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Monday Morning Pick-Me-Up: Leonard Nimoy, The Helio Sequence, and 'The Last Man on Earth'

We'll always have your hobbit song, Mr. Spock.

By Seth Sommerfeld March 2, 2015

The Helio Sequence is back for more.

LISTEN Portland indie rock duo the Helio Sequence just released "Stoic Resemblance," the first song from the band's upcoming self-titled album. With a video featuring Emanuele Kabu's colorful animations, the track features more of the group's signature swirling soundscapes and boasts an intricacy seldom seen by two-piece acts. The new record comes out via Sub Pop on May 18, and fans can hear new songs live at a special acoustic performance at the Triple Door on March 31.

WATCH America has a problem maintaining its infrastructure. This isn't news to anyone, especially Washingtonians, who keenly remember the Skagit River Bridge collapse in 2013. Last night on Last Week Tonight, John Oliver dug into the problem in the revealing and comedic way that has become his show's hallmark. There's plenty of sobering info in the package, but there's also an superbly crafted star-studded trailer for Infrastructure, a fake, not action-packed blockbuster about the minute details of maintaining bridges, dams, etc.

NEW SHOW ALERT Last night Fox debuted its new comedy The Last Man on Earth. The show stars Will Forte as... well...the last man on earth (curveball, I know). He lives an existence of pure slobby freedom in Tucson, Arizona. If you've seen a commercial for the show and wondered, "How the heck is this premise going to sustain a real show that last multiple episodes," don't worry, it gets addressed in short order (in the best way possible). Bonus: The team of Phil Lord and local boy done good Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, 21 and 22 Jump Street) codirect the two-episode premiere.

READ Last week saw the finale of NBC's beloved Parks and Recreation. Over seven seasons, Leslie Knope and her crew of Pawnee parks misfits delivered one of the most consistent runs in sitcom history. This of course led to a slew of goodbye articles all around the web, but perhaps the most interesting one came from Sam Donsky at Grantland, who argued that the show's much-maligned first season was actually its best. (Considering it took me four tries to get into the show because the initial episodes were such a slog, I tend to disagree, but the argument is convincing enough to make me waver.) Or if you're a Parks and Rec fan and that's not your thing, you could always watch April and Jerry engage in a hilariously intense make out session during the end of the cast's postfinale appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER Star Trek legend Leonard Nimoy passed away on Friday at the age of 83. The actor helped turn Mr. Spock into one of the most iconic characters in sci-fi history. Let's remember happier times when he sung about hobbits.

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