With the release of her first studio album, Janelle Monáe is setting some high standards. The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III) is currently one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2010. Following her extended play release, Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase), The ArchAndroid continues the story of Cindy Mayweather – an android sent back in time to save the citizens of Metropolis from a secret society called the Great Divide. Yeah, this is serious stuff. With musical influences coming from a variety of sources, Monáe seamlessly incorporates multiple genres like hip hop, rock and funk. This musical style, along with the unique theme, makes things exciting to say the least.

Who doesn’t root for a serial killer that kills other serial killers? Dexter, the wildly popular Showtime series, is available in a convenient, multiple season box set. Whether you are new to the series or a veteran who knows all about “The Code of Harry,” you should add this to your media collection. Following the psychotic mind of Dexter Morgan, you are thrust into a story of twists, turns and the occasional gruesome homicide. It is part murder mystery, part psychological thriller, but all crazy. One thing is for sure, Dexter is definitely someone you want on your side and not the other way around.

The newest iteration of the classic video game fighter offers 35 different combatants to choose from, along with a slew of game modes and online competition. The Street Fighter series has come a long way since the release of Street Fighter in 1987. With over 40 Street Fighter titles, in more than 10 different series, Capcom has had plenty of time to perfect the system. This experience is shown in Super Street Fighter IV. It has taken all the high points of each game and refined many, if not all, of the shortcomings to create an excellent edition – worthy of the Super Street Fighter title. Go get your hadouken on.

Design conscious travelers have been raving about Phaidon’s Wallpaper* City Guide. Written by the magazines travel experts, in-house and local to the featured cities. Problem: at The Swag Mag, we’re not fans of looking like we don’t know what we’re doing and city guide’s are the ultimate “Hey, I’m not from around here, so just screw me now!” sign. Solution: Phaidon has released a number of their guides as an iPhone app. Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Paris, Rome, and Tokyo are now your playground with cool features like photo galleries, widescreen video, and the ability to save your favorites.

Giving Planet Earth a run for its money, David Attenborough returns to narrate another BBC masterpiece of our big, blue planet. Life brings more of the same astonishment that its predecessor did, but instead of breaking down the footage by area, this series focuses more on the organisms that populate the Earth. As most chapters focus on only one animal species, the viewer is taken to different locations throughout the world. Led by the wonderful narration of David Attenborough, the dialogue offers insight without being obtrusive and transitions each scene seamlessly. Who knew learning could be so awesome?