Music on TV - Week of 02.13.12::Sleigh Bells

Sleigh Bells are this week's musical guest on Saturday Night Live.

In the recently released video for Sleigh Bells' single "Comeback Kid," we're greeted by the smiling visage of singer Alexis Krauss jumping up and down on a flower-adorned bed, with a shotgun in her hand. It's the perfect visual for the sugared razor blade of sound that Krauss and guitarist Derek Miller seem to have perfected since their debut, Treats, was released in 2010. Krauss' sugary sweet vocals invite you in, while Miller's guitar onslaught delivers a kick to the crotch.

Next week, they'll be releasing their sophomore release, Reign of Terror, and in support of that endeavor, the duo are taking their sweet-but-deadly live show to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, as this week's musical guest on Saturday Night Live. There's rumors that they might be playing three songs, but only two are known: Lead single "Comeback Kid," along with the comparitively mellow "End of the Line."

Picks for the week
Monday, February 13
ABC: Good Morning America: Ashanti
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Lana Del Rey
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Kasabian
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: The Civil Wars
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Speakers
TBS: Conan: Wale featuring Miguel
Tuesday, February 14
ABC: Good Morning America: Nicki Minaj
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Robin Thicke
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Mark Ronson, Erykah Badu, The Dap-Kings, Zigaboo Modeliste
NBC: The Today Show: Jason Mraz
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: The Cranberries
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Bear Hands
TBS: Conan: RZA
Wednesday, February 15
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Yelawolf with Kid Rock
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Dave Stewart
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Punch Brothers
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: The Drums
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Deadmau5
Thursday, February 16
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Puscifer
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Young Jeezy featuring Ne-Yo
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Dr. Dog
TBS: Conan: Cake
Friday, February 17
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Butch Walker
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: The Fray
Saturday, February 18
BBCAMERICA: The Graham Norton Show: Sinead O'Connor
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Sleigh Bells
PBS: Austin City Limits: Steve Martin, Sarah Jarosz

Music on TV - Week of 01.02.12: Guided By Voices

The Classic lineup of Guided By Voices appears on Late Night with David Letterman January 3, 2011.

The reunion of Guided By Voices' classic lineup ('93-'96) was one of the great stories of 2010 (reunion at Matador 21), 2011 (touring all over) and with the release of their first album of new material together in 16 years (Let's Go Eat the Factory -- out January ), 2012 is already shaping up to make it three years in a row for Robert Pollard and the gang.

As the lineup would suggest, LGETF is a throwback to the Vampire on Titus, Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes days of lo-fi goodness. For GBV fans, there's a lot to love, especially guitarist Tobin Sprout contributions, which have been missed as a foil to Pollard's sometime need for an editor. NPR still has the album streaming as part of their First Listen series. The process must have been great for the band as they're already finishing up the follow-up (Class Clown Spots A UFO, due in May).

They play The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) for the first time on Tuesday. The last time the classic lineup was on the tube, I believe, was back in 1995, on the Jon Stewart's short-lived talk show on MTV (video below).



Elsewhere, Seattle folkies The Head and the Heart continue their meteoric rise with a performance on Austin City Limits. Can you think of any band to get a headline on the long-running show this early in their career? They're joined on the program's lineup this night by the UK band Gomez, who've been around considerably longer. (Preview below.)

Watch The Head and the Heart/Gomez - Preview on PBS. See more from Austin City Limits.

Picks for the week
Monday, January 2
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Twin Shadow (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Laura Marling (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Coldplay (REPEAT)
Tuesday, January 3
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Mariachi El Bronx
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Guided by Voices
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: will.i.am
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Black Star
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Horrors (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Everlast
Wednesday, January 4
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: WU LYF
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: RZA
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Shaggy
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Lykke Li (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Chris Isaak
Thursday, January 5
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: tUnE-yArDs
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Barr Brothers
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Chris Cornell
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Roll the Tanks, Fool's Gold (REPEAT)
Friday, January 6
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Boyz II Men
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Blind Pilot
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Van Hunt
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Wild Flag, David Murray sits in with The Roots
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Frightened Rabbit (REPEAT)
Saturday, January 7
BBCAMERICA: The Graham Norton Show: Noel Gallagher
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Kelly Clarkson
PBS: Austin City Limits: The Head and the Heart, Gomez

Music on TV - Week of 12.26.11: New Year's Eve with Coldplay, Drake, Lady Gaga

New Year's Eve: Coldplay on Austin City Limits / Drake with Carson Daly / Lady Gaga for Dick Clark/Ryan Seacrest

With every New Year's Eve comes the pressure to ring in the new year with a bang, but for most, the evening generally ends up at somebody's house (usually your own) with a TV that gets turned on to mark the countdown.* With that in mind, there are a few decent options to have on the tube in the background of wherever you find yourself inching towards 2012.

*That is usually it goes down for me -- but not this year.

As a music-only option, for the first time in Austin City Limits nearly 40 years, the program is broadcasting a New Year's Eve special, and they've called upon Coldplay for their first. ACL executive producer Terry Lickona said in a press release, "We decided to go big with Coldplay — really big. So we came up with the idea of celebrating New Year’s Eve with a 90-minute special. All the hits plus their brand new songs. It’ll be a great way to kick off 2012!" There's probably bigger and better they could go with, but NYE requires a vanilla-like reach, so Coldplay is the ticket for 2012.

Elsewhere, you have the usual suspects, firstly with the Dick Clark's Rockin' NYE (ABC) annual tradition (torch still slowly being handed over to co-host Ryan Seacrest), this year featuring Lady Gaga as the featured music act, but a who's who of Billboard chart toppers chime in with a song: Nicki Minaj, Florence + the Machine, Blink-182, Justin Bieber, LMFAO, Pitbull, Will.i.am, OneRepublic, Taio Cruz, Gym Glass Heroes, the Band Perry, and Hot Chelle Rae. Meanwhile, NBC has New Year's Eve with Carson Daly, which usually gets the slight music edge, but this year is they've gone a tad more MOR, with Drake, Jessie J, Cee Lo Green, The Roots, and the legend himself, Tony Bennett.

UPDATE: Spin Magazine has an extensive guide out now that covers live NYE shows in major cities across the country. So go rock 2012.

Picks for the week
Monday, December 26
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Paul Anka (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Lenny Kravitz (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Jimmy Cliff (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Thievery Corporation (REPEAT)
Tuesday, December 27
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Pink Martini (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Coldplay (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: We Were Promised Jetpacks (REPEAT)
Wednesday, December 28
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Yelawolf (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Rufus Wainwright (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Pitbull (REPEAT)
Thursday, December 29
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: My Morning Jacket (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Shelby Lynne (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Cake (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Young the Giant (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Paul Simon (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Wye Oak, Butch Walker (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Seether (REPEAT)
Friday, December 30
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Young Jeezy (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: My Morning Jacket (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Foster the People (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Kylesa, Cliff Martinez (REPEAT)
Saturday, December 31
ABC: Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest: Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Florence + the Machine, Blink-182, Justin Bieber, LMFAO, Pitbull, Will.i.am, OneRepublic, Taio Cruz, Gym Class Heroes, Hot Chelle Rae
NBC: New Year's Eve with Carson Daly: Drake, Jessie J, Cee Lo Green, The Roots, Tony Bennett
PBS: Coldplay New Year's Eve: An Austin City Limits Special: Coldplay

Music on TV - Week of 09.05.11: Pearl Jam 20

2011 will probably go down for me as a year of realization -- realization of just how bloomin' old I am. The anniversaries that are being celebrated recently have only served to remind me of how long I've been a concert goer in Seattle. Nirvana's Nevermind is going to turn 20 (we'll get to that at a later date), while the band Pearl Jam celebrates 20 years as a band. I know I first saw them as Mookie Blaylock some 20 years ago this December (opening for Alice in Chains complete with a surprise Temple of the Dog performance thrown in as well), and it just doesn't seem that long ago. Does it?

In celebration of their 20 year run, Pearl Jam played and curated a music festival this weekend at *Alpine Valley in Wisconsin, featuring Mudhoney, Queens of the Stone Age, The Strokes, John Doe, Joseph Arthur, Glen Hansard, and Liam Finn. Meanwhile, a Cameron Crowe-directed documentary gets the red carpet treatment at the Toronto Film Festival later this month, but later this week both Crowe and the band will be on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The band performs and gets the interview treatment both Thursday and Friday, while Crowe is tow for Thursday.

*Why not in the Seattle area? I guess Dave Matthews' Caravan beat them to the punch.

Elsewhere, one of the artists that inspired the Pearl Jam and is playing the PJ20 festival also makes an appearance this week. John Doe, from the legendary LA punk band X, performs on The Late Show with David Letterman on Wednesday, to help promote his new solo release, Keeper, which made its way into stores last week.

Picks for the week
Monday, September 5
ABC: The View: Lady Gaga (REPEAT)
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Amos Lee (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson:
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Wallpaper (REPEAT)
NBC: The Today Show: Shaggy
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Mana (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Matt & Kim (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Mini Mansions (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: The Joy Formidable (REPEAT)
Tuesday, September 6
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Jim Jones Revue
FUEL: The Daily Habit: GZA featuring Wavves (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Roger Daltrey
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: The Antlers
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Black Angels, Nicole Atkins and the Black Sea (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Lindsey Buckingham
Wednesday, September 7
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: AWOLNATION
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Charles Bradley (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Anthrax
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Matt & Kim, Screaming Females (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Band of Horses
Thursday, September 8
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Gabe Dixon
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: John Doe
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Kyuss Lives! (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Tinie Tempah
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Pearl Jam
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Foo Fighters
Friday, September 9
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Thrice (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Alice Cooper
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Pearl Jam
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Lykke Li, The Hours (REPEAT)
Saturday, September 10
PBS: Austin City Limits: The National, Band of Horses

Music on TV - Week of 08.29.11: Stephen Malkmus

Picks for the week
Monday, August 29
ABC: The View: Alison Krauss & Union Station (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: St. Vincent
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: William Shatner
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: The Cars (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Charles Bradley
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Cake
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Neon Indian
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Soundtrack of Our Lives (REPEAT)
PBS: Tavis Smiley: Herbie Hancock
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Sugarland (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: The Head and the Heart (REPEAT)
Tuesday, August 30
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Incubus (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Lenny Kravitz
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Shwayze and Cisco
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Airborne Toxic Event (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Steve Martin (REPEAT)
Wednesday, August 31
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Josh Ritter (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Thurston Moore
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Kyuss Lives! (Kyuss minus Josh Homme)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: OK Go
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Foster the People (REPEAT)
PBS: Tavis Smiley: Dave Stewart
Thursday, September 1
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Vaccines (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Tapes n' Tapes
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Fitz and the Tantrums
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Goldheart Assembly (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Raphael Saadiq (REPEAT)
Friday, September 2
ABC: Good Morning America: Mary J Blige
ABC: The View: "Weird Al" Yankovic (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Thrice
NBC: The Today Show: Lenny Kravitz
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Andy Grammer
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Mona (REPEAT)
PBS: Tavis Smiley: Lindsey Buckingham
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: One eskimO (REPEAT)
Saturday, September 3
PBS: Austin City Limits: Roy Orbison (REPEAT)

Music on TV - Week of 08.22.11: MTV VMA Awards

Lady Gaga in a promo for the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards

After wearing a dress made out of meat at last year's MTV VMAs, one has to wonder just how Lady Gaga will top herself this year. It won't take too long to find out, as the exhibitionist leads off the broadcast. There will probably be another two or three tweetable events during the broadcast, but given the boredom that has infected the broadcast in the past few years, Lady Gs opening will make it easy to move on to more rewarding things early enough in the evening.

Elsewhere, Glen Campbell makes his first appearance since revealing he's been diagnosed with Alzheimers, sitting down for an interview with ABC's Terry Moran scheduled* for Tuesday night (an interview to be featured on World News with Diane Sawyer, Nightline and then Good Morning America the following morning). Out in support of his final release, Ghost on the Canvas -- out August 30, Campbell will be performing next month on both The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (September 12) and Jimmy Kimmell Live (September 27).

Picks for the week
Monday, August 22
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Viva Brother (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Tony Royster, Jr (Drum Solo Week II)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Redlight King
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Rickey Minor with Sharon Jones, Grace Potter, Charles Bradley & the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: tUnE-yArDs (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Kills (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Soundgarden (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: One eskimO (REPEAT)
Tuesday, August 23
ABC: World News with Diane Sawyer and Nightline: Glen Campbell
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Features (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Gavin Harrison (Drum Solo Week II)
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Amos Lee
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Wallpaper
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: The Antlers (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Grouplove (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: The 88 (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Rascal Flatts (REPEAT)
Wednesday, August 24
ABC: Good Morning America: Glen Campbell
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Bush (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Stewart Copeland (Drum Solo Week II)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Fool's Gold
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Matt Kearney (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Tony Bennett, Big Audio Dynamite (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Interpol, Girl Talk (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Alison Krauss & Union Station (REPEAT)
Thursday, August 25
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Jake Shimabukuro (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Dennis Chambers (Drum Solo Week II)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: GZA
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Dolly Parton (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Fountains of Wayne (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Black Angels (REPEAT)
Friday, August 26
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Lonely Forest (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Mutemath
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Raphael Saadiq featuring Robert Randolph (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Emmylou Harris (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Knux (REPEAT)
Saturday, August 27
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Paul McCartney (REPEAT)
PBS: Austin City Limits: Cheap Trick (REPEAT)
Sunday, August 28
MTV: 2011 MTV Video Music Awards: Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne, Adele, Pit Bull with Ne-Yo, Young the Giant

Music on TV - Week of 08.01.11: tUnE-yArDs

tUnE-yArDs play Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Monday.

It's been quite a year so far for tUne-yArDs' Merrill Garbus. Since releasing her second album W H O K I L L back in April, Garbus has been touring nearly non-stop, most recently wowing audiences at Pitchfork Music Festival.

Her live sets are all the talk thanks to her complex building of each song, with drums, ukylele, guitar, and especially her voice -- all looped and housed in an Afro-pop rhythmic base. Garbus unique voice will move between a sweet R&B croon to a raspy whelp in a heartbeat, like a woman possessed, with her music partner and bassist Nate Brenner helping keep the train on the tracks. Before she plays Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Monday night, you just know there'll have to be a tweet of amazement from ?uestLove.

Picks for the week
Monday, August 1
ABC: The View: Lady Gaga
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Jake Shimabukuro
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Sheryl Crow, Matt Nathanson
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: tUnE-yArDs
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Charles Bradley (REPEAT)
TBS: Lopez Tonight: Colbie Caillat
TBS: Conan: Pitbull
Tuesday, August 2
ABC: The View: Debbie Gibson, Tiffany
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Explosions in the Sky
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Mat Kearney
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Sergio Mendes
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Mini Mansions (REPEAT)
TBS: Lopez Tonight: 2cellos
TBS: Conan: Seether
Wednesday, August 3
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Blink 182
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Big Audio Dynamite
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Yelawolf (REPEAT)
Thursday, August 4
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Typhoon
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Lykke Li
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Fountains of Wayne, Bruce Hornsby
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Matt & Kim, Screaming Females (REPEAT)
Friday, August 5
ABC: Good Morning America: Nicki Minaj
ABC: The View: Allison Krauss
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Rye Rye with Robyn
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Voca People
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Fitz & the Tantrums (REPEAT)
Saturday, August 6
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Paul Simon (REPEAT)
PBS: Austin City Limits: Ben Harper & Relentless7 (REPEAT)

Music on TV - Week of 03.21.11: The Strokes

The Strokes return from a near five-year hiatus as a slightly different beast. Singer Julian Casablancas has relinquished some control of the band, allowing all the members of the band to contribute, which sounds to these ears more like the frontman's concessions to keep the band together than a conscious choice to push the band forward.

Angles is an improvement on the head scratcher that was 2006's First Impressions of Earth, but one can't help but wish for the iron-fisted controlling sound of their first two releases, Is This It? (2001) and Room on Fire (2003). The Strokes storm Ed Sullivan theater for a performance on Letterman, Wednesday.

Speaking of returns, those new wave giants Duran Duran are back to being relevant again with their new Mark Ronson-produced (and 14th) release All You Need is Now. Oddly enough, it's also the first release from the D-Squared that's not on a major label. By going small, Simon LeBon & co. have mostly returned to their roots, even copping a Niles Rodgers-like groove at times. The album has been digitally available since December, but now the physical copy is getting the expanded treatment, with six more tracks and a bonus DVD (digital releases will also have all 15 tracks as well). Duran Duran make two appearances this week, performing on Leno Tuesday night, and making Ellen dance on Friday.

Elsewhere, there's lots of ear candy on this post's undercard, including British Sea Power (Monday) and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (Tuesday) on Letterman, Peter Bjorn & John on Leno Thursday and Cut Copy on Fallon Friday night.

Picks for the week
Monday, March 21
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Brett Dennen
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: British Sea Power
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: Steve Martin
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Raphael Saadiq
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Little Dragon
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (REPEAT)
Tuesday, March 22
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Gaslight Anthem
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Duran Duran
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Richard Ashcroft
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Morning Benders
TBS: Conan: Teddy Thompson
Wednesday, March 23
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Strokes
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Bootsy Collins, Friendly Fires
TBS: Conan: Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
Thursday, March 24
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Oh Land
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Mountain Goats (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Peter Bjorn & John
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Tres Mts
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Ra Ra Riot
TBS: Conan: Wanda Jackson (REPEAT)
Friday, March 25
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Oh Land (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Cut Copy
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Duran Duran
Saturday, March 26
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Chris Brown
PBS: Austin City Limits: Foo Fighters (REPEAT)

Music on TV - Week of 02.21.11: Destroyer

Dan Bejar and Destroyer to be on Fallon Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Merge Records is already having a great 2011, thanks largely to Arcade Fire's Grammy hardware pull, but also because of new releases from Destroyer and the label debut for The Mountain Goats, both bands of which make appearances this week.

Dan Bejar has assembled an 8-piece version of Destroyer to tour in support of the effervescent Kaputt which starts on St. Patrick's Day in the place of the band's birth, Vancouver B.C. (at the Crocodile here in Seattle, the next day, March 18, 2011). Before then, this edition of Bejar's Destroyer will give us a preview Tuesday night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Besides Merge acts Destroyer and The Mountain Goats (on Letterman Wednesday), the week is also highlighted by appearances from Greg Dulli's Twilight Singers (on Kimmel Wednesday), Bright Eyes (on Letterman Thursday) and The Strokes on Saturday Night Live.

Picks for the week
Monday, February 21
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Pitbull (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Adele
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Screaming Females (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Chromeo
Tuesday, February 22
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Cake
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Destroyer
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Menomena
PBS: Independent Lens: William S. Burroughs -- A Man Within: Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Laurie Anderson, Sonic Youth, William S. Burroughs
Wednesday, February 23
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Twilight Singers
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Mountain Goats
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Liza Minelli
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Lucero
TBS: Conan: G. Love
Thursday, February 24
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Adele
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Bright Eyes
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Broken Bells
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Adele
Friday, February 25
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Janelle Monae
PBS: Tavis Smiley: Kem
Saturday, February 26
BBCAMERICA: The Graham Norton Show: Hurts
NBC: Saturday Night Live: The Strokes
PBS: Austin City Limits: Aimee Mann, Iron and Wine (REPEAT)

Ear on TV: Week of 02.14.11: LCD Soundsystem

LCD Soundsystem on The Colbert Report, February 14, 2011

Picks for the week
Monday, February 14
CBS: The Talk: Gretchen Wilson
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Theophilus London
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: LCD Soundsystem
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Cradle of Filth
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Lady Gaga, John Legend
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Greyson Chance
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Delta Spirit (REPEAT)
PBS: Tavis Smiley: Kem
TBS: Lopez Tonight: R. Kelly
TBS: Conan: The Black Keys
Tuesday, February 15
CBS: The Talk: Cyndi Lauper
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Gretchen Wilson
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Drive-By Truckers
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: A Perfect Circle
PBS: Tavis Smiley: Wynton Marsalis, Ne-Yo
TBS: Lopez Tonight: Far*East Movement
Wednesday, February 16
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Amos Lee
FUEL: The Daily Habit: FaR*eAst Movement
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Odd Future
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Yelawolf
TBS: Lopez Tonight: Cast from Rock of Ages
TBS: Conan: Reggie Watts
Thursday, February 17
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Keri Hilson
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Scissor Sisters
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Parkway Drive
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Two Door Cinema Club
TBS: Conan: Nicole Atkins
Friday, February 18
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real
FUEL: The Daily Habit: FaR*eAst Movement
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Gretchen Wilson
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Fitz & the Tantrums
Saturday, February 19
BBCAMERICA: The Graham Norton Show: Sugarland
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Paul McCartney (REPEAT)
PBS: Austin City Limits: Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel (REPEAT)
Sunday, February 20
HDNET: Robert Plant and Band of Joy: Robert Plant