Silverman's Gold

TV's funniest gal tops this week's pop-culture picks.

Silverman swings into her second season this week.
Silverman swings into her second season this week.
TOP PICK -- The Sarah Silverman Program
(Comedy Central)
Our favorite potty-mouthed comedian returns for a second season of her terrific TV series at 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday. After Sarah joins a community group because they serve awesome desserts, she realizes that it's actually an anti-abortion collective hellbent on bombing a local clinic where her sister works. Meanwhile, gay neighbors Brian and Steve face off in a heated game of Dungeons & Dragons.

CD -- Labrador 100: A Complete History of Popular Music
(Labrador)
You've probably never heard of the dozens of artists who perform the 100 songs on this four-disc box. Too bad, because this overview of Swedish indie-label Labrador contains many criminally ignored gems -- from shoegazing space rock to sparkly dance pop. Some groups recall more famous artists (Swedes do the Magnetic Fields and Belle and Sebastian!). Our favorite, the ethereal Douglas Heart, sounds like nothing on this planet.

CD -- Prefab Sprout: Steve McQueen: Legacy Edition
(Legacy)
These British popsters created a flurry of critical buzz back in 1985, when this album was originally released. Frontman Paddy McAloon's songs about falling in love and breaking up still hold up on this two-disc reissue, which tags on new acoustic versions of several McQueen tracks. "When Love Breaks Down" was a minor hit, but together, the 11 songs form a tunefully elegant portrait of doomed romanticism.

DVD -- SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 5, Volume 1
(Nickelodeon)
This two-disc set gathers the first 20 episodes from our favorite yellow, absorbent sea creature's latest season. "The Krusty Sponge" -- which features a bitchy food critic and meat-eating zombies -- provides sharp satire of pop-culture sellout. But best is "Friend or Foe," in which longtime rivals Mr. Krabs and Plankton come to terms with their thorny past.

VIDEO GAME -- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
(EA Sports)
Hot on the heels of Woods' 60th PGA Tour title, the latest outing of his signature game (for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, etc.) picks up some cool features -- including one where gamers can slap pics of their faces onto golfers. We also like the Confidence Meter, which remembers every swing and adjusts for errors. Plus, the online GamerNet allows players to share their most awesome shots mere seconds after they sink them.

COURTESY FLUSH, PLEASE -- SXSW Live 2007
(Shout! Factory)
Austin's annual bash is the year's most buzzed-about music fest. But you wouldn't know it by this drowsy DVD, which skips over most of the bands you've heard of in favor of a bunch of groups still searching for that big break. The Bravery and Peter, Bjorn & John check in with the best performances, which are culled from a mere two clubs out of the dozens that host each year. Did we mention that the Bravery is a highlight?