This is the no holds-barred rock-umentary about the Greatest Band you've never heard of. http://www.assplosiontheband.blogspot.com Starring: Adam Conger, Yancey Dunham, Heather Keller, Jon Lafferty, Mike Onofri, Jay Skowronek
Added
Know someone who'd love this clip?
Share it with friends and fellow fans.
The grainy, lo-fi footage on display here is a 2007 rock-umentary about Assplosion, a band that defied the conventions of their time. At the height of the mid-aughts indie explosion, bands like Arcade Fire and The Strokes were dominating the airwaves with their polished soundscapes and calculated image. But Assplosion was different – they were a ragtag collective from nowhere, USA, with no industry connections and no discernible talent.
The footage is notable for its unvarnished portrayal of the band's inner workings. We see Adam Conger, Yancey Dunham, Heather Keller, Jon Lafferty, Mike Onofri, and Jay Skowronek bickering over songwriting credits, arguing with their manager, and generally making a mess of things. It's a far cry from the carefully constructed narratives of most rock documentaries, where the emphasis is on heroism, struggle, and triumph.
At the time this footage was filmed, Assplosion was a band on the cusp of something – or so they thought. They had just released their debut album to lukewarm reviews and were struggling to make ends meet. But despite their lack of commercial success, they remained committed to their art, even if that meant sacrificing everything else in the process.
What makes this footage rare is its unflinching honesty. Unlike most rock documentaries, which are carefully scripted and rehearsed, "Behind the Fake Music" is a raw, unedited look at a band on the verge of collapse. We see the band's creative differences, their personal demons, and their desperate attempts to cling to relevance in an industry that seemed determined to crush them.
Watching this footage, it's impossible not to feel a twinge of sadness for Assplosion. They were a band that refused to compromise, even when it was clear that no one else would ever listen. Their music was a jarring mix of punk energy and prog pretension, and their live shows were notorious for their chaos and unpredictability.
But despite the band's commercial failure, "Behind the Fake Music" remains an important document of the indie rock scene in 2007. It's a time capsule that captures the spirit of a generation – or at least, a small segment of it. And even though Assplosion themselves are now all but forgotten, their music and legacy continue to inspire a new wave of DIY artists who refuse to be bound by the conventions of the mainstream.
The footage is also notable for its lo-fi aesthetic, which adds to the sense of urgency and desperation that pervades every frame. The camerawork is shaky and handheld, capturing the band's raw energy and emotion in a way that feels both intimate and voyeuristic. It's a style that would later influence the work of filmmakers like Harmony Korine and Terrence Malick, but at the time it was seen as rough-around-the-edges and amateurish.
As we watch Assplosion stumble from one disaster to the next, it's hard not to feel a sense of admiration for their refusal to give up. They were a band that embodied the spirit of punk rock – anti-establishment, anti-authoritarian, and above all else, anti-comformist. And even though they may never have achieved mainstream success, their music and legacy continue to inspire a new generation of artists who refuse to be bound by the conventions of the industry.
The final shot of the footage is perhaps the most telling – a grainy, out-of-focus image of the band's logo scrawled on a dirty whiteboard. It's a symbol of their DIY ethos, and a reminder that even in failure, there can be beauty and significance.
Curated from public records and music databases.