CD of the Month
Minutes To Midnight
Artist: Linkin Park
Format: CD
Label: Warner Bros, www.warnerbros.com
Rating: 5
After years of anticipation, Linkin Park has finally dropped their third album, Minutes to Midnight. And in the millions of minutes that have passed, their sound has evolved, giving rise to a mature Linkin Park. Don't get me wrong, you'll rock out to "Given Up," "What I've Done," and "No More Sorrow" on your morning commutes, but "Bleed it Out" is the only track that blends Shinoda's flow with Chester's vocals. The other eight tracks extend the band's range, infusing diverse sounds ranging from U2 to Postal Service-but only more cool. -Carter Jung
Ellen Allien
Album: Fabric 34
Format: CD
Label: Fabric London, www.fabriclondon.com
Rating: 3
What it sounds like: "Electech" rather than eclectic would be the best way to describe Ellen Allien's music, a term even she created herself. Fabric 34 is an intense look into the deeper channels of techno and minimal electronic, which at times can sound abstract, yet musically confusing. It's far from your Alice Deejay party mix tape. - JW
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen
From: 20th Century Fox
Rating: 5
Yes, it's the movie that spawned bad Kazak imitations in cubicles across America, including ours. Borat's totally worth watching for the first 15 minutes and bits in between, but be quick to hit the fast-forward button on your remote for the rubber fist scene.- Jonathan Wong
Flash Survivor GT
From: Corsair, www.corsair.com
Price: $129.99
Rating: 4
Capable of storing 8GB of data and still take a beating, the aluminum-encased Survivor keeps files safe under adverse conditions. So, neither typhoon nor tornado will keep you from staring at those shots of Lindsay Lohan's fire crotch. Shockproof and water-resistant up to 650 ft, this handy thumb-drive guarantees speedy content retrieval, no matter however many times it's dropped. - SS
Mi Adidas
From: Adidas, www.miadidas.com
Price: $150-200
Rating: 5
Enhance your shoe game with a 3-step process from the original sneaker pimps: 1. Hit up an Adidas store in New York or San Francisco. 2. Scan your feet for individualized fit. 3. Personalize by picking colors and materials, then wait 4 weeks for the fly kicks to ship. Voil - instant dopeness. - Scott Steinberg
Emusic
From: eMusic.com, Inc., www.emusic.com
Price: $9.99 and up
Rating: 4.5
Screw iTunes. For audiophiles, this is the place to be, offering a set number of downloads per month starting at $9.99 for 30 songs (just .33 per tune). Unlike other subscription services, it lets you freely copy to a CD or MP3 player on-command. Eclectic selection aside, eMusic is a must for any music lover. - SS