Pop Picks: The hottest trends from the pop-o-sphere

ARTIST OF THE WEEK: The Hold Steady

The endearing attraction about The Hold Steady is that their selfish attitude to songwriting is not forged out of arrogance. It's just a way for Craig Finn to say "if I wasn't in his group I'd be in the pit watching them." This, and a purposeful defiance to pander to the accepted rock and roll game - no asymmetrical haircuts to dress up elaborately-designed style-mag covers; no piercing cheekbones to hang the affections of feigning rock chicks (and critics) - is both refreshing and unprecedented in an age when most new artists seem to come shrink-wrapped in ‘Barbie boxes' and an "American Idol" tie-in. - Kai Jones

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: Nas

Nas' insight into dealing with black identity and race relations is staggering on "Untitled," and he never once sounds pretentious or preachy. He addresses the issues from a mature, intellectual and rational point of view. Just as Bob Dylan became music's representative of Beat generation writers, Nas has become hip-hop's literary ambassador to the values of scholars like Michael Eric Dyson, Cornel West and Ivan Van Sertima. - Anthony Henriques

LISTEN

John Mellencamp: "Life Death Love and Freedom" (CD)

This is a folk-blues album, and the music is often spare and eerie, lending a prophetic air to Mellencamp's visions. The music comes straight from the collective unconscious of the American people, imbuing the songs with a timeless mystique. Mellencamp has adopted the persona of an old bluesman here and rather than sounding pessimistic, he sounds frighteningly realistic, like someone who has seen enough to know when the deal has gone sour. - Michael Franco

WATCH

"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (dir. Guillermo del Toro)

Our synapses shouldn't fire this liberally or often, and yet "Hellboy 2" makes the overload feel good. This is big screen fantasy as a wish fulfillment free for all, a far out fairytale told in the most intricate of celluloid calligraphy. Luckily, del Toro makes room on his crowded canvas for moral fiber and subtext. More than just a collection of setpieces showing off the best of CGI and other F/X, this is a deep meditation on magic and how civilization has lost touch with its ethereal power. - Bill Gibron

READ

"Chronicle of a Plague, Revisited: AIDS and Its Aftermath" by Andrew Holleran

In 1988, a compendium of Holleran's essays on AIDS in New York was released under the title "Ground Zero," which is now out of print. Thus, Holleran was encouraged to return to his columns by a publisher fearful that one of gay history's most significant narratives was already slipping into obscurity. "Chronicle" is more than just a reissue it's a complete reconsideration. The result is a first class document, at times laugh out loud humorous, at others sickeningly, chillingly distressing. Essential reading. - Olly Zanetti

PLAY

"Myst" (Nintendo DS)

Having replayed the game all the way through on the DS, I found myself discovering a new take on this classic PC game. Whereas before I found "Myst" to be an obtuse series of puzzles with nice scenery, playing it again made me focus a lot more on the plot. Maybe it's because I already knew how to beat the game and wasn't too inhibited by the puzzles, but I found myself really enjoying the game's narrative elements. "Myst" is a rich and metaphorical story with profound comments about our relationship with video games and human nature. - L.B. Jeffries

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