Ear on TV: Week of 08.03.09: Arctic Monkeys

It was just a few years back that Sheffield's Arctic Monkeys were relentlessly hyped as "the next big thing," getting their faces on magazines and appearing on SNL. Here it is a couple albums later, and the band has since shaken that bit of hubris freeing them to the business of just making good albums.

When the foursome appears on Fallon Tuesday night, they'll be promoting their forthcoming third release, Humbug, which isn't due on shelves until August 25. They've grown their hair long and enlisted some help from Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, all translating into a much darker, heavier beast than the albums preceding it. Hopefully, the heaviness translates into a couple pre-show tweets from ?uestlove (@questlove).

Meanwhile, Interpol's Paul Banks has branched out on his own under the monikier Julian Plenti, releasing an album last week (Julian Plenti is... Skyscraper). While the album does nothing to distance Banks from the Ian Curtis/Joy Division comparisons, it does show there's more to him than just being the voice of Interpol. Julian Plenti appears on Fallon Thursday night.

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, August 3
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Chester French (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Levon Helm (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Gomez
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Brett Dennen (REPEAT)
Tuesday, August 4
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Kelly Clarkson (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Dinosaur Jr.
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Arctic Monkeys
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: White Lies (REPEAT)
Wednesday, August 5
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Lily Allen (REPEAT)
OVATION: Jimi Hendrix: American Landing: Jimi Hendrix
SUNDANCE: Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...: Elvis Costello, Rufus Wainwright (REPEAT)
Thursday, August 6
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: St. Vincent (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Glasvegas
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Saviours
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Ida Maria (REPEAT)
OVATION: Impact! Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit": Nirvana
Friday, August 7
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
NBC: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Flo Rida
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Julian Plenti
SUNDANCE: Monterey Pop: Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, The Who, Ravi Shankar, Simon & Garfunkel, The Jefferson Airplane, The Mamas & the Papas
Saturday, August 8
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Fleet Foxes (REPEAT)
PBS: Austin City Limits: Drive-By Truckers (REPEAT)