The performances of the 25 finalists were as diverse as ever with emotional ballads, mock opera, classic pop and a half-hearted attempt at some hybrid-rap.

BBC: Norwegians celebrate in Moscow

Filtering classic rock and pop hooks through a willfully lo-fi aesthetic a la Pavement or Guided by Voices, Philadelphia's Dr. Dog sounds both timeless and immediate.

NPR: Dr. Dog: Classic Rock and Pop Made Simple

Filtering classic rock and pop hooks through a willfully lo-fi aesthetic a la Pavement or Guided by Voices, Philadelphia's Dr. Dog sounds both timeless and immediate, as only the best music can.

NPR: Dr. Dog: Timeless and Immediate

If Garlin fills his film with knowing allusions to old pop culture, such as Jackie Gleason, classic movies, and jazz LPs, he does it with a point: his modern world is a thin and lonely place.

NEWYORKER: I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With

And one of the methods that I have done is for some of the smaller plants is to take just, you know, your classic, you know, two-liter pop bottle.

NPR: Vegetable Gardening On A Budget

But classic tracks from Roxy Music, T Rex and Iggy Pop did make it into the film.

BBC: Digging the glam rock goldmine

And just as TRON: Legacy has come back to pop culture relevance after a long hibernation, Commodore 64 has been relaunched with the same classic look, but all-new, modern-day technology on the inside.

FORBES: Gaming Goes Back to the Future with Commodore 64 Relaunch

As Khalifa deals with the classic dilemma of the successful musician stay true to independent roots or chase the larger pop prize one demographic trend perhaps playing to his advantage is the recent legalization of marijuana for recreational use in Colorado and Washington.

FORBES: All-Time High: Wiz Khalifa's Next Big Step