1 British newcomer Adele was an unpolished, emotional folk-pop singer on her debut, "19." On her new "21," she has blossomed into a full-blown bluesy soul singer, bursting with emotion on these I've-been-wronged songs. After winning the Grammy for best new artist for her debut, she has delivered big time the second time around. Out Tuesday.
3 Brooklyn cartoonist GB Tran crafts a stunning portrait of his family's lost history in the graphic novel "Vietnamerica." The 288-page epic follows Tran back to Vietnam, where he discovers the pain and heartache that led his parents to flee their homeland for an entirely new set of problems in the United States. Tran's lavish artwork is perfect for this story, which swishes back and forth between time periods and throws the reader into a wonderful tailspin.
2 Best rap video about south Minneapolis ever? For their new single, "Midtown Livin'," the Illuminous 3 rhyme the virtues of their favorite South Side haunts. These are spots you won't see in a Minneapolis tourist guide: Pineda Tacos, the 5-8 Club, Bill's Chinese Garden, Chicago Lake Liquors and the Midtown Global Market, to name a few. www.illuminous3.blogspot.com
4 The language flows like jazz in August Wilson's classic "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" at the Guthrie. Director Lou Bellamy delivers a masterful staging of this 1920s drama about the blues queen's struggles in a white- and male-dominated world. Powerhouse Jevetta Steele is pitch-perfect as the title character while James T. Alfred's trumpet player is alternately cocky, wounded and heartbreaking. (See story on page E7.) www.guthrietheater.org
5 Seeing Pauley Perrette out of character while presenting a Grammy reminded us how terrific she is as tattooed, goth-loving forsenic scientist Abby Sciuto on CBS' "NCIS." Abby is so smart, eccentric and real that you want to hang out with her after work. Drinks? We're buying.
