The Short List of Things to Do

WEEK OF JULY 11

The Hold Steady's Stay Positive

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These rock jams about aging hipsters from a band of aging hipsters are cut-rate Springsteen, right down to Craig Finn's croaky vocals and keyboard-riff rapture. But suckers for the veneration of things white people like (water towers, daddy issues, Joe Strummer) and fear (aging, townies, not being cool) will undoubtedly be charmed.

Grade: B

November 28

The new Elvis Costello television series, Stephen Colbert's Christmas Special and Chungking Express on DVD

November 21

The Monty Python Holy Grail on DVD, Gears of War 2 for the gamers, Bolt in movie theaters, and more

October 10

The good cheer of Happy-Go-Lucky, reliving the amazing life of John Lennon, cathing up with The Starter Wife on TV, and more

October 3

Greg Kinnear, in Flash of Genius, Richard Jenkins in The Visitor, Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married, and more

September 26

Jenny Lewis in the record stores, Dennis Lehane's The Given Day in bookstores, The Lucky Ones in movie theaters, and more