St. Vincent To Lead Seth Myers 8G Band Next Week

Annie Clark aka St. Vincent will fill in for Fred Armisen next week for two nights as leader of Late Night with Seth Myers' 8G Band. Clark will fill in on Monday and Tuesday, August 11-12.

Make sure to check out my interview with St. Vincent from The Dark Stuff Podcast:

Conor Oberst on The Tonight Show

Conor Oberst made his first network TV appearance in support of his newest record, Upside Down Mountain, on The Tonight Show Monday night. Conor, along with Dawes, hits Sokol Auditorium on Wednesday, June 4. Tickets are still available.     

Courtney Barnett on Jimmy Fallon

Australian singer-songwriter, Coutney Barnett, made her first American television appearance last night on The Tonight Show. Her new album, The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, is out now.

R.I.P. Dick Clark

Television legend Dick Clark has died today at age 82. It is impossible to overstate the importance of Clark to the popular culture of the 20th century. His television dance show, American Bandstand, introduced rock 'n' roll music to millions of new people from all across the country. 

I have always believed that popular culture - mainly music, but also television, movies, and sports - had more to do with social change and progress in this country than any set of laws. It was kids of the "rock 'n' roll generation," who came of age in the late 1950s and early 1960s, who embraced what was essentially black music at a time when whites and blacks rarely inter-mingled. It became increasingly more difficult to hate someone when you listen to the same music or like the same athletes. Racists and opponents of change always understood this, which is why they were so opposed to rock music in the first place.

But this is not a sociology lecture, this is a blog post about the death of Dick Clark. By the time I came on the scene in the 1970s, American Bandstand was already an institution. Every major artist from the 1950s to the 1980s performed on the show, and countless records became hits after the AB audience said they liked it.

Looking back, the show seems so old fashioned and almost quaint. But, it was actually quite cutting edge in its day. I'm glad that I was able to grow up in the AB era. So long, Dick.

New Bright Eyes Video and a TiVo Alert!!

Here is the video for the brand new Bright Eyes single, "Shell Games." The new album, The People's Key, debuted at #13 on Billboard.

Here's the TiVo alert: Bright Eyes will be playing on Letterman tomorrow night (Thursday, Feb 24).

Superchunk On Jimmy Fallon

TiVo Alert: Spoon on Fallon TONIGHT

Set those DVRs, folks! Spoon will be appearing tonight on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The band is in New York for two nights at Madison Square Garden opening for Arcade Fire (whose new album, The Suburbs, comes out today).

TiVo Alert

This week is a little on the light side for music on late night TV, but there are some really good ones, nonetheless.

Monday, May 10: Wilco on Craig Ferguson
Tuesday, May 11: MGMT on David Letterman
Thursday, May 13: The National on David Letterman
Friday, May 14: Dr. Dog on Jimmy Kimmel

In non-musical appearances, Lost's Evangeline Lilly will be on Letterman tonight and Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday.

TiVo Alert!

Set those DVRs! Tonight on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC) is UK band Editors, and Brooklyn band Yeasayer is on Jimmy Fallon (NBC).

TiVo Alert

This is a pretty light week for good bands on TV. The only thing worth noting from my perspective is The Cribs on Letterman this Thursday, November 12. The Cribs are a UK rock band that features Johnny Marr (The Smiths, Modest Mouse) on guitar.

Also on Thursday, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Danny Devito will appear on Jimmy Kimmel. His appearances on talk shows are almost always memorable and hilarious.

Pixies Hit The Tonight Show on Friday Night

Set those DVRs for this Friday's Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. Indie legends the Pixies will be performing "Here Comes Your Man" on the show. The band is in the midst of the US leg of its Doolittle 20th Anniversary Tour, where they perform the entire Doolittle album (and probably something extra for encores, I guess).

Wire Update

For those keeping track, I am about halfway through season three of The Wire. Damn is this a good show. At this pace, I may have the series completed by the end of the month.

Flaming Lips on Colbert Report

Oklahoma's finest export, The Flaming Lips, will be performing on The Colbert Report this Wednesday (September 16) on Comedy Central.

The Lips new album will be released October 13.

TiVo Alert! Wilco on Letterman TONIGHT!

Set that TiVo or DVR for tonight's David Letterman. Wilco will be performing tonight along with Feist.

St. Vincent's Amazing Performance on Letterman

St. Vincent's performance on Letterman the other night was amazing. The Youtube treatment simply does not do it justice. She performed the song "Marrow" from the new CD, Actor. I hope you're not too broken up over MJ to appreciate this.

Another TiVo Alert: Dinosaur Jr. on Jimmy Fallon TONIGHT

Dinosaur Jr. will be appearing tonight on Jimmy Fallon. They are out promoting the new record, Farm (which is excellent, by the way). In case you hadn't heard, Dinosaur Jr. will be coming to Omaha on October 27 at Slowdown. Opening is Dino bassist, Lou Barlow with a solo set. Nice.

TiVo Alert! Wilco AND St. Vincent on TV TONIGHT

It's nights like these that make a DVR mandatory. Tonight, Wilco performs on Conan and St. Vincent is on Letterman. Both appearances are "must see" television.

Sonic Youth TONIGHT On Jimmy Fallon

Sonic Youth will be performing tonight on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. This marks their second network TV appearance in two weeks. Iggy Pop is playing on Letterman tonight, as well.