TOP PICK — CD
Dropkick Murphys: Going Out in Style
(Born & Bred)
We can't think of a better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than with the latest album by these Boston punks. In the past, Dropkick Murphys always seemed to take the easy way out. But Going Out in Style — a concept album about an Irish immigrant — rocks hard. Even the bagpipes will kick your ass. Bonus: Bruce Springsteen chimes in on the traditional "Peg O' My Heart."
CD
Adele: 21
(Columbia)
There's nothing as great as "Chasing Pavements" here, but at least the British singer's second album is more consistent than her 2008 debut, 19 (the titles reflect her age during recording). It's more varied too, from the pulsing "Rolling in the Deep" to the torchy "Turning Tables." The only song she didn't write, the Cure's "Lovesong," came out a year after she was born.
DVD
Burlesque
(Sony)
Last year's gayest mainstream movie is way more fun to watch at home, where the camp appeal (especially of star Cher and heir-to-the-throne Christina Aguilera) comes through loud and gaudy. The plot (small-town girl Xtina wants to shake her ta-tas in a big-town show) is soggy, but the big show-stopping musical numbers (and there are plenty of them) are fabulous!
DVD
Fish Tank
(Criterion)
This 2009 indie hit comes to Blu-ray in a splendid package. The movie centers on 15-year-old Mia (a terrific Katie Jarvis), who lives in a crappy part of England with her mom. Her life looks totally bleak until her mom's new boyfriend (played by Inglourious Basterds' Michael Fassbender) comes along. Three great bonus shorts by director Andrea Arnold are included.
CD
The Yardbirds: Little Games
(Sundazed)
Jimmy Page made only one album with the Yardbirds before he decided to disband and reconfigure them as Led Zeppelin. It's this 1967 fuzzy classic, which includes the title tune and Page's pretty instrumental "White Summer" (which Zeppelin also used to play). Best of all, this new reissue (which tags on two bonus cuts) includes a rare mono mix of the album.
