The Best in Late-Night Music: Week of March 23
Here is the simple truth: Real music lives on late-night TV. While the pop wannabes line the airwaves during dinnertime, parading themselves in front of judges, I wait for the witching hour, when real bands with real instruments perform songs filled with sweat.
Yes, this is the golden age of late-night TV — not just because of the fresh blood of Fallon and Kimmel’s comedic (and social media) genius, but because they along with Letterman and Conan are committed to discovering new music. These shows are some of the last places you can discover a new artist, hear a band on the rise, or catch a legacy act long discarded by the fickle pop-culture parade. That is, if you can stay up that late.
So, here is the best of late-night music, a new weekly recap of the best performances after 11 p.m. May it inspire to go beyond the over-styled, overwrought self-consciousness of prime-time music competition shows and find some talent playing the old-fashioned way: night after night, town to town, one gig at a time.
This week’s late night champ: Last Call with Carson Daly
I gotta say, I had all but written off Carson Daly — somewhat unfairly. His mainstream NBC ubiquity had me falsely believing he had lost his tastemaker chops. Not true. 14 seasons later, Last Call has more musical bravery than any of than any other late night show. Plus, Daly’s choice to shoot bands in nightclubs gives the performances an energy and authenticity hard to capture on a television soundstage. I’ve gotten past my hangups. Gimme Daly over Seacrest any day.
MONDAY
Tweedy on Conan
Maybe it’s me just wishing my son would play drums with me but seeing papa Tweedy take a break from Wilco to jam with his kid is a perfect rock and roll Hallmark moment. It also helps that their song, “World Away,” is nearly as good as any Wilco tune.
TUESDAY
The Budos Band on Last Call with Carson Daly
This Daptone instrumental band raises the spirit of Fela Kuti and digs deep into the funk. Extra points for the psychedelic Carson-cam. Catch ‘em this weekend live at Brooklyn Bowl if you’re New York bound.
WEDNESDAY
Leon Bridges on The Late Late Show with James Corden
While this week’s buzz around James Corden’s debut has been all about Tom Hanks and Mariah Carey comedic bits, we also got this dose of old school soul. Texan singer, Leon Bridges, just released his debut album on Columbia who is positioning him as the second coming of the great ’60s soul men. Not yet but he’s got promise.
THURSDAY
Marina and the Diamonds on Late Night with Seth Myers
Don’t let the giant cherries on the top of her head fool you. Welsh pop singer Marina Diamandis has a knack for fusing pathos and camp inside of captivating compositions. She’d make Carmen Miranda and Shirley Manson proud.
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