Much like New York, the city that defines his sound, Adam Green is in a hurry. Maybe that’s why all 13 songs on the former Moldy Peaches member’s latest release, titled Minor Love, clock in at well under the three-minute mark. And perhaps that’s why this is Green’s sixth album in eight years.

The thing about opening bands is, they rarely serve their intended purpose. Sure an act comes out, plays a mini set, and endures audience neglect and outright abuse in the name of hocking a few t-shirts and EPs, but as far as serving as a delicious appetizer to the musical main course to follow? Nine times out of ten you’re better off cruising the bar for attractive singles, or more practically, earplugs. Maybe that’s why the combination of co-headliners El Perro del Mar and Taken by Tress make such a shockingly successful paring. Both are thoughtful female singer/songwriters from Sweden with slightly off-kilter vocals, the only question is: what took them so long?

On her debut solo album, soul-pop singer/songwriter and former Jealous Girlfriends vocalist Holly Miranda is a reflection of the company she keeps. But that’s not to say she rides coattails. Her point of view shines on The Magician’s Private Library, but through the lens of TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek, who served as producer.

So this is what Charlie Kaufman has wrought. One had to wonder what effects Kaufman’s flights of fancy (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Adaptation, etc.) would have on Hollywood.

Madame Xanadu: Exodus Noir collects issues 11-15 of the DC/Vertigo series. I mentioned when reviewing the House of Mystery: Halloween Annual No. 1 last October that the art of Amy Reeder Hadley in the Madame Xanadu chapter was a standout. Accordingly, I was excited to review a chapter of Madame Xanadu, and somewhat disappointed when I discovered that Hadley was not the artist in this trade. But that disappointment didn’t last long.

Is it possible that certain traits are latent within every musician, rising to manifest themselves openly in some cases while lying dormant in others? If Of the Blue Colour of the Sky is any indication, the four men of OK Go have reemerged in 2010 for an unabashed unveiling of their funky side.

Where to start with Mysterius the Unfathomable? I suppose it should be the creators, who were able to combine so many wonderful elements into this story that it must have been their clarity, vision, and cohesion that created this standout tome.

Few contemporary directors are as consistent as Tim Burton—consistently frustrating, that is. Though still blessed with an agreeably dark sensibility and a knack for striking visual design, Burton makes movies that are a treat for the eye, but it’s been far too long since he’s engaged the heart and head as confidently. Maybe that’s why it’s little surprise that his latest effort, Alice in Wonderland, is exactly what you’d expect from a Tim Burton film—unfortunately.

Depending on who you talk to, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon is either a brilliant song cycle from the musical and lyrical genius of Roger Waters, or one of the most bloated examples of classic rock conceptual excess, ‘70s style. No matter on which side of the debate you fall, no one can argue the album’s success in appealing to the masses and continuing to prove an important touchstone of musical youth.