Ear on TV: Week of 07.12.10: M.I.A.

The Sri Lankan born, London-raised artist M.I.A. has been a lightning rod from the beginning of her career, so it should come as no surprise that her latest,
/\/\/\Y/\ (spelling out her name MAYA, out this week), has been talked about in controversial tones for months now.

From the shocking Ginger holocaust of a first video for "Born Free" to all the hullabaloo surrounding The New York Times Magazine piece from proverbial pot-stirrer Lynn Hirschberg, M.I.A. hasn't shied away from the target she's painted on herself. The proof is i in the pudding, though, and /\/\/\Y/\ is sure to generate even more discussion. Longtime producer and collaborator Diplo worked on just three tracks, and hasn't been shy about what he thinks of the rest of the album.

M.I.A. will be performing current single "XXXO" Tuesday on Letterman and then all bets are off for her Late Night with Jimmy Fallon performance on Wednesday, as The Roots are bound to lend a hand to whatever she chooses to do.

Elsewhere this week, Letterman managed to score couple of rare televised appearances from two legendary artists. First comes Wednesday in the form of the mulitmedia artist Laurie Anderson, who's first studio release in 10 years (Homeland) finds her fired up about our countries handling of war overseas. Then, on Thursday it's 62-year old reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, who recently played to raving reviews at the 2010 Bonaroo Music Festival.

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, July 12
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Sublime with Rome (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit:
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Tracy Bonham
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Big Boi
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Angels & Airwaves (REPEAT)
Tuesday, July 13
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: M.I.A.
IFC: Dinner With the Band: Light Speed Champion
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Kelis
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Morning Benders (REPEAT)
Wednesday, July 14
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Laurie Anderson
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: M.I.A.
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: OK Go (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Weezer (REPEAT)
TBS: Lopez Tonight: Big Boi
Thursday, July 15
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Jimmy Cliff
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Marina & the Diamonds
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: City and Colour (REPEAT)
Friday, July 16
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: The Swell Season
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Nas & Damian Marley (REPEAT)
SUNDANCE: Live From Abbey Road: Antony & the Johnstons, Paloma Faith, The Enemy (REPEAT)
VH1: Behind the Music: 50 Cent (REPEAT)
Saturday, July 17
BBCAMERICA: The Graham Norton Show: Janet Jackson
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Dave Matthews Band (REPEAT)
VH1: The Temptations: The Temptations

Ear on TV: Week of 07.05.10: Big Boi

It's vacation time for most this week, which means acres of repeats on the calendar. Thankfully, Outkast veteran Big Boi isn't letting anything get in the way of promoting his long awaited solo release out this week, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty.

Long thought to be an Outkast reunion of sorts, Sir Lucious ran into all kinds of problems with Big Boi's record label Jive. First the label was resistant to releasing it, finding it too unconventional and requesting that he record something more like Lil' Wayne's "Lollipop.." Then, after finally allowing Big Boi take it to another label (Def Jam), Jive decided to file an injunction against the album's release, requiring it be scrubbed of all the tracks featuring Outkast parther Andre 3000. So Sir Lucious is Andre 3000-free (aside from one production credit), but don't think for a second that you can't hear the songs as Big Boi is very familiar with the internet. And, according to both parties, we can expect some sort of Outkast reunion in the near future, regardless of Jive intervention.

Elsewhere, Brooklyn trio Au Revoir Simone is the latest indie band to sing for their supper on IFC's intriguing cooking show Dinner With the Band, and legendary popsters Squeeze reunite to perform on Live With Regis and Kelly on Thursday.

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, July 5
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Galactic (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The National (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Alanis Morissette (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Phish (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Surfer Blood (REPEAT)
Tuesday, July 6
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Specials (REPEAT)
IFC: Dinner With the Band: Au Revoir Simone
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Kate Nash (REPEAT)
VH1: Drake: Better Than Good Enough: Drake
Wednesday, July 7
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Broken Bells (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Black Keys (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: The Hold Steady (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Big Boi
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Stars (REPEAT)
Thursday, July 8
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Minus the Bear (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Willie Nelson (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Blitzen Trapper (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Never Shout Never (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: Live With Regis and Kelly: Squeeze
Friday, July 9
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Drake (REPEAT)
NBC: The Today Show: Lady Gaga
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Chris Isaak
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Eminem (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: She & Him (REPEAT)
SUNDANCE: Live From Abbey Road: Gossip, The Mars Volta, Friendly Fires (REPEAT)
Saturday, July 10
BBCAMERICA: The Graham Norton Show: Katy Perry
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Pearl Jam (REPEAT)