This Week: Music on TV

It's been a pretty exceptional week for music on the TV. Here are a few of the highlights in case you've been spending your nights apart from the idiot box.

Dawes guest spot on NBC's "Parenthood"

Parenthood may have been one of the last shows you might think of when considering cool, taste-making soundtracks, but over the course of its run, the show has featured songs by The Avett Brothers, The Head and the Heart, and Josh Ritter to name a few. Last night, LA band Dawes made an appearance on the show as themselves.

Alabama Shakes play Conan
With debut album Boys and Girls on the way April 10, we can't wait to hear more from the Shakes. Until then, here's the video of their performance of "Hold On," plus a second song, "I Ain't the Same."

Austin City Limits airs Wilco performance
Popeye (see post below) was nowhere in sight, but Jeff Tweedy & Co. held it down pretty well. Check out the episode, which featured eleven songs from various albums. No doubt Olive Oyl was in the front row.

Watch Wilco on PBS. See more from Austin City Limits.

Popeye Should Beat Up Jeff Tweedy

In the weirdest collaboration since Jack White teamed up with Insane Clown Posse, this week we saw the release of a new Wilco video for "Dawned on Me" featuring none other than Popeye the Sailor. (Well, blow me down Olive Oyl!)

Apparently there's some mad cross connection with the band and the old cartoon, as Huffington Post noted Wilco's been in a comic strip (I know... there's a weekly Popeye comic strip. Who knew?) and the two share a website (www.wilcospinach.com).

As we join our heros, Jeff Tweedy, Bluto and Popeye are all competing for the love of the beauteous Olive Oyl. Expect appearances from Whimpy and Swee' Pea.

My childhood hasn't decided what to do with this video. Decide for yourself.

Jeff Tweedy's Gotta Feeling

If I had to make a list of things that I thought would never happen, Jeff Tweedy singing "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas might be in the top 10.

Props to Pitchfork for posting this hilarious cover. The Wilco frontman deadpans most of the way though, breaks in to explain "tricky" aspects of the song and ultimately kills the audience because they can't stop laughing. A rare moment, indeed. I doubt we will ever hear Tweedy sing "draaank" again.

Wilco is Such a Tease

Tidings from the Wilco camp this morning. The band released a tease for its upcoming album, The Whole Love, out September 27.

In the video, you hear/see them working on the song "Almost." That's some intense guitar work going on there. Check it out.