It's a pretty exclusive club that TV on the Radio joins with the appearance, joining Willie Nelson, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, REM, Wilco and (uh...) Rush as musical guests that have come on the show. And given their leftist lyrics, we can expect Colbert to have cooked up something 'truthy' to spring on them (more than a 'wag of the finger,' to be sure). (UPDATE: scroll down to see the gigglefest of an interview.)
Meanwhile, Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... keeps chugging out fascinating episodes. With Jenny Lewis, She & Him and Jakob Dylan appearing this week, the theme appears to be singer/songwriters who were known for something else before music. Lewis was a child actress (Troop Beverly Hills,) Zooey Deschanel (the 'she' of She & Him,) is of course still an actress and Jakob Dylan is a famous offspring of someone named Bob. Outside of that, I can't for the life of my figure out what Jakob Dylan is doing in this segment. Lewis enlisted Costello's help with a song ("Carpetbaggers") on her last album (Acid Tongue,) so it's pretty much cemented that the song is on the docket for the evening.
And finally, at my kids' behest, I have to mention that They Might Be Giants won a Grammy last night for Best Musical Album for Children (Here Come the 123's,) which my (almost) 4-year old had down as a lock. The transformation of the two Johns from quirky rock fave to quirky kid's music might seem cemented with their win in the category, but another feature of the genre might have already done that. "It's crazy money; those kids are loaded!" joked John Linnell backstage after receiving the award. While the Grammy win seems timely for their appearance on Conan Thursday night, they're likely playing their contribution to the film Coraline, "Other Father Song." But, since my son might be looking in, we've got to pimp The 123's
In year's past, a show's finale meant a spike in music downloads the next day, but this year was quite different thanks to several mitigating factors. The first was the writer's strike, which cut down the number of proper season finales in scripted television this year by nearly half. The second and third factors deal with money, with music licensing rates on the rise and the economy on a downturn, it's no wonder that series have tried to do "more with less," to quote The Wire.
Just look at the top five I have listed here and you'll notice there's not one single use of a popular song in its original form, typically the more expensive option in music placement. They're all either original songs written for the occasion, or they've taken a song and have it performed by the cast. I guess, as the old saying goes, folks got to eat. Mmmmm.... as do I, so without further ado, here's the list.
10. 30 Rock me Amadeus 30 Rock - Episode 2.13 / "Requiem: Lacrimosa" - Mozart The episode ("Succession") pits Tracy's Amadeus against Frank's Salieri as Tracy bridges The Uncanny Valley to make a realistic porn video game. Just add Kenneth in the role of Constanze, Mozart's wife and protector; then cue Dr. Spaceman running through the studio in a cape... pause for laughter... and scene!
8. Let's Twist Again (Like We Did Last Summer) Mad Men - Episode 2.01 / "Let's Twist Again" - Chubby Checker Mad Men has plenty of interesting music moments, but their almost always very subtle in their placement. Hearing Chubby Checker's sequel to "The Twist" (used in the first season) to open the second season montage was immediate and the perfect way to welcome the return of the near perfect series back into our homes.
7. The Half of You We Wanted to See True Blood - Episode 1.06 / "Half of You" - Cat Power Anna Paquin shows her goodies for the first time, going topless as Sookie while getting some from vampire boyfriend Bill, all to the sounds of Cat Power's "Half of You." The consummation of their relationship (which also involves some double-penetration via fangs) reminds us once again that this HBO vampire series is no Twilight.
5. (tie) Secondary College Musical! Skins - Episode 2.02 / "Then Came the Day" - Cast (download) from "Osama! The Musical" (video) Summer Heights High - Episode 1.08 / "Naughty Girl" from Mr. G the Musical (video) The effects of High School Musical were felt across television series this year, but it was more interesting to see the interpretations from high schoolsecondary college-based series overseas. First came UK's Skins with Osama! The Musical, a love story that takes place on 9/11, between a stock broker and another survivor of the twin towers collapsing. "Then came the day, Osama blew us away" goes the love song, and as laughable as it sounds, it's hard to get out of your head. Then, from Australia (via HBO) came Chris Lilly's Summer Heights High and the musical arena spectacular "Mr. G!," featuring Lilly's drama teacher character Mr. G. Initially based on the death of a student (until parents veto the script,) "Mr G" follows a troubled teen's journey through drugs, with guidance from her favorite teacher, Mr. G. The song "Naughty Girl" actually became a top ten, certified gold hit in Australia.
3. It's a Wild Skins World Skins - Episode 1.09 / "It's a Wild World" - cast (video) While Skins often took some odd and unexpected turns, they usually countered it with a bit of the surreal to remind you that it's fiction. In the first season finale, Tony is hit by a truck, we get the expected scream and tears, but then the cast breaks into Cat Stevens "It's a Wild World," led by Sid and a chorus of random men at a urinal in a public bathroom. When the comatose Tony joins in for a verse, it's both jarring and funny at the same time, which is hard to pull off. The ending merely hinted at much of the craziness that was to come in season 2. That the series has cut most of the music out of the American airings makes it all the more special. I could honestly do a great top 10 list of just Skins moments that American audiences didn't experience. Don't tempt me!
2. Farewell to Baltimore The Wire - Episode 5.10 / "Way Down in the Hole" - The Blind Boys of Alabama (video) The series ends as it began, with Detective McNulty and the original theme song. As McNutty looks back on the city of Baltimore, we get a montage of all the old players, going on with their lives. The villains and do-nothings get rewarded with awards, promotions and new partners, and all the old beats from previous seasons look pretty much the same. In the end, though, this montage ultimately reminds us that the main character for the whole five-year run of the series was the city of Baltimore itself.
Humorously recalling the days of Perry Como and Bing Crosby holiday specials, A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All takes the cardigan-wearing, pipe-smoking, crooning-by-the-fire holiday musical genre to new heights. Airing this Sunday night, the story has Stephen Colbert travelling to a performance with Elvis Costello, and they get snowed in at his upstate New York cabin (hint: it's bear country).
Besides Costello, musical guests include Willie Nelson (singing "Little Dealer Boy,") Feist, John Legend and Toby Keith, who declares a war on the war on Christmas with "Have I Got A Present For You." Jon Stewart even lends his pipes for a song about Hannukah. (All songs are co-written by Fountain of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger.) And if it gets you in the spirit for holiday giving (or you just plain missed it,) it's out on DVD two days later, with much of the proceeds going to Feeding America.
Meanwhile, one my biggest guilty pleasures in life is tribute bands, which I often find better than the real thing. Letterman is sharing that love this week, declaring it Tribute Band Week, booking acts invoking the spirit of music icons. Monday features Purple Reign (Prince), Tuesday is Cold Hard Cash (Johnny Cash,) Wednesday is Mr. Brownstone (Guns n' Roses,) Thursday is Super Diamond (Neil Diamond,) and Friday is The Allstarz (James Brown). It's worth noting that Purple Reign's act is a legendary in Vegas, and the Boston/New York hybrid Mr. Brownstone features members of Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah, Takka Takka, Boss Tweed and The Common End. You don't want to miss either of these (and if you can't make it, have someone who looks and sounds like you tune in).
• "Another Christmas Song" – Stephen Colbert • "Have I Got A Present For You" – Toby Keith • "Little Dealer Boy" – Stephen Colbert and Willie Nelson • "Hannukah" – Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart • "Nutmeg" – Stephen Colbert and John Legend • "Please Be Patient" – Feist • "There Are Much Worse Things to Believe In" – Stephen Colbert and Elvis Costello • "(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love And Understanding" – Stephen Colbert, Elvis Costello, Feist, Toby Keith, John Legend and Willie Nelson
Last night, "Rock and Awe: The Countdown to Guitarmageddon" went down on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, where Stephen Colbert met (and subsequently ducked) the challenge from The Decemberists in a guitar solo duel. It was a night that saw Morley Safer of 60 Minutes, Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, New York governor-elect Eliot Spitzer, Robert Schneider of The Apples in Stereo, Peter Frampton, and none other then Henry Kissinger, who beckoned Colbert to shred with a call to "crank it up."
And so the stage was set for last night... and what a night it was. Before they even got to introducing the judges, Robert Schneider of The Apples in Stereo came out and performed a bouncy Beatlesque ode to the challenge called "Oh Stephen," with lyrics like "who's the television host who understands what matters most?" It might be some time before I'm able to get that tune out of my head.
Chris Funk, lead guitarist for The Decemberists led off with some favorable riffage (for a hyper-literate college act,) enough so that Colbert looked nervous. But Colbert had some tricks (make that friends) up his sleeve (even though he pulled off those sleeves.) First he called upon Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick (who wrote and performed the Colbert theme song,) borrowing his five-necked guitar ("I might shred so hard tonight that I'll blowout the first four necks.") Then, after faking a finger injury after the first few notes, he called on Peter Frampton to finish the solo.
Needless to say, the fix was in (there was even rumored to be a bribe to Spitzer,) and Colbert crowned himself (and Frampton) the winner(s.) And what did he win? A copy of The Decemberists' The Crane Wife. They then ended the program with Rick Neilsen leading them on an all-star jam to The Colbert Report theme song.
Colbert may have walked away with the... uh... er... spoils, but, as Kissinger so aptly put it, "tonight, I think the American People won." Truly one of the most hilarious (and oddest) 30 minutes of television I've ever witnessed.
Fresh off their Saturday Night Live appearance, TV on the Radio face off against Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report Monday night, both standing up playing ("Dancing Choose") and sitting down to get 'nailed' in an interview. (UPDATE: Scroll down for the interview -- lots of giggling and beard stroking, and here's the link for the live performance of "Dancing Choose".)
It's a pretty exclusive club that TV on the Radio joins with the appearance, joining Willie Nelson, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, REM, Wilco and (uh...) Rush as musical guests that have come on the show. And given their leftist lyrics, we can expect Colbert to have cooked up something 'truthy' to spring on them (more than a 'wag of the finger,' to be sure). (UPDATE: scroll down to see the gigglefest of an interview.)
Meanwhile, Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... keeps chugging out fascinating episodes. With Jenny Lewis, She & Him and Jakob Dylan appearing this week, the theme appears to be singer/songwriters who were known for something else before music. Lewis was a child actress (Troop Beverly Hills,) Zooey Deschanel (the 'she' of She & Him,) is of course still an actress and Jakob Dylan is a famous offspring of someone named Bob. Outside of that, I can't for the life of my figure out what Jakob Dylan is doing in this segment. Lewis enlisted Costello's help with a song ("Carpetbaggers") on her last album (Acid Tongue,) so it's pretty much cemented that the song is on the docket for the evening.
And finally, at my kids' behest, I have to mention that They Might Be Giants won a Grammy last night for Best Musical Album for Children (Here Come the 123's,) which my (almost) 4-year old had down as a lock. The transformation of the two Johns from quirky rock fave to quirky kid's music might seem cemented with their win in the category, but another feature of the genre might have already done that. "It's crazy money; those kids are loaded!" joked John Linnell backstage after receiving the award. While the Grammy win seems timely for their appearance on Conan Thursday night, they're likely playing their contribution to the film Coraline, "Other Father Song." But, since my son might be looking in, we've got to pimp The 123's
