Library Journal
Reviewed by John Skrtic
November 15, 2003
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19702248_ITM

This film [The Rise and Fall of Black Velvet Flag ] charts the less-than-dizzying highs and moderate lows of Black Velvet Flag, a band that made a brief career of covering hard-core punk classics. The three young men in question add their own twist to their source material--reimagining punk as lounge music, complete with slow time signatures and crooning. At a glance, the film seems to be setting its subject up as a one-note joke, a kind of real-life Spinal Tap. This impression is dispelled, however, by interviews with band members that managed to convince this reviewer that they were serious, even passionate, about their music. The typical "Behind the Music" trajectory is trotted out in miniature--from limited national exposure to sudden breakup. At this point, Black Velvet Flag seems destined to become at most a pop culture trivia question. But the Rise and Fall has much to say about the continuing appeal of punk music. This band is an example of a new generation of punk fans who have retooled the original DIY aesthetic of punk to their own purpose. Recommended for libraries with strong music collections.