Ear on TV: Week on 12.13.10: Joanna Newsom

Joanna Newsom on Letterman, Tuesday

Fresh off her recent triumphant performance at Carnegie Hall, indie rock harpist Joanna Newsom is back in the Big Apple for an appearance on Letterman. Besides her electric performances, Newsom's been in the news thanks to a living tribute album to her for charity called Versions of Joanna and featuring covers of her songs by Billy Bragg, M. Ward, Owen Pallett and more. Proceeds from sale of the album go to Oxfam America's Pakistan Floods Relief Fund.

Meanwhile, in a bid to take over the winter holiday entirely, Mariah Carey appears in two more Christmas specials this week, entertaining the Obamas with Christmas in Washington (airing on Friday) and her own holiday special, Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas To You, tonight on ABC. All this after having already performed at the annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center.

Perhaps it's the nesting instinct is kicking in, as Carey's pregnancy at these performances has started to become the bigger take away than her vocal chords. At the Christmas in Washington special, filmed yesterday, Carey hardly moved and seemed winded after singing "One Child," from her Merry Christmas II You album. Considering baby daddy Nick Cannon's genes are involved, the kid probably wasn't sitting still for the performance.

Picks for the week
Monday, December 13
ABC: Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to You: Mariah Carey
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Darker My Love
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Diddy-Dirty Money
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: Patti Smith
FUEL: The Daily Habit: The Greenhornes
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Good Charlotte
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Stephen Bishop
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Two Door Cinema Club (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Jimmy Eat World
Tuesday, December 14
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Goo Goo Dolls
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Joanna Newsom
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: Stephen Sondheim
FUEL: The Daily Habit: The Greenhornes
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Stephen Bishop
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: A Perfect Circle
PBS: Tavis Smiley: Trent Reznor
TBS: Conan: Broken Bells
Wednesday, December 15
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Temper Trap
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Ronnie Spector
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Annie Lennox
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Interpol
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Ciara
TBS: Conan: Edward Sharpe & the Magentic Zeros
Thursday, December 16
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Diddy
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Florence and the Machine
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: Paul Simon
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Brad
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: School of Bells
PBS: Tavis Smiley: Stevie Wonder
TBS: Lopez Tonight: Ciara, Justin Timberlake
TBS: Conan: Jenny and Johnny
Friday, December 17
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Brad (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Lyle Lovett with Kat Edonson
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Fitz & the Tantrums
PBS: Tavis Smiley: Stevie Wonder
TNT: Christmas in Washington: Maxwell, Andrea Bocelli, Mariah Carey, Annie Lennox, Matthew Morrison, Miranda Gosgrove
Saturday, December 18
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Eminem
PBS: Austin City Limits: Andrew Bird, St. Vincent (REPEAT)