The spirit of former Dave Matthews Band saxophonist LeRoi Moore, who died during recording from complications from an ATV accident, infuses every bit of Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King.  His licks open and end the album, and Matthews sings quite clearly about his missing friend on several tracks, most notably “Why I Am” — but rather than feeling morose, Groogrux King instead seems to be a celebration, a fitting tribute to a musician whose sax had helped define so much of the band’s sound.  First-time DMB producer Rob Cavallo brings a welcome warmer, more lush tone to this record.

Grade: B

(Sometimes — not always, but sometimes — these 100-word constraints are problematic.)

Metric provide catchy, edgy New Wave which blindsided me, burrowed its way into my brain, pitched a tent, rolled out its sleeping bag and now refuses to leave.  Emily Haines’ voice, which vacillates between sweet and throaty, isn’t overpowering or bombastic, but it doesn’t need to be:  its softness works well with the band’s solid pop hooks and James Shaw’s fuzzy guitar licks.  Some of the lyrics take a serious turn toward the vapid, but I’m willing to forgive that affront when the melodies are this strong, such as on “Sick Muse,” “Girls Gold Guns,” “Gimme Sympathy” and “Satellite Mind.”

Grade: B+

That title?  Yeah, pretty accurate.  FOX debuted this show — about a high school glee club made up mostly of rejects — to start building some early buzz for it before it begins its run this fall.  I hope it works.  The music throughout is infectious, both the a cappella background music and their use of 80s classics intoxicating (”Don’t Stop Believing” indeed).  I’m looking forward to seeing more of this cast, especially Lea Michele as the talented, determined Rachel.  It’s a joy to see a show with such an optimistic bent shine out in the sea of darkness currently on TV.

Grade: A-

FYI:  You can still catch the whole pilot episode for free on Hulu

ETA: It’s also available on iTunes, if you want to the file to go. (Thanks for the update, Adam!).

Supergroups aren’t so much in vogue anymore, but Tinted Windows — Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger (bass), Smashing Pumpkins’ James Iha (guitar), Hanson’s Taylor Hanson (vocals — yes, really, that Taylor Hanson) and Cheap Trick’s Bun E. Carlos (drums) — might just re-spark the trend with how good their debut is.  Schlesinger’s insanely catchy songwriting is all over this thing and Hanson’s vocals fit the upbeat, muscular pop perfectly.  Unsurprisingly, Tinted Windows sounds like Fountains of Wayne with a big extra helping of testosterone.  ”Messing With My Head” and “Can’t Get A Read On You” stand out among the album’s eleven addictive tracks.

Grade: A-

If Little Earthquakes was a towering first-inning leadoff home run, Tori Amos‘ last few albums have all been solid stand-up doubles.  The Beekeeper was a Pete Rose-style sliding-headfirst triple.  Abormally Addicted to Sin, though, is a weak hit into the shallow outfield followed by an errant throw to first, so that the runner manages to reach second anyway.  (Okay, that metaphor is now officially abused.)  It’s certainly not bad, but it’s far from her best work:  I’ve listened to it four times and still haven’t found a single song which grabs me enough even to note its name.

Grade: B

I kept hearing that the Coen Brothers‘ Burn After Reading was a comedy — while there’s certainly some funny bits and situations in here (mainly from Brad Pitt), it’s hard to think of it as a “comedy”. According to the Coens themselves, it’s mostly something of a character exercise.  Those characters are brought to vivid life by a stellar cast which includes six Oscar nominees or winners (not counting the Coens themselves): Pitt, Clooney, McDormand, Swinton, Malkovich, Jenkins.  But the story’s lacking and there’s no real ending.  The total doesn’t come close to measuring up to the sum of the parts.

Grade: C+

21st Century Breakdown is no American Idiot…but that’s really praising with a faint damn, as Idiot is my favorite album of this century so far, and Breakdown is certainly a worthy follow-up. Breakdown may not be as musically cohesive as Idiot, but that’s on purpose: more songs here venture into new territory and incorporate different styles and genres (though always maintaining vintage Green Day punk-pop sensibilities). Billie Joe Armstrong’s gift for catchy pop melodies — still among the strongest in the business — shines throughout these 18 songs, most notably on the title song, “Know Your Enemy”, “Peacemaker” and “21 Guns.”

Grade: A

(Apparently I should note the fact the illustration above was indeed by me — seems that wasn’t obvious at first, which I totally take as a compliment!)

If you’ve read any of Carl Hiaasen’s other novels, you know what to expect from Skinny Dip:  oddball characters, witty dialogue, ridiculous circumstances, and more than a little of an environmental bent.  (And, if you haven’t read any of his stuff, then now you know what to expect.)  Joey Perrone’s douchebag husband (yes, Joey’s a woman — this book takes place in Florida, not New England) tries to murder her by throwing her off a cruise ship; she spends the next 300 pages surreptitiously getting even (he thinks she’s dead, of course).  And we get some Everglades history as a bonus, too.

Spirits in the Wires was the first Charles de Lint book I’ve read (thanks, Lisa!), but it surely won’t be the last.  de Lint’s particular brand of urban fantasy hit just the right notes with me, especially given the focus on the Internet in this book: a website existing as an actual place in another dimension and sucking people into itself through the ‘net?  Ridiculous, maybe, but exactly my kind of ridiculous.  His characters (many of whom, it seems, were supporting players in his other “Newford” novels) all feel like real people with real lives dealing with extraordinarily unreal circumstances.

Grade: A-

Dear Seth Rogen,

While I appreciate your desire to stretch yourself and try other sorts of characters (Observe and Report), this movie is why we like you:  you play good-hearted and lovable (and seriously potty-mouthed — you work Kevin Smith’s spectacularly foul dialogue perfectly) well.  You even made it seem plausible that the way-hotter-than-you Elizabeth Banks could be interested in you.  I have to say that I wasn’t expecting a movie about making porn to be quite as sweet as it was, and a lot of that was thanks to you.  Bonus points for — unlike Jason Mewes — keeping your penis off-screen.

Grade: B+