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."

While on the set filming Sweeney Todd in the UK, Helena Bonham Carter, who plays the Demon Barber's cohort in crime, Mrs. Lovett, spoke with the Independent about the role she'd waited a lifetime to play. It wasn't a role that was simply handed to her, either, despite her relationship with the film's director, Tim Burton. It was only when the show's composer, Stephen Sondheim, gave her the OK that Bonham Carter's place was secured, and the couple could "burst into tears" of joy.

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."