The Swimmers, an indie rock band from Philadelphia, released their new album "People Are Soft" earlier this month. Katy Metcalf describes it as "incredibly cohesive in its sound and production … a fantastically solid listen." Check inside to see why.

With "New Moon" opening in theaters Friday, there's no escaping the hype about Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. And that's just fine with Eleni Yannelis. "The original 'Twilight' novel made the New York Times' Best Sellers list, so I am not alone in my fascination with a teenage girl and her undead love interest who happens to be a 'vegetarian' vampire who sparkles in sunlight."

"New Moon" is finally coming out! For those of you who aren't "Twilight" fans, it's also a good week in music and video games, with new albums from John Mayer and Norah Jones and the release of "Assassin's Creed II." On the concert front, violinist and Uni alum Chris Otto returns to town with the JACK Quartet for two performances at the Krannert Center.

Writer Stephen Clarke introduced the character of Paul West in his 2005 comic novel, "A Year in the Merde." The book's success has led to three more novels about the likable Englishman living abroad. "Paul West really grows on you," writes Eleni Yannelis. "He's overworked, oversexed, and nostalgic for Anglo-Saxon ways. You can't help but fall in love with such an amiable character."

The title of "the scariest movie of all time" has been thrown around with many great horror movies, and recently "Paranormal Activity" has been called just that while grossing more than $100 million. Reviewer Will Fernandez went to go see what goes bump in the night.