I’ve been listening to a lot of different (for me) music lately—thanks to Pandora, which does tend to repeat itself after hours of playback—but after I’ve had enough of these guys I like to return to my own stuff in iTunes. Nothing like an ear vacation to make those same tired albums sound new again.

So anyway, yesterday, I noticed something about two of my most favorite messy-pretty songs:

“Stars” by The Clean

and

“Rising of the Sun” by The Rabble

The names of the bands and the titles of those songs are total opposites. Weird, huh. Also weird: The Clean are from New Zealand, as well as another band called The Rabble, but not this Rabble, who came from Canada in the ’60s.

I thought it was interesting! But then I’m pretty boring.

Is it dreary where you are? Here are a couple of nauseatingly cute videos to start your Monday off with:

I get that there’s an egg in your hand, but girl, you can skate faster than that.

When does this bus make a transfer?

I love both of these songs and singers, but I’m nearly cringing myself out of my chair here. Really, ladies? You have the tiny piano in the street. Drumsticks but no drum at the bus stop. Geeky guy with balloons. Geekier guy with a laptop. Adorable little girls. A roller skating nurse, with a neck brace? (Okay, that was kinda cool.) You’re cute; you’re singing about hearts and dancing. You’re meeting people and singing the lyrics of the song to them, as if in conversation—definitely always embarrassing.

So I watch a lot of music videos online. What are some more of the craziest/cutest?

So I was listening to Ticklah Vs. Axelrod and thought I’d check if there was anything on YouTube for the song “Pork Eater.” There isn’t an official video but I found this, which I watched twice immediately:

This is a literal and totally brilliant translation of the music video for “Take On Me” by A-ha, showing you what can happen when the song being sung actually matches the contents of the video. It’s been making the rounds online for a while now, but watch it if you’ve missed it. It made me realize that my most favorite lyrics from songs actually tend to be pretty straightforward, yet still manage to be poetic.

Here are some of my favorite easy lyrics:

Seven-Up, I touched her thumb,
And she knew it was me
Although she couldn’t see,
Unless of course she peeked

Built to Spill, “Twin Falls”

You’re no rock n’ roll fun
Like a piece of art
That no one can touch

Your head is always up in the clouds
Writing your songs
Won’t you ever come down?

Sleater-Kinney, “You’re No Rock N’ Roll Fun”

Here comes Tiffany
My best friend, Tiffany
Wearing a size too small of sweater

Me and Tiffany
Dressing up pretty
We love to ride, we love to canter

My best friend Tiffany
She is so popular
We’re going from site to site
And pool to pool tonight

Liz Phair, “Girls’ Room”

I met Ferdinand de Saussure
On a night like this
On love he said
“I’m not so sure
I even know what it is
No understanding
No closure
It is a nemesis
You can’t use a bulldozer
To study orchids”
He said, so
We don’t know anything
You don’t know anything
I don’t know anything
About love

The Magnetic Fields, “The Death of Ferdinand de Saussure”

Of course, nothing can ever really beat a good and crazy song by Beck, who himself changes the lyrics to his songs all the time live.

If, like me, you’re a little slow to pick up on new music because you’re too busy listening to your other music, well, let me be the one to introduce Fleet Foxes to you, because they’re amazing. I’ve been hearing about them for a while now, but I hadn’t actually LISTENED to them until yesterday.

They make beautiful music that’s all at once spiritual, folksy, poppy, and beachy, with such sweet vocal harmonizing that I’m reminded of listening to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young at the beach during high school summer vacation and feeling so grown up. Listening to Fleet Foxes makes me want to wear a crown of flowers in my hair and start a career in weaving natural fibers. If you like ’60s & ’70s folk and the more mellow side of indie rock, you will most definitely love these guys, too.

Download “White Winter Hymnal” by Fleet Foxes from Sub Pop Records.

Album art from Amazon.com.