The Short List of Things to Do

Week of Sept. 26

Jenny Lewis' Acid Tongue

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Teed up for a solo breakthrough, the ex-child actress and Rilo Kiley singer delivers a dud. Lewis' singing is as lean as ever, but her songs — once models of dramatic efficiency — sprawl with misplaced ambition; more adventurous (with themes, tempos, minutes per track) does not necessarily translate into more meaningful. Only the title cut, with Lewis singing gently over a guitar about a performer's life and lies, sticks.

Grade: C

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

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September 26

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