There's a long tradition in rock of bands taking to the streets and having the foresight to capture it on film or video: think the Beatles' rooftop concert in Let It Be, or U2 playing on the back of a flatbed truck driving around NYC to promote How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. More recently, thanks to YouTube and video-capable cell phones, we've been able to view dodgy footage of Arcade Fire busking New Order and Cure covers outside the Union Square subway station in Manhattan or the White Stripes playing Hotel Yorba on a Winnipeg city bus.

The live music video sites Take Away Shows and Black Cab Sessions combine the spirit of the spontaneous performances caught on YouTube with nonshaky, often auteurish camerawork and surprisingly clear audio.

Take Away Shows, a French site produced by La blogotheque, takes a far more creative approach, shooting bands performing as they walk down crowded sidewalks and into and out of abandoned buildings, crowded restaurants and what look like private homes, as well as riding in cars. Backseat jamming is the sole conceit of Black Cab Sessions, a British site produced by Just So Films and Hidden Fruit that has artists performing a single song while riding in the back of real London cabs. The space constraints of the concept proves to be a strength, though, as the ambient noise of the London traffic and passersby become vital components of each performance.

Viewing the dozens of performances of the indie-centric acts on these sites is a nice way to pass time while waiting for everyone to hit their deadlines, but these videos are also tailor-made for iPod's tiny screen. Take Away Shows allows users to download QuickTime or iPod-ready files of each video. Black Cab Sessions doesn't offer this, but if you're so inclined, you can visit their page on YouTube and convert the videos to iPod-friendly mp4s using browser plug-ins like Zamzar.

Here are just a few of my favorite performances:

Britt Daniel — "I Summon You"

New Pornographers — "All the Old Showstoppers"

Know of any other hidden treasure troves of live music video on the Web? Send 'em in.