Music on TV - Week of 03.21.11: The Strokes

The Strokes return from a near five-year hiatus as a slightly different beast. Singer Julian Casablancas has relinquished some control of the band, allowing all the members of the band to contribute, which sounds to these ears more like the frontman's concessions to keep the band together than a conscious choice to push the band forward.

Angles is an improvement on the head scratcher that was 2006's First Impressions of Earth, but one can't help but wish for the iron-fisted controlling sound of their first two releases, Is This It? (2001) and Room on Fire (2003). The Strokes storm Ed Sullivan theater for a performance on Letterman, Wednesday.

Speaking of returns, those new wave giants Duran Duran are back to being relevant again with their new Mark Ronson-produced (and 14th) release All You Need is Now. Oddly enough, it's also the first release from the D-Squared that's not on a major label. By going small, Simon LeBon & co. have mostly returned to their roots, even copping a Niles Rodgers-like groove at times. The album has been digitally available since December, but now the physical copy is getting the expanded treatment, with six more tracks and a bonus DVD (digital releases will also have all 15 tracks as well). Duran Duran make two appearances this week, performing on Leno Tuesday night, and making Ellen dance on Friday.

Elsewhere, there's lots of ear candy on this post's undercard, including British Sea Power (Monday) and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (Tuesday) on Letterman, Peter Bjorn & John on Leno Thursday and Cut Copy on Fallon Friday night.

Picks for the week
Monday, March 21
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Brett Dennen
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: British Sea Power
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: Steve Martin
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Raphael Saadiq
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Little Dragon
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (REPEAT)
Tuesday, March 22
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Gaslight Anthem
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Duran Duran
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Richard Ashcroft
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Morning Benders
TBS: Conan: Teddy Thompson
Wednesday, March 23
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Strokes
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Bootsy Collins, Friendly Fires
TBS: Conan: Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
Thursday, March 24
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Oh Land
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Mountain Goats (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Peter Bjorn & John
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Tres Mts
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Ra Ra Riot
TBS: Conan: Wanda Jackson (REPEAT)
Friday, March 25
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Oh Land (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Cut Copy
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Duran Duran
Saturday, March 26
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Chris Brown
PBS: Austin City Limits: Foo Fighters (REPEAT)