions and pitfalls of life on the road come bubbling to the surface.
7.2The Los Angeles punk music scene circa 1980 is the focus of this film. With Alice Bag Band, Black Flag, Catholic Discipline, Circle Jerks, Fear, Germs, and X.
8.0NOFX brought the curtain down on four decades of punk mayhem this weekend, as they played their final shows at Berth 46 in Los Angeles. Changing setlist for each gig, California's pharaohs of punk took a varied, often fast and usually silly journey through their massive catalogue, accompanied by a crew of mates including Rancid's Tim Armstrong, Bad Religion's Brett Gurewitz and Foo Fighters' Chris Shiflett. As they finished up on Sunday night (October 6), it ended in typically chaotic fashion, doing The Decline with a host of guests, with Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge smashing the band's instruments. Frontman Fat Mike recently insisted that this would be it for NOFX, with no future reunions ever to happen. A promise such behaviour will help to keep... Before that smashey ending, they turned up to suck live one final time...
9.0NOFX brought the curtain down on four decades of punk mayhem this weekend, as they played their final shows at Berth 46 in Los Angeles. Changing setlist for each gig, California's pharaohs of punk took a varied, often fast and usually silly journey through their massive catalogue, accompanied by a crew of mates including Rancid's Tim Armstrong, Bad Religion's Brett Gurewitz and Foo Fighters' Chris Shiflett. As they finished up on Sunday night (October 6), it ended in typically chaotic fashion, doing The Decline with a host of guests, with Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge smashing the band's instruments. Frontman Fat Mike recently insisted that this would be it for NOFX, with no future reunions ever to happen. A promise such behaviour will help to keep... Before that smashey ending, they turned up to suck live one final time...
7.0In the early 1970s, rubber was still king in Akron, Ohio. But just a few short years later, Akron's most important product was, ever so briefly, music. In the mid-1970s, a group of local bands took over an old rubber workers' hang-out in downtown Akron called The Crypt and created a mix of punk and art rock that came to be known as "the Akron Sound." And for a while, it was almost "the next big thing." Almost. It's Everything, and Then It's Gone, a Western Reserve PBS production written and directed by Phil Hoffman., takes viewers back to a time when the music really did mean everything. And for the men and women in these local bands, it was a way out of the factory.
7.5Concert footage of The White Stripes recorded in January of 2004, featuring tracks from the band's four studio albums as well as live favorites like the Dolly Parton cover "Jolene"
0.01982 found Mink DeVille in the middle of the transition from their CBGB's New York punk origins to a more subtle, rootsier sound blending soul, R & B, Cajun and other influences. Led by Willy DeVille, whose unique style and inimitable gravelly voice always made them stand out from the crowd, Mink DeVille released their first album in 1977 and immediately had a huge hit with the track Spanish Stroll. By the time of this appearance at Montreux in 1982 they were touring in support of the fourth album Coup De Grace and the show features tracks from across their career to that point as well as a couple of unreleased gems including their cover of the Ben E. King classic Stand By Me.
7.1Two former geeks become 1980s punks, then party and go to concerts while deciding what to do with their lives.
8.0Henry Rollins narrates Lilly Scourtis Ayers' no-holds-barred profile of volatile Bay Area punk legend Marian Anderson, whose hypnotic beauty, devil-may-care rebellion and shocking sexual exploits onstage launched her to infamy before tragically dying of a heroin overdose at the tender age of 33.
10.0A complete historical documentation of one of the world's most unique bands, Tally Hall, & its members
10.0The career-spanning anthology features more than 35 videos, tracing Jett's record-breaking career as the front woman of the Blackhearts. Both concert footage and classic videos are presented in chronological order on REAL WILD CHILD, with no-holds-barred commentary from Jett and longtime manager/partner Kenny Laguna, as well as rare and previously unreleased bonus material.
5.2The true-life story of Darby Crash, who became an L.A. punk icon with his band The Germs. Along with Lorna Doom, Pat Smear, and Don Bolles, Darby Crash completely transformed the L.A. punk scene, while sacrificing everyone he loved, his career, and ultimately his life.
Short documentary about the beginnings of punk in Great Britain. Don Letts, Caroline Coon, Jon Savage and Viv Albertine - all themselves connected to this scene - recount their experiences and memories from that time. In addition, original recordings and short concert excerpts document the feeling, fashion and circumstances of the youth of the time.
0.0A decade after punk band Crust split, the band members lives have fallen apart. Drummer Bonehead has just been released from prison and sets about reforming the band for one last show.
5.2Fresh Fruit for Rotting Eyeballs features a brief history of the Dead Kennedys' early years up to their first UK tour, never before seen live performances, interviews with Klaus Fluoride and East Bay Ray, comments by music journalists, and insights from the key people involved with the recording of the DK's first album. Jello Biafra's 1979 run for mayor is also highlighted.
7.4An in-depth exploration of a seminal moment in DC music history (circa 1976 to 1984) and the rise of harDCore. The film is made up of a mix of rare archive material, conversational interviews, and a collage editing style. Features early DC punk and hardcore bands like Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Slickee Boys, The Faith and more.