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Cultural Currents You Need to Know 

Selected by Elizabeth Babbit

Music

OK Go: Oh No
Capitol
An international hit on YouTube with its video featuring a dance routine performed on treadmills, the group OK Go is all the rage. The music, which resembles a mix of Franz Ferdinand, Weezer and The Hives, is fun, catchy and versatile. Beyond treadmill workouts the music is a great backdrop at parties, in the car or while cleaning the house.

Christina Aguilera: Back to Basics
RCA
Showcasing her amazing vocal range on jazzy blues, soul and swing of the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s, the double-disc CD features a different side of Christina Aguilera. While it may not be for everyone, the album pushes her past other artists as she delves into her artistic side and shows love for her idols.

Fatboy Slim: Greatest Hits: Why Try Harder
Astralwerks/ EMD
This great compilation disc by Fatboy Slim (aka Norman Cook) proves what a genius he is at combining dance, hip-hop, rock, electronica, funk and other forms to create something that has mass appeal. Featured in many movies, his music is refreshing and engaging and makes you want to dance.

TV on the Radio: Return to Cookie Mountain
Interscope Records
With its first major label debut, NYC indie-rock band TV on the Radio has all the critics talking. Named on many lists as one of the best albums of the year, the band’s gritty, distinctive and, at times, soulful sound provides an edgy escape for its listeners.


Lizz Wright: Dreaming Wide Awake
Verve Forecast
Creating an intimate connection with her listeners, Lizz Wright jumps with ease from folk to pop to blues and gospel. A true talent who can sing and compose, Wright has impressed a legion of listeners and delivers without compromising herself or her music.

Books

Stuart: A Life Backwards
By Alexander Masters
Dell Publishing, ISBN: 0385340001
This unconventional biography of Stuart Shorter, a homeless man, is written in the vein of a mystery novel after author Alexander Masters showed the first draft to his subject who thought it was boring. Learning of Shorter’s personal demons and struggles proves heartbreaking, but the book is intelligent and witty, and a subplot keeps the reader thoroughly engaged.



Juicing the Orange: How to Turn Creativity into a Powerful Business Advantage
By Pat Fallon & Fred Senn
Harvard Business School Publishing, ISBN: 1591399270
“Fun” and “entertaining” aren’t often used to describe a business book, but this is one of the exceptions. Using solid examples of failed and successful marketing campaigns, the authors show the reader a way to build creativity into a company’s business model and culture and how to capitalize on that creativity.

To Air Is Human: One Man’s Quest to Become the World’s Greatest Air Guitarist
By Björn Türoque (with Dan Crane)
Penguin Group, ISBN: 1594482101
After playing competitive air guitar for more than two years and becoming the second-greatest air guitarist in the nation, guitarist and New York Times writer Dan “Björn Türoque” Crane decided that second place was not good enough. This is a surprisingly interesting and funny memoir that chronicles the author’s adventures from hobby to attending the World Air Guitar Championships in pursuit of his ultimate goal: airness.

Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Black Book of Connections: 6.5 Assets for Networking Your Way to Rich Relationships
By Jeffrey H. Gitomer
Bard Press, ISBN: 1885167660
Author of “The Little Red Book of Selling” and various other titles, Gitomer’s new book provides tips on how to achieve success through networking. This useful guide offers some practical information and stresses that the thought process is the key to succeeding. A great little book to have on hand or in the office.

Heat: An Amateur’s Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany
By Bill Buford
Knopf Publishing Group, ISBN: 1400041201
A fascinating glimpse into what it’s like to be in an apprenticeship program with a chef superstar. With a quick pace and authentic voice, Buford takes the reader through the different roles of an apprentice and chef to reveal why the art of cooking and creating is not as easy as one might think.

 

DVDs

Pink Floyd: Pulse
Sony
Capturing Pink Floyd’s 1994 tour that featured selections from their 1973 album “Dark Side of the Moon,” this two-disc DVD is a great addition to any collection. Besides the excellent songs and musicians, the production of the DVD is top notch, with restored concert footage, videos and miscellaneous tour information.

The Office: Season Two
Universal Studios
This hilarious show recently won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series.It features Steve Carrell and other entertaining actors who work together in a paper-supply office. Shot documentary style, the clever writing and comedic chops of all actors make this show worth watching.



Pinky and the Brain: Volume 1
Warner Home Video
A spinoff from “Animaniacs,” this cartoon about two genetically altered mice (one is a genius, the other is insane) who want to take over the world is an original that was way before its time. With references to pop culture and witty dialogue, the cartoon succeeds on many levels, even winning an Emmy for the episode “A Pinky & the Brain Christmas.” 

V for Vendetta (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Warner Home Video
A unique movie combining politics and action and set in the future, this sci-fi action movie is entertaining and thought-provoking. The two-disc special edition has many extras, including numerous scenes and commentary on how the film’s futuristic sets were designed as well as the theatrical trailer.

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