Tonight is Monk Time - "Monks: The Transatlantic Feed Back" premieres on Sundance

If you're like me, your heads still bobbing (& throbbing) from the exquisite reissue that LITA did for The Monks' classic Black Monk Time. The music is great, but it's the historical context of LITA's liner notes that gives the experience that extra kick. Tonight on Sundance, you can add to that visceral thrill with the critically acclaimed German-made documentary Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback, as this week's Friday night RockDoc.

The documentary tells the story of the former GI's who formed their band in Germany, singing songs about war and peace to a proto-punk sound. The film catches up with them nearly 40 years later, punctuated by the band reforming and finally getting a chance to play in their native USA. I've yet to see it, but here's a trusted quote:

It takes more than just documenting a great band to make a great movie: the band has to be unique in spirit and story and fit into a larger picture of the rock canon, and the filmmakers have to find the cinematic language to bring that essence to the screen. Never have these rarities all come together more beautifully than in MONKS: THE TRANSATLANTIC FEEDBACK.

(Directors) Dietmar Post and Lucía Palacios have given us a brilliant journey with the most extraordinary rock band to ever cut vinyl!
-Allison Anders, Filmmaker, Los Angeles

And here's the US trailer for the film:


Previously: Now Downloading - New Releases 04.13.09 (Black Monk Time featured)