Ear on TV: Week of 07.27.09: Spinal Tap

The 25th anniversary party just rages on for This is Spinal Tap, and the fictional band at its core. First came the "Unwigged" tour and then, last month, came a new album, Back From the Dead. This week the film sees it's release on Blu-Ray, giving us a chance to see Nigel's skeleton t-shirt in in high definition. To quote Sir Denis Eton-Hogg: "and so say we all, Tap into the future!"

To help promote the release, Spinal Tap are appearing on both Jimmy Fallon (Monday) and The Daily Show (Tuesday), pulling double duty with a performance and interview.This is Spinal Tap on Blu-Ray is out tomorrow.

Working either as a counter or a compliment to This Is Spinal Tap (all depends on how you look at it), IFC is airing The Decline of Western Civilation, Part II: The Metal Years (1988), a striking documentary about the glam-rock scene in Los Angeles. The combination of both films and their depiction of excess have been credited with some in the fall of heavy metal and, similarly, the rise of grunge.

Other notable music appearances this week include Jarvis Cocker on Jimmy Fallon (Thursday), Passion Pit on both Jimmy Fallon (Wednesday) and Alexa Chung (Thursday); and the network television debut of Cage the Elephant on Letterman (Thursday). Now, go forth and DVR!

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, July 27
IFC: From the Basement: Neil Hannon (REPEAT)
IFC: The Henry Rollins Show: Billy Bragg, Robyn Hitchcock (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Revolution Mother
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Spinal Tap
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Adele (REPEAT)
Tuesday, July 28
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Silversun Pickups
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Spinal Tap
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Underoath
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Duke Spirit (REPEAT)
Wednesday, July 29
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: the Sounds
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Elbow
IFC: Decline of Western Civilation II: The Metal Years: Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, KISS, Ozzy Osbourne
IFC: From the Basement: Beck (REPEAT)
IFC: The Henry Rollins Show: The Stooges, Gogol Bordello (REPEAT)
MTV: It's On With Alexa Chung: Silversun Pickups
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Passion Pit
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Lykke Li (REPEAT)
SUNDANCE: Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...: Elvis Costello, The Police (REPEAT)
Thursday, July 30
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Cage the Elephant
MTV: It's On With Alexa Chung: Passion Pit
NBC: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Regina Spektor
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Jarvis Cocker
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Ben Harper & Relentless7 (REPEAT)
Friday, July 31
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Diane Birch
NBC: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Ben Harper & Relentless7
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Crystal Antlers (REPEAT)
Saturday, August 1
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Phoenix (REPEAT)
PBS: Austin City Limits: Wilco (REPEAT)

Ear on TV: Week of 06.15.09 - Phoenix

It's been a couple months sincePhoenix tore the roof off of 30 Rock during their appearance on SNL, and in that time their fine album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix has come out and has garnered critical praise nearly everywhere ears are employed. They appear on Letterman Thursday, and if you missed their SNL performance, here's another shot to see just how good they are live.

Meanwhile, Jack White (White Stripes) has a new outfit called The Dead Weather, a collaboration with fellow blues enthusiast Alison Mosshart (The Kills). While White takes a backseat playing drums (Mosshart sings,) his fingerprints are all over the band's gothic blues sound. It's fitting that the band makes their network debut on Conan, since White Stripes were the first and last band to play on Conan's Late Night run.

Finally, the hilarious Spinal Tap has a new album this week called Back From The Dead, and they both play and are interviewed on Conan on Monday night. Whether or not you like the music to the new release, you have to admit the album's packaging (pictured above) alone make it worth the purchase. Relive the infamous Stonehenge stage display, with cutouts of the band in relative size! Just goes to show you there's more than one way to keep the CD from dying.

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, June 15
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Black Eyed Peas (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Spinal Tap
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Doves (REPEAT)
Tuesday, June 16
NBC: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Gavin Rossdale
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Diane Birch
Wednesday, June 17
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Eels
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Bettye LaVette
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Street Sweeper Social Club
SUNDANCE: Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...: Elvis Costello, Bill Clinton (REPEAT)
Thursday, June 18
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Ben Harper
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Phoenix
MTV: It's On with Alexa Chung: Phoenix
NBC: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: The Dead Weather
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Peaches
Friday, June 19
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Sounds
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Blink-182
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Ting Tings
SUNDANCE: Touch the Sound: Evelyn Glennie
Saturday, June 20
PBS: Austin City Limits: Bettye LaVette (REPEAT)