After decades of lagging behind L.A. and NYC, Chicago is now a hotbed of hip-hop. After Common, Kanye West, and Lupe Fiasco comes Kid Sister, the literal sister of Flosstradamus member Josh Young. More mall rat than hood rat, Kid Sister’s break came with “Pro Nails,” a dance-floor anthem featuring Kanye West that bumps more like Monie Love than any of modern hip-hop’s tried (and worn-out) formulas. It’s clear that Kid Sister is trying something different, mixing electro pop and synths on the bubblegum “Life on TV” and using “Let Me Bang 2009” to confess, “At least I’m tryin’ kinda sorta sorta kinda/Rap more about some girlie shit/Rather than bump and grind.” It’s fresh and original.

The 30-year trail of wreckage behind Aussie rockers AC/DC includes 16 studio albums, one deceased singer, and countless shattered eardrums. This boxed set collects the songs that were left by the side of the road, including 18 studio rarities and 29 live tracks, stretching back to a blazing live version of “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” from ’77. Among the best outtakes are the sleazy STD homage “Crabsody in Blue,” originally yanked from Let There Be Rock, and the original single version of “High Voltage.” But the real gold is in the roof-burning live takes of staples such as “Shot Down in Flames” and “Shoot to Thrill.” The set also includes a DVD of AC/DC videos and a live DVD from Germany that shows three decades haven’t slowed them down—just made them meaner. 

You didn’t dream of screwing with the clergy in medieval Italy. But when Ezio Auditore da Firenze’s father is wrongly executed, the nobleman turns assassin and takes up the blade to exact revenge on the corrupt politicians, businessmen, and men of the cloth who conspired against his family. With the help of family friend Leonardo da Vinci’s brilliant inventions, the assassin brings new flair to the art of killing, infiltrating enemy strongholds with flying machines, wielding two blades for simultaneous instant kills, and bringing gunpowder to knife fights. After the kill, lose pursuers in the streets of Venice, Florence, and Rome by running across rooftops, dodging down alleys, and hiding under objects. Romans got you cornered? Try a smoke bomb and live to slay another day. 

Mayor John Fetterman took over a dying town and began tattooing the date of every murder committed under his watch. But can one reber mayor save post-industrial America before it tears him apart?

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Heidi Minx's interview with comedian and founder of Funny for Fido, Justin Silver.

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Spend more time with your cars than with your girlfriend? Look into counseling and clear your schedule. With 400 road burners from 50 manufacturers, Forza 3’s garage makes Jay Leno’s car collection look like a used car lot. The second Forza title in three years delivers even more grease monkey realism with a new physics system that includes tire deformation, car flips, and a cockpit view, while the career mode boasts over 200 different events. Drivers who can’t tell a stick shift from an automatic can still get into the race with new features aimed at making the experience more accessible, like an auto-braking system to help on those nasty hairpin turns and new race-rewind controls that let you erase the fatal mistake that sent you spinning into the stands.

They pioneered metalcore, then spent a decade pushing its limits. Now Atreyu talk about who they are, where they've been, and why sometimes it's a good idea to wear long sleeves in Orange County.

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With gamers suffering from a Guitar Hero overdose, it’s time for turntables to take center stage. With consulting help from legendary artists Jay-Z and Eminem, this hip-hop take on Guitar Hero’s addictive gameplay wins over wannabe mix masters with its turntable controller that features a sample button, cross-fader, and a record platform for scratching. Playing as characters such as DJ Jazzy Jeff, Grandmaster Flash, and even the late DJ AM, you’ll combine over 100 iconic songs from a diverse group of genres to create unique mash-ups—like M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” and Eric B. & Rakim’s “Eric B. Is President”—you won’t hear anywhere else. Plug in a Guitar Hero guitar for some multi-instrument co-op, or fuel your party with an automated playlist when you’re spinning.