It’s getting less unusual hearing favorite songs on television — whether in commercials or on bona fide shows. Less unusual, but still plenty fun: A Billboard article (thanks for the tip, Christopher) looks at some new ‘08 shows and their musical content. The ’70s Ice Storm-seeming Swingtown will include an original score by Liz Phair amid “licensed tracks” and key parties:

Created by Mike Kelley (”Jericho”), executive-produced by Alan Poul (”Big Love,” “Six Feet Under”) and music-supervised by Gary Calamar, the show will make use of tracks by Gary Wright, Rita Coolidge and Captain & Tennille.

Then there’s the HBO drama True Blood, produced by Six Feet Under’s Alan Ball:

Based on the “Southern Vampire” book series, the show, set around a Louisiana roadhouse, follows the adventures of vampires who, thanks to advances in the manufacture of synthetic blood, no longer have to bite necks to survive. “The soundtrack will be swampy, bluesy and spooky,” music supervisor Gary Calamar says. “C.C. Adcock is a good idea of the core sound.” Jim White, Joseph Arthur and Slim Harpo will also be heard, but Ball and Calamar are open to new sounds as well.

A show about vampires, eh? Someone send Alan the Blue CD-R. One-upping all the aforementioned (sorry, Liz), ABC’s “one-hour comedic drama” Eli Stone will bring us George Michael in the flesh. Not that George Michael:

When the ["lawyer with a heart"] title character, played by Jonny Lee Miller, begins to feel he might be a prophet, he receives his celestial communications in an unusual form: via pop stars crooning past hits. The pilot has Stone interrupting an act of coitus to answer the call of “Faith” being sung by a very real George Michael. The artist has reportedly signed on to appear in several more episodes.

Wait, Mr. “I Want Your Sex” (whether in a bathroom, officer, or whatever) interrupting coitus? Wham! Well, one more try, right? There’s something creepier after the jump.