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Top Picks: Band of Horses' 'Why Are You OK,' 'Hail Caesar!' on DVD and Blu-ray, and more

Malcolm Gladwell turns to the podcast format with 'Revisionist History,' 'Hamilton' takes the spotlight at the Tony Awards, and more top picks.

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PBS
  • By Staff

America’s famous residence

Check out the history behind the most well-known house in the United States with PBS’s The White House: Inside Story. Interviews with presidents and first ladies as well as other inhabitants reveal the unique place the White House holds in popular culture and behind-the-scenes tales of what it’s really like to live there. The program airs on July 12 at 8 p.m.

A true album

Band of Horses’ fifth album, Why Are You OK, is the kind of record that should be played on a turntable between spins of the Byrds and Neil Young. ”Whatever, Wherever” and “Country Teen” will rotate you back to the amiable California country rock of the Eagles and “Wild Horses”-era Stones. “Why Are You OK” is an album in the best sense – unspooling stories, emotions, and sounds that are easy on the ears but impactful on the heart.

Coens on Hollywood

The Coen brothers turn to the long-ago days of Hollywood with Hail Caesar!, which depicts the life of a man who solves and conceals the problems of movie stars. The film, which features a star-studded cast that includes George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, and Tilda Swinton, is sharp and amusing. It’s now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Relearn history

Malcolm Gladwell’s books have always been a pleasure to read, and now he’s trying out the podcast with Revisionist History, which, according to Gladwell, looks at “something that I think has been overlooked or misunderstood” in history. The first episode tells of a painting that became a sensation, but the painting’s eventual success sheds light on how society sometimes treats women. Find the podcast at http://revisionisthistory.com.  

Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Thrilling theater

The cultural phenomenon Hamilton is, in the words of President Obama, “a civics lesson our kids can’t get enough of,” and the public got a peek at the musical about Alexander Hamilton at the recent Tony Awards – no mean feat considering the price of tickets. Check out the cast in a stellar performance of the songs “History Has Its Eyes On You” and “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)” at http://bit.ly/hamiltontonys. 

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