If the schedule below smells like déjà vu, it's because the talkies are on vacation this week and are giving us a full slate of reruns. At least there's another Saturday Night Live this week, which this year has usually meant a quality music choice, thanks to Hal Wilner, who hasn't been this adventurous since his days booking Night Music. After Phoenix's amazing performance the other night (three songs!) Wilner and SNL follow that this week with New York's own Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Compared to Phoenix, it's a slightly less daring choice, to be sure, but it continues the trend of great and gutzy musical guests chosen for the program (Fleet Foxes, TV on the Radio, Ray Lamontagne). YYY's latest, It's Blitz, saw it's release last week to rave reviews and finds the band incorporating some eighties dancefloor sounds into their punk attack. Singer Karen O's brash attitude should serve as the yang to the yin of this week's host Zac Efron.
Better beef up the borders - Canada is invading the US this week. Montreal indie rock ensemble Arcade Fire heads the attack with an appearance on Saturday Night Live. Their new album, Neon Bible won't hit the shelves yet for a couple weeks (March 7, 2007,) but is already creating serious buzz thanks to some choice leaked tracks and the fact that their amazing debut was on nearly every critic's list for album of the year for 2004. Their live show is a true spectacle of sound and vision, complete with improvised use of percussion on helmets, speakers and walls. It's not to be missed, and testament to that is both Davids Bowie and Byrne have joined them onstage, giddy with excitement.
Meanwhile, not content to own the market on hip indie rock, Canada also sends hip-hop/rapper k-os, who'll be bringing his Gnarls Barkley-like fusion of styles to Letterman on Tuesday night. His new album Atlantis: Hymns for Disco (on shelves Tuesday) is like a trojan horse, in that not only is k-os invading, but he's also sneaking some of Canada's finest indie rockers in with him as well. Sam Roberts and Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene) help out on the album, making it a true fusion of indie rock and hip-hop, Canada-style.
Although it seems like it's been out forever, Lily Allen's debut release, Alright, Still, hits shelves here in the US tomorrow, and as a result, her presence on 'the telly' here is growing every minute. A sure bet that the UK hitmaker is taking hold is the fact that she's the musical guest this week on Saturday Night Live, and one can only hope that the 'not ready for prime time players' incorporate her into a sketch. She's certainly got the pedigree for at least a bit part, seeing how comedian/actor Keith Allen is her dad and all.
Elsewhere, the children's program Jack's Big Music Show will have a special Groundhogs Day episode on Friday, in which The Daily Show host Jon Stewart guest stars as a news reporter. The episode also features music from former Blues Clues star and singer Steve Burns being backed by Flaming Lips multi-instrumental maestro Stephen Drozd. The past couple weeks I've been excited to see indie acts like Andrew Bird and the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players make appearances on the show. Of course Eli merely finds my excitement amusing - he, being 22-months old now, prefers the puppets.
It's another week, another bout with The Shins, as their album Wincing the Night Away finally sees it's release this week. This time around, Letterman (Tuesday) gets the honor and they'll feature background vocals from Viva Voce's Anita Robinson (who also sang backup for them on their recent Saturday Night Live appearance.) Viva Voce is opening for The Shins on their US tour starting February 8 (in Minneapolis, MN.)
While there's not a lot of performances this week, the quality makes up more then enough for the quantity. This week begins The Shins' onslaught leading up to the release of their new album, Wincing the Night Away (January 23,) as they make their first ever Saturday Night Live appearance this coming Saturday. While the movie Garden State certainly helped with some fortuitous exposure, this much more polished release has them poised to break out in 2007 - meaning you'll see them quite a few more times here.Elsewhere, The Hold Steady take their incredible live show to Late Show With David Letterman Thursday, and Canadian indie darlings Islands will both dazzle and possibly confuse listeners on Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson Friday night. Believe me, you don't want to miss either of these.
Monday, January 8
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Twilight Singers (RERUN)
Tuesday, January 9
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Mos Def
Wednesday, January 10
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Mindy Smith
Thursday, January 11
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Hold Steady
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Black Keys
Friday, January 12
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Spank Rock
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Islands
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Common
Saturday, January 13
NBC: Saturday Night Live: The Shins
tags: music, television, soundtrack, talk shows, the shins, saturday night live, indie rock, the hold steady, islands, david letterman, garden state, rhapsody
Justin Timberlake pulls double-duty both hosting and performing on Saturday Night Live this weekend, and if it's anything like his last appearances it should be hilarious. 
