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A thoughtful Nitpick comes our way from Jim Cosby of Philadelphia–presumably no relation to the “Fat Albert” Cosbys of Philadelphia, but who knows? “The first Nitpick concerns the dismissive, overly-generalized tone of your entry for power-pop [p. 96],” writes Jim. “Reading your entry, sirs, it would seem that it is some sort of crime to not be as good as the Beatles! If this is the case, perhaps we should all just drive on down to Sam Goody’s–no Wal-Mart–and buy the most recent Rob Thomas album and just quit! Is this what you want?” [Our response: It is indeed a crime not to be as good as the Beatles; why don’t people try harder? Arrogant mucker though he is, Lou Reed labored mightily to come up with his own, as-good-as-the-Beatles thing, and it paid off. But whoa, go easy on the Rob Thomas threat! We’re backing away slowly... put down the weapon.]

“Second,” continues Jim, “this leads me to what I would think would be your most embarrassing omissions, of both the Posies and Teenage Fanclub.” [Our response: Both bands, while “indie” of nature, lack a certain Snob je-ne-sais-quoi; too many reasonable, nice people like them. Indeed, Teenage Fanclub’s Grand Prix is such an unremittingly pleasurable album to listen to that no Thurston Moore acolyte would know what to make of it.]

“Third,” Jim goes on, “Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens [in the Big Star entry, p. 10] do not simply tour with ‘adoring acolytes.’ They tour with what is the reconstituted Big Star, which is a very firm lineup of Chilton and Stephens but also Posies founders Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer (new album and new tour this year, by the way).” [Our response: Stringfellow and Auer are the very definition of adoring Big Star acolytes. And their Amazing Disgrace album was aptly named, a perfect example of a power-pop band not trying hard enough. (Though the previous album, Frosting on the Beater, was almost as much of a joy as Grand Prix.)]

“Also of note,” says Jim–our last indulgence of him, we promise—“Stringfellow is thus a current memeber of the Posies, Big Star, and is a permanent sideman for R.E.M., thus achieving a rare Rock Snob trifecta–and making the above omissions all the more inexcusable.”

Further research revealed that “Jim Cosby of Philadelphia” is an anagram for “Ken Stringfellow’s mother.”