My point is: don’t repeat my mistakes and miss out, as Endless Calls For Fame is a crucial missing piece of the alternative rock history puzzle. After decades of being the commercial music capital of the planet, suddenly New York found itself in the ’90s being outdone by a slew of regional sensations from smaller cities.
Detroit was making a comeback, Seattle was suddenly the center of the universe, and New York found itself left in the dust by cities like Tempe. So while the decade burned away, many wondered what was going to come out of New York besides the “Super Bon-Bon” song.
That is why there is the constant refrain throughout the film of how the NY bands showed such promise. It was an entire 10 years of labels signing one band in the city after another, expecting any one of them to break through at any minute. None of them did.
“Serafini-Sauli’s genius here is how well she captures life inside this wave that never crested.”
Serafini-Sauli’s genius here is how well she captures life inside this wave that never crested. The anticipation and the excitement of the times is replicated for the audience, as it really does sound like a lot of fun. Playing full clubs, being wined and dined by A&R people, appearing in those old timey contraptions called magazines—it sounds like musician heaven, even if nobody technically “made it.”
The downfall of the industry is documented here as well, with lots of industry insider insight for the fallen empire of commercial music. The best news is the subjects are the nicest guys you could have hoped for. None of them is broken with bitterness, just a little bruised. Also, no one has a distastefully indulgent ego, so the audience gets a pretty clear view of what everyone went through.
Serafini-Sauli also wisely uses the band’s music sparingly, just giving us a little taste here and there. This way, there is never a chance to pass personal judgment on whether the tunes are your six-pack of tea. I never liked Oasis much, but I know that millions do. It wouldn’t be surprising that a few thousand of them may now really dig The New Rising Sons or any of the other New York bands that didn’t make it, like Into Another or Quicksand.
In the end, Endless Calls For Fame is a documentary about something that didn’t happen and what it was like while it wasn’t happening. In the movie, former girlfriend Ali Wall looks at the album cover and says, “That photo gives me so much feelings.” So will this highly surprising rock-doc.
"…a crucial missing piece of the alternative rock history puzzle."
