Ear on TV: The Week of May 12

The Welsh soul singer Duffy, the latest in the wave of UK retro chic, is all over the tube this week, as her debut album, Rockferry, hits the shelves stateside on Tuesday. Already a chart topper in the UK, Duffy's tv blitz starts with appearances today on Regis, tonight on Conan, tomorrow on FUSE's The Sauce, followed by a break until she hits Ellen on Friday. Her single "Mercy" is already all over the radio, making her likely to be the biggest Welsh female star since Bonnie Tyler ("Total Eclipse of the Heart").

With the recent success Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, The Pipettes, Estelle and now Duffy, female UK retro chic is now a full-fledged phenomenon. While Winehouse is bound to be brought up in comparisons, the image of Duffy that's being put forward is quite a contrast, painting her as a soft-spoken, humble artist, in awe of her influences and craft. Dusty Springfield is perhaps a more attractive comparison -- that is until I remember that Dusty also famously had her own substance abuse problems.

Meanwhile, Death Cab For Cutie are back, releasing their sixth album Narrow Stairs this week. The album is a darker and crunchier version of the band that Seth Cohen used to pimp weekly, and, as if to announce growth as a band, DCFC chose to release an 8-minute long song as their first single ("I Will Possess Your Heart"). Since there's typically a 3-minute max rule with network talk shows, I expect to hear DCFC instead play the very catchy "No Sunlight" when they appear tomorrow night on Letterman.

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, May 12
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: N.E.R.D.
FUSE: The Sauce: Death Cab For Cutie
Tuesday, May 13
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Death Cab For Cutie
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Jaymay
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Does It Offend You, Yeah?
FUSE: The Sauce: Akon
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Switchfoot
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Duffy
SYNDICATION: Live With Regis and Kelly: Duffy
Wednesday, May 14
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Joe Jackson
FUSE: The Sauce: Duffy, Lupe Fiasco
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Kate Nash
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: The Black Keys
PBS: Tavis Smiley: Carly Simon
Thursday, May 15
ABC: The View: Robyn
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Against Me!
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Dwight Yoakam
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: MGMT
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
OVATION: Live From the Artist's Den: Aimee Mann
SUNDANCE: Live From Abbey Road: The Feeling, Gnarls Barkley, The Killers (REPEAT - New season starts June 21)
Friday, May 16
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Kate Nash
NBC: The Today Show: New Kids on the Block
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Kathleen Edwards
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Everest
RAVEHD: Later with Jools Holland: Morrissey, British Sea Power, Nate James, Ida Maria, Joe Brown, Mayra Andrade
SYNDICATION: The Ellen Degeneres Show: Duffy