1 There's no denying the still-catchy-after-all-these-years songs of the Four Seasons, but what makes "Jersey Boys" such an unqualified triumph at the Orpheum Theatre is the plot, pacing and performances, especially Joseph Leo Bwarie as Frankie Valli. We can't take our eyes off this little guy with his dramatic intensity and soaring tenor that is so high he doesn't need falsetto to seduce us. He might be better than Frankie was in his prime. www.hennepintheatretrust.org.

2 Her voice evokes Adele's -- with more depth, sass and humor. Davina and the Vagabonds' sensational new "Black Cloud" deserves a blue ribbon. It's one of the best local albums in years. "Cloud" is filled with pop, Southern soul, gospel, jazz, blues, R&B, cabaret -- all with a New Orleans accent, thanks to the spunky and versatile Vagabonds horn section and Davina Sowers' deliciously soulful and Southern voice.

3 In her charming and chatty book, "The Wilder Life," Wendy McClure sets out to explore all things Laura Ingalls Wilder and "Little House" -- churning butter, sleeping in a covered wagon, twisting hay into burnable sticks, grinding seed grain for bread. She also makes pilgrimages to Laura's various little houses, in Pepin, Wis.; Walnut Grove, Minn., and De Smet, S.D. You know she's a kindred spirit when, early on, she refers to Laura's arch-rival, Nellie Oleson, as "Miss Thing."

4 The best drama on TV this spring isn't "NCIS," "House" or "The Good Wife." It's this season's hotly contested NBA playoffs. Always there to break the tension is ABC analyst extraordinaire Jeff Van Gundy, who balances unexpected popular references with trenchant, fearless basketball commentary. Just the other day JVG made another LOL comment out of nowhere: "Why not me at the royal wedding?"

5 Fleet Foxes' highly harmonious misty-mountain folk rock maintains its charm but already sounds a little formulaic on the Seattle band's second album, "Helplessness Blues." There's one track that stands high above the rest, though: "Lorelai," a love song with a lilting beat and a "Norwegian Wood"-like melodic base, gorgeous enough to raise all those beard hairs toward the sky. Out Tuesday.