A weekly bulletin on musical guests playing late night TV; set your TIVOs or DVRs if you’ve got an early bedtime.

The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS
Monday, July 6: Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band (pictured)
Tuesday, July 7: Rob Thomas
Thursday, July 9: Levon Helm
Friday, June 10: Maxwell

The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, NBC
Monday, July 6: Death Cab for Cutie
Tuesday, July 7: Andrew Bird
Thursday, July 9: Playing For Change
Friday, June 10: Ray LaMontagne

Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, CBS
Wednesday, July 8: Will Dailey (pictured)
Friday, June 10: Michael Buble

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, NBC
Monday, July 6: the Lonely Island (rerun, May 12)
Wednesday, July 8: Amadou & Mariam (June 8)
Thursday, July 9: Paul Simon (June 2)
Friday, June 10: Mos Def (June 9)

Jimmy Kimmel Live, ABC
Monday, July 6: No Doubt (rerun, June 11)
Tuesday, July 7: Ben Harper (June 18)
Wednesday, July 8: Linkin Park (June 23)

Last Call with Carson Daly, NBC
Monday, July 6: Bobby Ray (reruns, May 6)
Tuesday, July 7: M83 (March 11)
Wednesday, July 8: Delta Spirit (March 12)
Thursday, July 9: Nico Vega (March 13)
Friday, June 10: Mishka (March 17)

Saturday Night Live, NBC
Saturday, July 11: Beyonce (rerun, Nov. 15)

For those who missed a few weeks ago, here’s The Dead Weather performing “Hang You from the Heavens” on Letterman. For those who missed the bulletin, The Dead Weather is an alt rock supergroup that features the White Stripes‘ Jack White on drums, bassist Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs and The Greenhornes,  guitarist Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age and vocalist Alison Mosshart of The Kills. The foursome’s debut, Horehound, comes out July 13. Although it’s hard to judge a band by the sometimes stale late night performances, I was still far more underwhelmed than I expected to be. I’m not sure if White really works as a drummer — in fact, he looks more than a little out of place, and WTF is up with his goth-fro, anyway? — but I’m interested to see if the discordant rock works better on disc.

Vinyl:

Fugazi – 3 Songs (7″)
Originally recorded in 1989.

Levon Helm – Electric Dirt
Electric Dirt again finds Levon steeped in tradition in his connection to the land and those who live by it, but this record goes deeper and wider, incorporating gospel, blues and soul elements in a bracing collection of originals and carefully chosen outside songs.

Wilco – Wilco (The Album) LP+CD
Wilco’s seventh combines the intimacy of its previous studio disc, Sky Blue Sky, with the experimentation of A Ghost Is Born in a set that boasts strong melodies and often unabashedly pop arrangements. LP includes the album on a CD.

Pete Yorn – Back & Fourth

CDs:

Ace Hood – Ruthless
New release from the Florida rapper features guest appearances from Jasmine Sullivan, The Dream, Ludacris, Rick Ross, Birdman and more.

AZ – I Am Legend

Bjork – Voltaic CD; CD+DVD; 2xCD+2xDVD
Voltaic is a multi-media document of what happened after Volta was completed — a journey of a different sort as the ever-evolving singer assembled her live band, made a collection of typically amazing videos and one-step-ahead remixes, and toured the world. She recorded the Voltaic live CD in one take at Olympic Studio in London. It’s a stunning performance, featuring cutting-edge computer technology, an old-school horn section and a female, flag-toting Icelandic choir. Deluxe version includes the Voltaic live CD plus a DVD featuring 21 songs performed on the Volta tour. Super deluxe 2xCD+2xDVD version features live recordings, remixes, videos and more.

Carcass – Wake Up And Smell The Carcass CD+DVD
17 rarities from different eras of the band’s career, including five extras from the Swansong period, Radio One Session tracks and rare EP cuts. The accompanying DVD contains two complete live sets taking in 17 classics from the period 1989-1992. The DVD also comes with the band’s five promo videos.

Matt Duke – Acoustic Kingdom Underground EP
Acoustic Kingdom Underground is the companion piece to Kingdom Underground, and showcases intimate performances of the album’s standout tracks.

Fabolous – Loso’s Way

Levon Helm – Electric Dirt

Jefferson Airplane – Jefferson Airplane: The Woodstock Experience
Lavishly packaged double disc set combines Jefferson Airplane’s 1969 album Volunteers with their entire Woodstock performance.

Janis Joplin - Janis Joplin: The Woodstock Experience
Lavishly packaged double disc set combines Joplin’s 1969 album I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama with her complete Woodstock performance.

Killing Joke – Gathering 2008 Part 1 2xCD
Killing Joke – Gathering 2008 Part 2 2xCD
Killing Joke – Gathering 2008 4xCD
The Gathering 2008 saw the original Killing Joke line up play live in London at two sold out concerts for the first time since 1982. Available as two separate double disc volumes, or as a limited edition collector’s box set.

Cledus T. Judd – Polyrically Uncorrect
The country funnyman is back with his first new project in four years.

Killswitch Engage – Killswitch Engage

David Lynch – David Lynch Presents Fox Bat Strategy: A Tribute to Dave Jaurequi EP
A long-time pet project of film director David Lynch. Fox Bat Strategy features a cast of musicians who began collaborating with Lynch surrounding the filming of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. The same line-up of players appeared on Fire Walk With Me’s two roadhouse cuts: “The Pink Room” and “Blue Frank” (as well as made cameos in the film itself). In 1994, these same musicians, with an invitation from Lynch, re-entered the studio for experimental collaboration. What emerged were these six tracks. For nearly fifteen years these songs have remained unreleased and unheard.

Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan – In Session
Deluxe reissue of the famed in-concert 1983 jam session – the only known recording of Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan performing together.

Moby – Wait For Me
Wait For Me is a radical departure from Moby’s recent albums. Liberated from the pressures of trying to please himself at the same time as the industry, Moby decided to forego the expensive studios, state-of-the-art equipment, big name guest artists, and phalanxes of graphic designers and image consultants that have characterized some of his previous albums. “There’s something so relaxing about doing everything yourself, and not trying to second-guess the market,” Moby says. “It’s
nice to try to do things for the right reasons — just make a record because you want to make a record.”

Obituary – Darkest Day
New album from the veteran death metal band from Tampa.

Brad Paisley – American Saturday Night

Santana – Santana: The Woodstock Experience
Lavishly packaged double disc set combines Santana’s self-titled 1969 album with his complete Woodstock performance.

Sly & The Family Stone – Stand!
Lavishly packaged double disc set combines Sly & The Family Stone’s 1969 album Stand! with their complete Woodstock performance.

Rod Stewart – A Night on the Town
Rod Stewart – Atlantic Crossing
Deluxe, 2-CD editions with previously unissued bonus material.

Rob Thomas – Cradlesong
Highly anticipated second solo album

Tanya Tucker – My Turn
On her new album, Tanya Tucker takes classic country songs originally recorded by male country
legends and turns the tables, giving classics by George Jones, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty and Eddy Arnold a powerful spin from a woman’s point of view. Guest artists include The Grascals, Jim Lauderdale and bluegrass stars Rhonda and Darrin Vincent.

Twisted Sister – Stay Hungry
Rhino’s 25th Anniversary Edition combines the newly remastered nine-track album with an additional disc featuring 15 previously unreleased outtakes and demos from the original sessions plus a new track.

Various Artists – Reggae Gold 2009

Whitesnake – Slide It In (25th Anniversary edition)
Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue (20th Anniversary edition)
Includes DVD, 24-page booklets, bonus tracks, rarities.

Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
Wilco’s seventh album combines the intimacy of its previous studio disc, Sky Blue Sky, with the experimentation of A Ghost Is Born in a set that boasts strong melodies and often unabashedly pop arrangements.

Willie Isz – Georgiavania
Acclaimed producer, lyricist and singer Jneiro Jarel teams up with Goodie Mob’s Khujo Goodie.

Wu-Tang – Chamber Music
Chamber Music’s throwback sound features a combination of live instrumentation and new RZA beats shaped in a classic old-school soul type of vibe, reminiscent of the group’s classic 36 Chambers sound but with a completely updated, modern twist. Includes newly recorded verses from every key member of the group, plus affiliates Cappadonna, Killah Priest, Street Life and more.

DVDs:

Rob Thomas – Something To Be Tour: Live At Red Rocks
Featuring 18 hits from his solo career and Matchbox Twenty, this set also includes a special acoustic arrangement of “Smooth” and a cover of the David Bowie classic “Let’s Dance.”

Misc:

GG Allin “Throbblehead”
This ghoulish effigy is a striking representation of GG Allin, circa 1991. The figure, limited to 2000 numbered units, stands at 7 inches tall and is made of a lightweight polyresin. Displayed in a tri-windowed box, this bobblehead GG is accurately sculpted right down to the tattoos, blood, and filth. GG Allin Throbblehead (Bobble head).

First Levon Helm survived throat cancer, then, improbably, he started singing again. And then, astonishingly, he returned to form. While his voice is thinner than during his days with The Band — he is 69, after all — Helm still brings the grit, that marvelous blend of Ozark country, blues and gospel.

His first album after recovering, 2007’s Dirt Farmer (Vanguard), was a treasure, an absolutely genuine slice of Americana that won the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album.

Its followup, Electric Dirt, is another triumph, extending the reach of Farmer while retaining its rustic character. The new disc, released Tuesday, June 30, is not simply a plugged-in extension of its predecessor. Although electric guitars pop up now and again, it’s still largely an acoustic album. The addition of horns on four tracks — two arranged by Allen Toussaint and two by Stephen Bernstein — gives the new one an added dimension, some extra oomph.

The horns get into the act right way with a springy version of the Grateful Dead’s “Tennessee Jed,” which has a decidedly Band-ish feel and kicks off the disc with a great deal of exuberance.

“Growing Trade,” written by Helm and his producer (and multi-instrumentalist) Larry Campell, evokes Band classics such as “King Harvest and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” The song, which documents the plight of a small farmer who’s turned pot grower in order to survive, is capped off with the poignant lament “I used to farm for a living/ But now I’m in the growing trade.” Swelling female background vocals (including those of Helm’s daughter Amy) intensify the tune’s sense of overarching regret.

A couple of lively shuffle blues — two by Muddy Waters, “Stuff You Gotta Watch” and “You Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had” — provide more effervescence, while the ballad “Heaven’s Pearls,” with its somber organ, adds the aroma of a back-country church.

With Richard Manuel and Rick Danko dead, and Helm and Robbie Robertson estranged, a Band reunion is out of the question. But Levon’s recent forays into authentic American music serve to open a new, improbable chapter in his career and help keep the spirit of his old group alive. (Vanguard)

Electric Dirt is currently streaming in its entirety on Entertainment Weekly’s website.