Eliza Doolittle is a newcomer and a brief foray into her other music videos suggests that perhaps Pack Up is a one-off hit. Regardless, it’s a hit.

Pack Up, which grafts its chorus from an old WWI British marching song has such an eclectic and fun sound that you cannot not love it immediately upon hearing. You’ll love it, and if you say otherwise you’re a liar. Featuring UK-based gospel singer Lloyd Wade, this song packs one of the most infectious hooks I’ve heard in a long time. You will dance, if you possess the ability to stand and move around. Comparisons can be drawn, easily, to Gnarls Barkley’s jaw-dropping summer hit Crazy. Remember that song? It’s baaaaaaaaaaack. And this time it’s sung by someone who seems to have taken all the good bits of Amy Winehouse and left all the baggage behind. I like.

If Sufjan Steven’s performance of Too Much on Jimmy Fallon Live doesn’t cut it as one of the most memorable live performances you’ve seen in a long time, then I don’t know what funky stuff you’ve been watching lately. After taking a few years off to regroup after the critical success of Illinois, it’s clear that Sufjan is back, in a big way, and he’s about to kick your butt/take over the world.

Too Much

After a hiatus that felt like forever fans and critics (of which I am both, zing!) wondered aloud if the Scottish pop rock group Belle & Sebastian had broken up for good. Answer: They hadn’t.

Belle & Sebastian are back this October with Write About Love, the band’s first album in four years. From what we’ve heard, it sounds even poppier and uptempo than 2006′s The Life Pursuit but taking the band in this direction seems like a really good fit. If their live performance of their first single off the album is any indication, the rest of the record is going to sound great.

In 1988, Paul Simon made an appearance on the popular kids show Sesame Street. It was very possible that, as a kid, I was watching when Simon and a small troupe of child performers sang “Me & Julio Down by the Schoolyard”.

Lasting just shy of two minutes, Simon’s version of his incredibly popular song is performed only as a brief rendition but if you watch it I’m sure you’ll understand why I love it so much to include it in my Live Tracks series.

Truly, this performance is surreal.

First of all, Simon’s playing a tune that while fun and campy, has a bit of a dark if not mysterious undertone to it. The true meaning of its lyrics, while never revealed by Paul Simon himself, have been speculated to refer to rape or sodomy. Yet, here he is playing it on a children’s TV show. It sure sounds good.

Then there’s the little girl sitting next to Simon. Now this has gotta be the coolest little girl. In what seems like a totally unrehearsed performance she sings, claps and dances along with Paul and really puts on a show. I mean these two could cut a single together, no doubt.

I love everything about this video. Paul Simon and a small group of kids singing, playing and dancing on a nearly deserted Sesame Street set. The pure, unadulterated joy and expression of children having fun. And a really good tune.

Me & Julio Down by the Schoolyard

Tony Dekker, aka Great Lake Swimmers, has that kind of rare talent—the talent that can turn one voice and one guitar into something incredible, something beautiful. It’s absolutely compelling.

Moving Pictures, Silent Films

I’ve seen The New Pornographers live before but I don’t remember them rocking out quite this hard.

What I love about both of these tracks is that, first of all, they sound even more epic live. The New Pornographers put together such incredible songs, building instrument upon instrument and building them together in such a seamless way. That sound is made even more incredible live, especially when you can see all the pieces performed and see how they all fit. It’s neat. Second, I love the incredible energy in these performances. You can tell that they’re having fun, you can see just how much they love making music, and it’s awesome. David Letterman’s little, “Ooo-wee,” at the end of the second video says it all.

It’s a two-for-one because I can possibly pick which video I prefer more.

Crash Years (on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”)

Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk (on “Late Show with David Letterman”)

I’ll be honest with you.

When Ben Folds Five released their break-through album, Whatever and Ever Amen, I was in Grade 7. At the time, my friends and I were largely into the kind of music that was popular at the time. I won’t even name names because it’s too embarrassing, but suffice to say, we were not cool enough to listen to Ben Folds Five. Not really, except one friend. Sure, he liked a lot of the same kind of music that we did but somehow he lived slightly outside of the headspace of the rest of us preteen boys. He loved Ben Folds Five and, of course, we teased the heck out of him for it. We thought it was boring piano music, nothing like the raging guitars and screaming vocals that filled up the rest of the music that we liked.

In hindsight, it was music like Ben Folds Five that’s endured. Politics and religion aside, Brick is a story, for better or for worse, and it’s a great story. Ben Folds has always been a masterful songwriter and I’m glad that even though it took some time and some growing up that I’ve come to appreciate his music. He’s a talented guy and Bob, you were right.

Brick (1997)