Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone

High-profile fan Laurence Fishburne serves as narrator for this revealing profile of L.A. ska-punk band Fishbone from filmmakers Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler, who try to figure out why the sextet—even though they recorded for a major label and played worldwide—never found mainstream success. Founding members Norwood Fisher (bass) and Angelo Moore (vocals) point to the group's hyper-democratic nature as the reason behind both its difficulties and its unique sound (interviewee Gwen Stefani notes, “It wasn't black, it wasn't white,” and Ice-T adds, “It wasn't rock, it wasn't metal, it wasn't hip-hop, it wasn't funk”). A variety of animation styles depict the members' background, beginning when the black South Central high school students were bused to San Fernando Valley (except for Moore, who grew up in suburbia). Contemporary and archival footage, concert clips, and commentary from assorted figures from the music realm round out the account of Fishbone's emergence on the 1980s punk scene, which led to a contract with Columbia Records. But minor hits never became major, and then guitarist Kendall Jones developed extreme religious views and turned against his friends. By the 1990s, the two mainstays had lost their deal and their band, and while they eventually found new players, today the duo live—in the words of Fisher—“a hand-to-mouth existence.” Everyday Sunshine serves up a fascinating look at creative and uncompromising individuals who, for various reasons, never quite lived up to their promise. DVD extras include audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and more. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)