Sunday, November 11, 2007

Video of the Week - Radiohead: "The Headmaster Ritual" (Smiths Cover)

I don't think there is a band on the planet on a bigger roll right now than Radiohead. First they ditched the major record label apparatus and released their eagerly anticipated seventh album via their website under a pay-whatever-you-want price point. Then they sign a cushy record contract with a completely independent label. And now they have kept the viral marketing buzz alive by treating their fans to a live webcast on the new Radiohead.tv site.

If you have the chance to check it out, I strongly recommend that you do. There's a nice little mix of nonsensical messages and video clips, along with footage of Thom Yorke DJ'ing the likes of M.I.A. and !!!, a short video for "15 Step" and some live studio performances. Among the live studio gems was a cover of one of my favorite Smiths songs, "The Headmaster Ritual." Thom does a nice job of channeling his inner Morrissey without copying him outright. In fact, if I didn't know this was a Smiths song I would have no problem believing that Thom wrote it himself.

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