Collected Thoughts 08-25-09

• Mere Mortals, a highly under-appreciated LA-based rock outfit, have a killer new website. There's also a new album in the works (the stuff I've heard is rad) and I understand there a Japan tour in store this fall. I'm sure the Mimi Star blogging will be hilarious.

• I thought Pitchfork's review of Fol Chen's record was pretty fair. I myself didn't love the record, mostly because I prefer the grittier, rockier live show... but I thought P4K would like the album better.
  
  Alternately: "A 6.9? Couldn't they at least give it a firm 7.0? Fucking Pitchfork hates Los Angeles!"

• In case I don't get to it myself, Web In Front is absolutely right, the new Manhattan Murder Mystery EP is a wonderful little gift.
  

• Your new favorite band, as explained by a flow chart.

• This should have been the last-ever Hipster Runoff post.
  

• Ann Powers' exploration of what the Beatles videogame means to music is terrific. (No surprise there, Powers is always terrific.)
  
  That said, I've always found an inherent contradiction that "rockism" can be attributed to later-day the Beatles catalog. After all, the "brooding in the studio with headphones" thing is also the domain of hip-hop instrumental track and contemporary pop music producers.
  
  I find the "rockist vs. poptimist" debate limiting. I think "rockism" is correct to a certain degree, though I tend to strongly disagree with the racial connotations that come with being a rockist. I also think the poptimists' insistence on the importance of female girl groups is absolutely correct. But in general, the "brooding" rock music is more thoughtful and wanting pop music to be equally intellectual just because one wishes their personal preference to go toe-to-toe doesn't make it so; when something is disposable, it is disposable.

• Speaking of pop music... "Roundball Rock," the old NBA on NBC theme, written and arranged by John Tesh, is one of the 20th century's greatest pieces of music.
  
  (Skip to 1:16 if you want to get to the point)

• Segue and Proclamation: En Vogue was the greatest pop act of the 1990s.
  
  I love En Vogue in this Salt N Pepa video. Look how they take the era's parallel alternative rock clothing style, urbanize it, and turn it on its head:
  

• More pop music... Mariah Carey was never hotter than the "Dreamlover" video. Watching that video makes my dick feel like it is 11 years old again.
  

• UH, WAT.

• Pee-Wee Herman is coming to The Fonda and I'm going. "Beavis, this is the greatest day of our lives."
  

• Someone had a Gundam Wing themed wedding. HORRIBLE.

• Gamers. *sigh*

• Classic Internets: The Nicholas Cage Japanese Pachinko ad reel:

• The Singularity is Near!

• Cyberpunkarific.

• Cyperpunkarific Pt 2.