CULTURE JAMMING -- SEPTEMBER 16

TOP PICK

Curb Your Enthusiasm

(HBO)

The good news is that Larry is as cranky as ever on the seventh-season premiere (which airs at 9 p.m. Sunday on HBO). The better news is the Seinfeld reunion that’s part of Curb’s storyline this year. But first you’ll have to watch Larry squirm his way through a new relationship now that he’s single.

CD

Chris Bell: I Am the Cosmos—Deluxe Edition

(Rhino Handmade)

Bell was a founding member of Big Star who left the power-poppers in 1972. He died in a car accident six years later. In between, he recorded a bunch of songs that were eventually released in 1992. This expanded reissue adds a disc of alternate versions and a few unreleased songs. A must-hear for Big Star fans.

DVD

Doctor Who: The Next Doctor

(BBC)

This special outing of the cult sci-fi show was originally broadcast overseas on Christmas Day. Appropriately, the hour-long episode takes place during the holiday, when the doc is transported back to 1851 and bumps into a man who may or may not be a future version of himself. Extras include a concert of Doctor Who music from the Royal Albert Hall.

CD

Smokey Robinson: Time Flies When You’re Having Fun

(ROBSO)

Robinson celebrates his 50^th anniversary of making music with his most solid album in years. India.Arie, Carlos Santana and Joss Stone all show up to help out, but it’s Robinson’s quiet-storm love songs and still-sweet voice that fuel these baby-making tunes. The bonus cover of the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” is a poignant tribute to a fellow Motown star.

DVD

Unwigged & Unplugged

(Courgette)

This souvenir from Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer’s recent tour includes live versions of songs heard in This Is Spinal Tap and A Mighty Wind. There’s also plenty of storytelling and joke-telling onstage. Best of all, Spinal Tap’s debut (from director Rob Reiner’s 1979 TV show) is one of the extras. --Michael Gallucci