Unlikely Town Rocks Its Way to Indie Credibility

Posted on Jun 25th 2009 5:30PM by Scott Tomford
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It may come as a bit of a surprise but Little Rock, Arkansas has a legitimately cool music scene. It's filled with punk bands, DIY venues, and a real sense of community that rivals cities like Memphis and Dallas. "You're the smallest thing around, so you've got to kind of stick your chest out and be proud of what you have," says Little Rocker Graham Cobb, "and we have an unbelievable music scene."

When the scene first started in the late '80s, the Little Rockers had to improvise in order to meet their own definition of punk music and fashion. Without the aid of the Internet, punk fans relied mainly on magazines, including a local rag called Barking at Life by future Upright Citizens Brigade member Matt Besser. Slowly, punk scenes across the country started to take notice, especially when local favorite Trusty became the first out-of-town act signed to legendary D.C. punk label Dischord Records.

Now, veteran Little Rock native Richard Matson is showing some hometown pride with his compelling documentary 'Towncraft.' Through interviews with scenesters and bands, he traces the evolution of Little Rock's scene over the last two decades. "It's sink or swim -- you either go nuts, or just get together with like-minded people and start making really amazing stuff that doesn't sound like anything else ... because you have no frame of reference," a local band member says. Watch the film free, courtesy of our friends at SnagFilms, below.