Underrated/Overrated

UNDERRATED

Kneebody: Years ago this adventurous instrumental quintet was a fixture at Santa Monica’s Temple Bar, and even though its members now are scattered in different cities, the group still sounds vital. The new “You Can Have Your Moment” is a study in jazz without borders, mixing touches of experimental post-rock with flashes of the funky atmosphere of Miles Davis’ electric period. Catch them at the Angel City Jazz Festival next Sunday.

Maura Tierney’s TV comeback: As devout fans since her days with the inspired lunatics at “NewsRadio” in the ‘90s, our hearts sank with the news of her departure from NBC’s “Parenthood” last year in light of undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Now Tierney is back with the courtroom drama “The Whole Truth” on ABC, and we’re thrilled about her recovery. Now, if we could just get her back to doing comedy with Dave Foley…

OVERRATED

The campaign behind ‘Life as We Know It’: While there are plenty who surely relish the sight of Josh Duhamel in his skivvies on the many billboards trumpeting this comedy, we’re already not sold. Although there’s surely a very funny movie in a story of new parents in 2010, the idea of one that compares a man-child in briefs with an infant in diapers for first-impression laughs gives us a sneaking suspicion this might not be it.

Phoenix: Far be it from us to rain on anyone’s musical parade since there were few bands that scored summer 2009 as well as these French purveyors of stylishly electro-dusted guitar pop. But as fun as spritely confections such as “Lisztomania” and “1901” are, we’re wondering if the magic can last for a follow-up, because as we really think about those hits, we’re hard-pressed to tell much of a difference between them.