Underrated / Overrated

Laura Veirs’ ‘July Flame’: We’ve long been charmed by this Pacific Northwest singer-songwriter’s unique way with a song, and her recently released new album takes all the rustic instrumentation, delicate melodies and disarmingly poetic lyrics of her past albums and seals them in pristine amber. With help from My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, this is the perfect album to chase away the winter blues.

‘Northern Exposure’: Thanks to KVCR’s airing of this series’ entire run, we’ve happily gotten reacquainted with the quirky citizens of Cicely, Alaska. We can’t fully endorse its last few seasons when “The Sopranos’ ” David Chase led the show to characteristically angst-fueled territory, but in the early ‘90s this unfussy comedy-drama captured simple, human pleasures in a way that seems impossible in 2010.

‘Pineapple Express’ (2008): We were suspicious of this product of the Judd Apatow comedy empire that started with “Freaks and Geeks,” and we weren’t mistaken. We love the keep-it-rolling riffing that spawned gold in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up,” but it just added up to a lot of yelling in this unfunny stoner comedy. Glad the cast had fun, but next time can we be in on it too?

The Team Conan movement: Our Irish roots held oursympathies with Conan O’Brien from the get-go in NBC’s ugly late-night mess. And though even your dog can tell “Coco” got a raw deal, the grass-roots movement behind him would like to recall the support shown Iranian protesters and Haitian earthquake victims. Perspective, people. Unless it involves actual news, TV really isn’t worth holding rallies about.