Ear on TV: Week of October 27 - Late Night Punk

Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson got his start in the entertainment business as a punk rock drummer in the Glasgow, Scotland band called The Bastards from Hell (later renamed the less punk sounding Dreamboys). So if there's one host who could lineup rock legends for a Punk Rock Week theme, it would have to be Ferguson.

First on the docket, playing Tuesday night, is the Los Angeles punk legends X, who have been garnering rave reviews on their current 13X31 tour (31st anniversary,) featuring the original lineup of John Doe, Exene Cervenka, Billy Zoom, and D.J. Bonebrake.

The next night sees the New York Dolls, on tour in support of their recent release Live At the Filmore East, their first release since the death of Arthur "Killer" Kane in 2005. The Dolls, whose original members are down to just front man David Johansen and guitarist Sylvain Sylvain, are still soldiering on, already together longer in this rebirth than they were originally, before Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan left the group back in 1975.

Finally, appearing both Thursday and Friday nights, it's The Damned. While not as well known in the states, the band was the first UK punk band to release a single ("New Rose"), an album (Damned Damned Damned), and to tour the United States. While their sound has changed a lot, playing more to the strength of singer Dave Vainian's crooning style, they are still true to the punk aesthetic. They release a new album, So, Who's Paranoid?, this week digitally (in stores in December).

It's remarkable to see these bands still as vibrant as ever thirty years after they began, especially considering that punk wasn't really a genre you'd associate with longevity. Craig Ferguson recognized that pretty early on, and moved on, but thankfully for Late Late Show fans, he's still a punk at heart.

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, October 27
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Annuals
Tuesday, October 28
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: X
NBC: The Today Show: Pink
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Cold War Kids
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: The Black Crowes
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Knux
Wednesday, October 29
ABC: Good Morning America: k.d. lang
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Whigs
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Ryan Adams
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: The New York Dolls
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: The Kooks
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Last Shadow Puppets
Thursday, October 30
ABC: Good Morning America: John Mellencamp
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: T.I.
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: The Damned
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Apocalyptica
OVATION: Live From the Artist's Den: The Swell Season (Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova) (REPEAT)
SUNDANCE: Live From Abbey Road: Elbow, MGMT, Alanis Morissette (REPEAT)
Friday, October 31
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: The Damned
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Death Cab For Cutie
Saturday, November 1
BBCAMERICA: The Graham Norton Show: Anastacia
PBS: Austin City Limits: My Morning Jacket