Baby Dee Safe Inside The Day The transgender harpist presents her luxuriant cabaret with help from Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy) and Matt Sweeney. The sound is heavenly, but her silly vocals are a deal-breaker. — Jake Swearingen 
Listen: "The Only Bones That Show"
The Mars Volta The Bedlam in Goliath Five years and four albums in, the LA-based nü-proggers are conjuring up distorted howls, bombastic drums, and schizoid guitar noodling. Compared to their previous insanity, however, Bedlam is a little tame. — Steven Leckart
Sia Some People Have Real Problems Since 2005's hit "Breathe Me," the Australian songstress and Zero 7 alum has been creating kooky YouTube videos and this, her third album, a Feist-y, airy crowd-pleaser of jazzy electropop. — Eva Kokopeli 
Listen: "Electric Bird"
The Pirate's Dilemma Matt Mason Today's copyright scofflaws may be tomorrow's bold entrepreneurs. This entertaining survey introduces us to IP outlaws like 22-year-old Japanese designer Tomoaki Nagao, who made big bucks ripping off Nike for his line of crisp Bape Sta sneakers. Pirates are appropriating music, clothes, software, you name it. And when open source technology and 3-D printers put the means of (re)production in the hands of a billion more 25-and-unders, it will be good news for everyone — even Nike, which skipped a lawsuit, Mason contends, because Nagao created new customers for the swooshy giant's own products, too. — Eric Smillie
Nerds David Anderegg Psychologist Anderegg tackles all the big questions: Are geeks different than nerds? Does Bill Gates really have Asperger's syndrome? Do nerds have better sex? (Yes, no, very possibly.) Despite the author's frequently cheeky tone, this is a serious book, with more science than you might expect. As to Anderegg's personal prejudices for or against his Rubik's Cubetwiddling subjects, the full title says it all: Nerds: Who They Are and Why We Need More of Them. Also, his last name is an anagram for "a nerd egg." You don't have to be a nerd to notice that, do you? — Mark Horowitz
PS3 Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Nathan Drake is determined to prove he's Sir Francis' heir by unearthing El Dorado. Naturally, his tomb-raiding adventure is riddled with Indiana Jonesian snags — sheer cliffs, firefights, and booby traps. The elder Drake's handy annotated journal minimizes mental exertion, leaving players free to soak up the sweet tropical landscapes and enjoy Nate's macho banter with rival treasure hunters. — Mary Jane Irwin
Xbox 360 Mass Effect In this epic sci-fi RPG, you are an elite intergalactic agent tasked with — you guessed it — saving the universe. The game lets you customize your avatar's appearance and abilities — play as a male or female, a jerk or a saint. Your choices shape the way the action unfolds and how other characters respond to you. In fact, conversation can sometimes prove a more effective gambit than conflict. The freedom is jaw-dropping, as are the gorgeously lifelike characters and worlds. — Mary Jane Irwin
