Sound City

Sound City (2013) is a music documentary you can watch online on iFILM, directed by Dave Grohl — Nirvana's drummer turned Foo Fighters frontman. Grohl traces the history of a recording studio in Van Nuys, California that managed to outlast its era: Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, and Nirvana all passed through, with Nevermind tracked there on a Neve 8028 analog console that became the building's beating heart.

When Sound City shut down in 2011, Grohl bought the board at auction and built the film around the question it raised — what does analog recording catch that software doesn't? Stevie Nicks, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Lars Ulrich, Mick Fleetwood, and John Fogerty sit down and give actual answers, not talking-head platitudes. The result is less a eulogy for a room than a genuine argument about how records are made and what gets lost when the process goes fully digital.

A sharp, knowledgeable watch for anyone who grew up on rock recordings and has wondered why the old ones sound different. Stream Sound City (2013) online on iFILM.