TOP PICK — VIDEO GAME
Medal of Honor
(EA)
The Call of Duty series is still the war-based, first-person shooter to beat, but this revived franchise (for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) comes close. Taking a cue from Call of Duty, the action moves to Afghanistan, and the battle-scarred wastelands make a frenzied playing field. Both the campaign and online multiplayer get mighty heated. Bring your itchy trigger finger.
DVD
Ladies & Gentlemen ... The Rolling Stones
(Eagle Rock)
There are tons of Rolling Stones concert films out there ... some are legit, some aren't. This one has never been officially released before, and it's a goldmine. Filmed in Texas during the band's Exile on Main Street tour, the performances are sloppy, druggy, and downright brilliant at times. Be sure to watch it on Blu-ray so you can see every sequin in Mick Jagger's jumpsuit.
VIDEO GAME
NBA Jam
(EA Sports)
One of the year's best games for the Wii is a reboot of the old-school basketball classic. Of course, players are updated, but you can play just like you did back in the day or try some fancy new moves in tweaked modes. Either way, it's still totally awesome to smash a backboard in your opponent's face or send flaming balls through open nets. Boom-shaka-laka!
BOOK
Becoming Elektra: The True Story of Jac Holzman's Visionary Record Label
(Jawbone)
This lavish history of the venerable record company (which started out with folk music) is packed with colorful photos and stories from the '60s and '70s. The book stops in 1973, when Holzman stopped calling the shots there, but his years were filled with classic records by the Doors, the Stooges, and MC5. The galleries of groovy album covers from the '60s are priceless.
CD
Jefferson Airplane live albums
(Collectors' Choice)
These four albums have never been released, and each holds a key show. There's a 1966 set spotlighting the last concert with singer Signe Anderson; there's another, one night later, featuring Grace Slick's debut. And another one from 1966 when the band found its groove. The final album gathers a 1968 club show at the height of the group's popularity. Pass the bong.
