If you ever loved a band that wasn't on the radio and felt connected in a way you can't describe watch this movie. The movie just captivates so much you don't see or understand and used a band that seriously should have been bigger than most of what you listen to.

While Bleeding Audio deserves all of the accolades for technical excellence the underlying message of the effect of how digital downloading has impacted bands and their ability to thrive is palpable. Hopefully this film will land a distribution deal and be made public. I look forward to more work directed by Chelsea Christer!

How do I not know about The Matches? Their sound is right up my alley. The minute I heard their songs in the introduction, I was hooked. Shawn, Justin, Matt, and Jon have distinct personalities and styles, and together they are unbelievable. This is the most badass entrepreneurial band I've ever heard of. The things they did to become known were geniuses. This was pounding the pavement in its truest form. Members Justin and Shawn made all the band's art. Their parents worked the door, security, snack bar while they slowly wracked up fans.

Huge names in the industry like Mark Hoppus of Blink-182, Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman, Tom Higgenson of Plain White T's (just to mention a few) all wonder why the hell these guys aren't one of the biggest bands in the world. Their consensus is they had everything they needed to be massive; catchy songs, genuine talent, an ambition that blew people away. Why aren't they household names?! Bleeding Audio breaks down the music industry. Literally explaining where the money goes and why. I think we all sort of understood this concept when Taylor Swift took Spotify to task over streaming but I don't think I ever thought about what happens to get to the album itself. The money comes from publishing. The Matches didn't necessarily go searching for a label. Once they were popular the labels came to them. Epitaph was their dream. They got it. Warped Tour was next. Meeting other bands who became their fans opened even more doors. These guys were loved. Their creativity surpasses anything I've ever seen from a single band. Then... Napster happened. Music was about to change forever.

After their third album, they were burnt out. The band played one final beautifully, raucous show. 2 years later, they find out that their overbearing manager Miles didn't register their songs, with the exception of 4. The amount of money they lost because of this was ultimately the reason they broke up. It was a brutal blow. In 2014 the guys meet up for pancakes. This leads to a show that sells out in 2 minutes. Then another. Then another. The Matches were inexplicably back for what would become a sold-out world tour.

The doc has an unreal amount of footage, art, interviews, it's pretty magical. If you've never heard of The Matches, there's no way you'll walk away from Bleeding Audio without needing to go find their music. Thank you to director Chelsea Christer for introducing me to my newest musical obsession.