Check It. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

It's been twenty-three years since the original, and Oliver Stone is back with a sequel. Michael Douglas is in his role as Gordon Gekko, and Shia LeBeouf and Carey Mulligan bring new young talent to Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. Great title, first of all.

Mulligan is Vogue's October cover girl, and in every role she takes on, she impresses. LeBeouf seems to be Hollywood's latest golden boy, and I think he deserves it. And Michael Douglas, well, he really needs no explanation.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is out today, September 24, in theaters nationwide.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: filmofilia.com

Check It. Maroon 5's Hands All Over.

For the majority of high school (and well into college) Maroon 5's debut, Songs About Jane, was constantly playing in my car. It's rare that an album is listenable all the way through, and this one was not only listenable, but enjoyable straight through.

Yesterday the L.A.-raised and based band released a new album, Hands All Over, and I'm very much looking forward to new driving music.

Maroon 5 will be playing the Greek Theatre in Los Feliz October 8 & 9.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: A&M/Octone

Check It. Sheryl Crow's 100 Miles from Memphis.

Sheryl Crow has an undeniably awesome voice, and she's always great to listen to and has an element of freshness, although she's been around awhile. I saw her in concert in 1996 or 1997, and more than ten years later, she seems about the same. Sure her hair is blonder and straighter, and she's had her share of pictures in the weekly gossip magazines, but she's still singing quality music that people want to hear.

Her latest album, 100 Miles from Memphis, came out last Tuesday. I thought about not writing about it today as "new music" since it's not a new release today, but then found it appropriate that Sheryl Crow music doesn't have to be brand new to be appreciated, because all her songs feel like classics. So here are 12 more classics for the Sheryl Crow collection. With a country influence, of course--something I think serves her music very well.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: A&M

Check It. On DVD today.

We've written about both A Single Man and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but in case you didn't make it to the theater to catch them, I'm here to let you know they are both available on DVD today.

A Single Man is a true art film--each shot is beautiful, and really makes you want to exist in the highly stylized world you see on screen. Colin Firth is lovely, as always.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first film made from the super popular Swedish book series by the late Stieg Larson. There are some really intense parts--it's no walk in Norrviken Park--but is interesting in each moment, and it's worth seeing so you can keep up as the series progresses.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: ftape.com

Check It. New DVD releases.

Today is a big day for DVD releases--Crazy Heart, Avatar, The Young Victoria, and The Lovely Bones. All of these were big awards season films, so it's pretty exciting that they can now be watched in the comfort of your own home.

I actually have only seen Avatar from the power list, but I'm going to check out Crazy Heart (the film 'the Dude' won an Oscar for!) as soon as possible.

If you liked Emily Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada, she's supposed to be fantastic in The Young Victoria.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: musiccourt.files

Advance Notice. New Animal Collective.

We started the year with January's Merriweather Post Pavilion and now we can bookend 2009 with even more new tripped-out tunes from Animal Collective.

The new EP Fall Be Kind already leaked last week, but if you would like a physical copy, Domino is taking your pre-order for the December 14^th release now. Will it get to your house in time to wrap and give as a Christmas gift to the hipster in your life? Maybe. Otherwise, keep it for yourself, because you deserve it. Check-out the first track, “Graze,” below: