Top Picks: Regina Spektor's 'Remember Us to Life,' 'Star Trek Beyond' on DVD and Blu-ray, and more

Hosts Greg Young and Tom Meyers delve into the history of New York City with the podcast The Bowery Boys, Netflix's 'The Crown' depicts the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, and more top picks.

Gem-filled album

If somehow you’ve missed out on the considerable charms and delights of singular songwriter Regina Spektor, you’ve got a chance to catch up with the New York-via-Moscow native. Her superb new album, Remember Us to Life, is effervescent, wise, compassionate – every cut is a gem. Her facile piano chops and expressive voice allow the 11 songs to move from intimate confession (“Obsolete”) to Beatlesque pop heights (“Older and Taller,” “Sellers of Flowers”). Spektor is the rare artist who keeps raising the bar and then leaping over it.

Beyond appealing

The crew of the USS Enterprise returns for a new adventure with Star Trek Beyond, which is available on DVD and Blu-ray on Nov. 1. Monitor film critic Peter Rainer wrote of the film, which features the return of actors Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana, “The actors work so well together that they reinforce the series’ central appeal: This crew is like family.”

Plane facts

International travelers and those fascinated by air travel will all find something interesting in the video Big Plane vs Little Plane (The Economics of Long-Haul Flights), which was created by Wendover Productions and looks into how Boeing and Airbus embrace two different strategies for air travel. The video explains what these planes mean for travelers and for the future of flight. Find it at http://bit.ly/longhaultravel.

New York history

Hosts Greg Young and Tom Meyers delve into the history of New York City with the podcast The Bowery Boys. A recent particularly intriguing series examined the Bronx and its past. Find the podcast at http://www.boweryboyshistory.com.

Royal TV

Members of the British royal family such as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are recognized around the world, and now Netflix has created a series imagining the reign of the queen. Claire Foy and “Doctor Who” actor Matt Smith star as the royal couple trying to navigate the challenges of married and public life. The first season of The Crown premières on Nov. 4. This one’s for the adults who are interested in the royals.