New York City-area fans of The Wire and its music can meet stars of the series today at the HBO Shop in Manhattan. Cast members will be signing copies of the show's two soundtracks on Nonesuch and DVDs of the first four seasons, all at the HBO Shop at Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street today at 11:30 AM. Stop by to meet the cast and pick up your copy of the soundtrack the Guardian says inevitably brings with it a "rush of Wire memories."

As the Guardian recently wrote, listening to The Wire soundtrack ... and all the pieces matter inevitably brings with it a "rush of Wire memories." This week, fans of the show and its music in New York City can enjoy that rush all the more when cast members from the series stop by the HBO Shop to sign copies of the soundtracks and DVDs of the first four seasons.

"The Wire is not your average drama," says the Guardian, and "like every other element of The Wire, the music never lets you down." Music plays an integral role in The Wire's realistic look at inner-city life in an ever-struggling Baltimore. This leads the soundtrack to be "as real, or at least as electrifyingly lifelike, as anything else in the show." Advertising Age names the soundtrack the current "pop pick."

In a four-star review of The Wire soundtrack ... and all the pieces matter, the Independent declares: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that The Wire ... is the most consistently excellent tele-drama of this millennium," with its music "a large factor in the show's impact." In keeping with that high-set bar, the soundtrack itself offers "a compelling array of hard-hitting cuts."

B'more Live, an online guide to Baltimore nightlife, features an article on Beyond Hamsterdam, the soundtrack from HBO's The Wire featuring selections from the city's local club music scene. The article includes feedback from a number of the artists on the album that gives a good idea of what defines the unique Baltimore sound. Says pianist Lafayette Gilchrist of his first encounter with the music after moving up from DC: "People heard Baltimore club and they were ready to climb the walls."