Nigel Godrich's From The Basement

I think that everyone is pretty let down whenever their favorite band performs live on the late night television circuit. The sound quality is always below par, the filming is nauseating, and an uncomfortable pit forms in your stomach as you watch the band over animate for the attention of a crowd consisting of uncaring middle-aged tourists who really just wanted to see the gap between Lettermen’s two front teeth. Obviously it leaves much to be desired.

Thank goodness Nigel Godrich (producer – Radiohead, Beck) has become fed up with the lack of integrity to these televised performances and has created his own online series called From The Basement. There is no host and no studio audience, which allows for the artist and their performance to take center stage. The first episode, filmed at Maida Vale studios in London by acclaimed director Sophie Muller and live sound by Nigel Godrich, portrays Thom Yorke solo behind the piano, the White Stripes in their live glory, and an improvised collaboration between Four Tet's Kieran Hebden and genius drummer Steve Reid. What has been captured is an unparalleled intimate portrait of some of our favorite performances.

You can purchase these performances for repeated viewings at iTunes and in WMV here. Here is Thom Yorke performing “Videotape” live From The Basement.

[mp3] Thom Yorke – Videotape (Acoustic)
BONUS [mp3] Thom Yorke - Jetstream
BONUS [mp3] Thom Yorke - The Clock (Acoustic)