Now that Jay Leno has settled back into "The Tonight Show" and Conan O'Brien has taken a decidedly different tactic to stay in the minds of the masses, we can finally get back to really focusing on the guests of your favorite talk shows (rather than the hosts themselves). It's Oscar hangover week, which means that there will be plenty of movie awards post-mortem discussion care of some of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
But even though everybody will be talking about "The Hurt Locker" and its win over "Avatar," there is still an amazing batch of music on tap this week. "The Late Show with David Letterman" has an eclectic week of music: Lady Antebellum on Monday (March 8), Broken Bells (the collaboration between Danger Mouse and Shins frontman James Mercer) on Tuesday (March 9) and veteran goth punkers Alkaline Trio on Wednesday (March 10). Meanwhile, "The Tonight Show" features some excellent musical counter-programming, including Joan Jett and the Blackhearts on Tuesday and Colbie Caillat on Thursday (March 11). Leno will also chat with Oscar winner Christoph Waltz on Tuesday, "The Runaways" star Kristen Stewart on Wednesday and reality icon Kim Kardashian on Thursday.
Not to be outdone, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" will welcome Corinne Bailey Rae on Monday night and Manchester Orchestra on Wednesday. But as always, the best music lineup belongs to Jimmy Fallon, who will have live performances from Ted Leo, Broken Bells, Allman Brothers and Vampire Weekend all this week — truly something for everybody. Think you can stay up extra late? Stay tuned for "Last Call with Carson Daly" this week, as he'll have T-Pain on Tuesday and Weezer on Thursday.
"Lopez Tonight" is usually a must-miss, but anybody who digs WWE should check out Tuesday night's show, which features former "Raw" writer Freddie Prinze, Jr. and iconic former champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
The highlight of the week will be found in an unusual place. Tune in to "Live with Regis and Kelly" on Wednesday, because Ludacris will be the guest co-host. The Battle of the Sexes rapper will be interviewing Bret Michaels, which should make for an incredible piece of television.
Which talk show guest are you most looking forward to this week? Let us know in the comments!