Ear on TV: Week of 11.01.10: Elvis Costello

In this day and age where concept known as "the album" is on a slow death march, an old pro like Elvis Costello knows you got to put your face in front of the people to sell your product. To that end, Costello has planned television appearances every day this week. He's going to be on Letterman (Monday), PBS' The Artists Den (Tuesday), MSNBC's Morning Joe (Wednesday), The Colbert Report (Thursday) and Fallon (Friday).

The album he's so *tirelessly hawking this week is National Ransom, his 33rd such release. Out this Tuesday, the album takes a bit of the bluegrass Costello tried out on 2009's Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, expanding it into much noisier territory. T-Bone Burnett (producer) and the Nashville superstars he collected as the Sugarcanes are on board again, but so are Imposters bandmates Steve Nieve and Pete Thomas, plus big name guest turns from Vince Gill, Buddy Miller, Leon Russell and longtime collaborator Marc Ribot.

*Costello is so hands on with this album promotion that he even interviewed himself for a series of posts leading up to the album. With no Mary-Louise Parker this time to fawn over him, he relies on himself for, um, self-gratification.

Elsewhere, it will be interesting to see the child-like wonder of singer Jonathan Richman paired up with the similar child-like wonder of talk show host Jimmy Fallon on Monday night. Unlike most popular man-child personalities out there today (see Jackass) both Richman and Fallon share a level of sincerity that makes their boyish enthusiasm hard to resist. Richman's been at it now for 40 years, having started the legendary Modern Lovers back in 1970, and throughout his solo career, he's never lost the spontaneity that he started with. There's a better than good chance that Fallon can talk Richman into performing an old Modern Lovers classic, if only as a web-only exclusive. We all want "Pablo Picasso," but will happily settle for the more likely "Road Runner".

Finally, Yo Gabba Gabba, the brightly colored television show that attracts stoners as well as children, has a new episode on Friday featuring a guest appearance from The Flaming Lips (the brightly colored band that attracts kids as well as stoners).

Picks for the week
Monday, November 1
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Good Charlotte
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Elvis Costello
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Donavon Frankenreiter
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Duffy
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Jonathan Richman
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: School of Seven Bells
TBS: Lopez Tonight: One Republic
Tuesday, November 2
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Bettye LaVette
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Murderdolls
IFC: 360 Sessions: Corinne Bailey Rae
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Alberta Cros (REPEAT)
Wednesday, November 3
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Huey Lewis
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Dr. Dog
CURRENT: Kurt & Courtney: Nirvana, Hole
FUEL: The Daily Habit: As I Lay Dying
MSNBC: Morning Joe: Elvis Costello
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: FaR*eAst Movement
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Kid Cudi with St. Vincent
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Built to Spill
TBS: Lopez Tonight: Soulja Boy
Thursday, November 4
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Paul Weller
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Andrew W.K.
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Aaron Neville
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Duffy

NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Fanfarlo, Mark Ronson
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: Elvis Costello
TBS: Lopez Tonight: Good Charlotte
Friday, November 5
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Secret Sisters
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Elvis Costello
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Two Door Cinema Club
NICKELODEON: Yo Gabba Gabba: The Flaming Lips
PBS: Tavis Smiley: Huey Lewis
Saturday, November 6
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Bruno Mars (REPEAT)
PBS: Austin City Limits: Steve Martin, Sarah Jarosz