1. "The Namesake" (Film)

Mira Nair's films are always rich in cultural color and detail, and this one, based on Jhumpa Lahiri's novel, is no exception. Expanding the novel's early section — concerning the marriage of Ashima (Tabu) and Ashoke (Irfan Khan), the movie looks at the complexities of living across two cultures. While they keep hold of their Indian legacies, their children — especially Gogol (Kal Penn) — cling to their New Yorkness, coming to appreciate their background late and through adversity. — Cynthia Fuchs

2. Datarock (band)

Norway's Datarock delivers like honest-to-god dance-punk deities. Drawing one of the largest crowds at the recent by:Larm festival in Norway, their meticulously rendered Talking Heads riffs jangled proudly over Fredrik Saroea's Devo-esque vocals as the band's members worked the room into a body rocking frenzy. Tailor-made for the LCD Soundsystem set, their most recent release lands in the U.S. via Nettwerk later this month with a tour to match, so hop on the horse — this one's actually worth riding. — Andrew Phillips

3. Lanu This Is My Home (CD)

Lanu shows his experience as a global DJ, giving eclectic, Moog-and vocal-heavy up-tempo sounds reminiscent of musical influences Jazzanova and Jeff Mills. He also draws from the soul styles of James Brown and Marvin Gaye by layering these dance tracks with hard-hitting lyrics that get to the heart of his social consciousness. Fans of the Thievery Corporation jazz-lounge sound or those interested in the jazz-funk-soul fusion will want to add this to their collection. — Courtney Tenz

4. "Heart of the Game" (DVD)

Smart, engaging and superbly put together, this is a sports movie, a coming of age story, and a social justice saga. It follows the brilliant high school basketball career of Darnellia Russell. Frequently compared to "Hoop Dreams," it also does important work that great film does not, foregrounding issues specific to girls, including the subtle and unsubtle limits on options for girls with ambitions. Happily, it also shows ways around. — C.F.

5. Amon Tobin Foley Room (CD)

Filled with densely packed effects, noises, field recordings and instrumentation, this is an album of grandiose detail. This sort of rhythmic collage has been attempted often in electronic music, but rarely on anything approaching this scale. Tobin builds evocative music from everything within his reach, inviting us to scrutinize the exposed sounds whenever possible. The magic here is in the unveiling — an unveiling that will gratify for many, many listens. — Nate Dorr

6. "South Park" (TV)

You'd think after 10 terrific seasons, the creative team behind TV's best-animated series would have run out of ideas. But slacker satirists Trey Parker and Matt Stone promise that Season 11 is on course to be the show's most contentious — and comic — ever. And with the ever-maddening world of politics, personalities and pop culture to pick from, that's no big surprise. — Bill Gibron

8. "Mafioso" (Film)

First released in 1962, this was a hit at the most recent New York Film Festival, and it's easy to see why. By turns charming and comic, it parodies mafia movie conventions before they were conventions. Alberto Sordi plays Nino, whose life is turned upside down when he finds himself indebted to a Sicilian don. While the plot is quirky, the technique is brilliantly ahead of its time, full of close, weird angles and evocative shadows. — C.F.

8. Duane Moore (book character)

Larry McMurtry's enduring literary creation is back for one last time in "When the Light Goes," a bizarrely sexed-up finale to the "Last Picture Show" pseudo-series. Duane is still anxious, still depressed. He's lost his wife, his kids have moved on, and now the ever-dying town of Thalia has finally bitten the dust. Hope is almost lost when Annie arrives — young, blonde and in need of sexual education. Duane, even at 65, just might have something to impart. — Nikki Tranter

9. Joe Ely Happy Songs from Rattlesnake Gulch (CD)

This finely crafted, confident and energized CD is too sarcastic and swampy for its title to hold true. Smirks and cottonmouths are what I hear, and that's just dandy. Who needs Kumbaya campfire numbers, anyway? On his latest album, the veteran singer-songwriter is fueled by the sounds of the South and a renewed vigor. This is another great album in the Ely canon. — Michael Keefe

10. "WarioWare: Smooth Moves" for the Nintendo Wii

If picking nose hairs and shaking bugs off bananas don't strike you as tasks that would make for a fun gaming experience, this aims to prove you wrong. While the Wii controller might initially have been perceived as a gimmick, "WarioWare" revels in it. This game has a certain demented brilliance that makes it equally fun and ridiculous to play and watch someone else play. — Arun Subramanian

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