
Smashing Pumpkins - "If All Goes Wrong" (2 disc DVD) - Next week The Pumpkins will finally be back in Chicago for four shows, but until then you can pick up this new feature-length documentary that chronicles the band's 2007 residencies at venues in San Francisco and Asheville. Disc 1 includes the documentary, while disc 2 features a live concert of 14 songs recorded during the residencies.
The Smiths- "The Sound of the Smiths: The Very Best Of" (basic and deluxe editions) - For all the hoopla that has surrounded The Smiths and Morrissey in recent years as being a major influence on bands such as The Killers, Interpol and Franz Ferdinand, there haven't been numerous compilations churned out to capitalize on it. That's what makes this one so appealing, with the deluxe edition offering two discs packed with 23 tracks each. Disc 1 serves as a comprehensive "best of," while Disc 2 features B sides, live tracks and other rarities.
The Flaming Lips - "Christmas on Mars" (DVD and CD) - Seven years in the making, this film by the always off-kilter Flaming Lips was written and directed by frontman Wayne Coyne and tells the story of the first Christmas after the colonization of Mars. The project, in all its psychedelic, spacey glory, was being screened at Lollapalooza and other festivals this summer (see #8). The DVD comes with an audio CD of the score.
Cheap Trick - "Budokan!" (30th Anniversary DVD and 3 CDs) - The legendary Illinois band finally release the video of their famous 1978 concert in Tokyo, which was only shown once on Japanese TV. Also included are two remastered CDs of the complete concert as well as a single-disc CD counterpart of the film.
The Postmarks - "By the Numbers" - The indie pop of Miami's The Postmarks met with critical acclaim when they band released their debut LP last year. Today, they release an LP of cover songs, all of which contain numbers in their titles. The album includes tracks originally by David Bowie ("Five Years"), Blondie ("11:59"), The Byrds ("Eight Miles High") and The Jesus and Mary Chain ("Nine Million Rainy Days"), among others.