Ear on TV: The week of January 21

Ringo Starr must be sweet on CBS. You may remember he played every day on The Early Show a couple weeks past. Well, now, this week he's moving to CBS' late night schedule, with appearances on both Letterman and Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson. His latest album Liverpool 8 was released last week, and partners him up with former Eurythmic Dave Stewart for a completely charming record that cozies up to you like an old sweater you forgot about in the dead of winter. Forget that the sweater's frayed and coming apart in slightly embarrassing ways, it still feels good to wear again.

Meanwhile, thanks to the popularity of the film Juno, The Moldy Peaches are reuniting for their network television debut in the unlikely setting of The View. It's been a while since Adam Green and Kimya Dawson played their anti-folk together on stage, and it seems like such a surreal place for it to happen. Dawson, for her part, is excited to get to meet one of her heroes in Whoopi Goldberg, as she gushes on her live journal:

I am going to meet Whoopi Goldberg. That's like owning 20 Danny Devitos. And you know how much I love Danny. It's pants poopin time.

Kimya does manage to get a hug in with Whoopi:

Finally, for those of you who have all the fancy channels on your television, Ovation has started broadcasting a new (old) concert series called Live From the Artist's Den (tip to Bumpershine) and the performance this week by country great Patty Griffin, was recently released on DVD to rave reviews. In relation to today's national holiday, Griffin sings the great "Up To The Mountain" which she wrote referencing Dr. Martin Luther King's famous speech given the day before his assassination. Kelly Clarkson recently gave the song a lot more exposure, singing it -- backed by guitarist Jeff Beck -- for last seasons' Idol Gives Back special. The performance made the rest of the special seem more trivial than it already was.

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, January 21
ABC: The View: The Moldy Peaches
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Raheem Devaughn
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Ringo Starr
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Ayo
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: The Subways (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: Live With Regis and Kelly: Natasha Bedingfield
Tuesday, January 22
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Josh Ritter
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Cheap Trick (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: Live With Regis and Kelly: Ringo Starr
Wednesday, January 23
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Redwalls
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: The Subways (REPEAT)
Thursday, January 24
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Ringo Starr
OVATION: Live From the Artist's Den: Patty Griffin
SYNDICATION: The Ellen Degeneres Show: Natasha Bedingfield
Friday, January 25
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Wilco (REPEAT)
RAVEHD: Later with Jools Holland: Bloc Party, Wilco, LCD Soundsystem, Joan Armatrading
Sunday, January 27
CARTOON: Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Neko Case, Kelly Hogan

Ear on TV: Week of May 7

Canada's Leslie Feist is poised to breakthrough in the US on the strength of her latest album, The Reminder, released this past week. When she performs "1234" on Leno Tuesday night, her effortless artistry may only initially be noticed by her ardent followers, but her voice should appeal to a wider base of fans like that of platinum-selling artists like Norah Jones and Corinne Bailey Rae. The album was on repeat at the local Barnes & Noble yesterday, as I watched my son playing with trains, which took me by surprise a little. Not that The Reminder sounded out of place, just that Feist cut her teeth playing with acts like Peaches and Broken Social Scene, who are pretty far away from the radio (and bookstore) play that this album will be getting.

Meanwhile, Kelly Clarkson's already had her breakthrough, but she worked it in reverse of Feist's trajectory. Starting as an American Idol winner, she had a built-in fanbase of pop music buyers, but she craved some more 'cred' and garnered it with the song "Since U Been Gone," appealing to indie rockers and Idol fans alike. But she still knows to stick with the fella that brought her to the dance, so while next album, My December, doesn't come out until July 24, Clarkson is making several appearances this week to coincide with Idol's May sweeps run to the finish. She'll be performing her single "Never Again" on Letterman (Tuesday,) Regis (Wednesday,) and Jimmy Kimmel (Friday.) We can assume there will be more in the coming weeks.

Finally, promising 23-year old Patrick Wolf makes his network television debut (on Conan Wednesday,) this on the heels of his announcement that a concert coming up in November will be his last. He's clarified it as more of a hiatus, but it's still alarming given his quick rise thanks to his incredible release The Magic Position. It's Hunky Dory-meets-Odelay pop artistry is a bold revelation, and if Wolf leaves that as his final parting shot, it's quite a mark, to be sure.

Picks for the week
Monday, May 7
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Cat Empire
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Paul Wall (REPEAT)
Tuesday, May 8
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Kelly Clarkson
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Feist
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Bloc Party
Wednesday, May 9
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Kooks
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Dinosaur Jr.
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Aqualung
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Patrick Wolf
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Joseph Arthur
SYNDICATION: Live With Regis and Kelly: Kelly Clarkson
Thursday, May 10
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Nelly Furtado
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Stephen Marley
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Bird and the Bee
SYNDICATION: The Ellen Degeneres Show: Kanye West
Friday, May 11
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Kelly Clarkson
IFC: The Henry Rollins Show: Chris Cornell
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Ying Yang Twins
Saturday, May 12
PBS: Austin City Limits: Ray Davies (REPEAT)

tags: music, television, soundtrack, talk shows, feist, kelly clarkson, patrick wolf, indie rock, rhapsody