Lady Gaga, "Telephone"

Few artists today are as polarizing as Lady Gaga - you either absolutely adore her or are absolutely mystified by her overwhelming success over the past 18 months. I'm not on board with her - didn't she learn from Elton John and Madonna that costumes only go so far, that you have to have some lyrical meat on your glittery bones? - but I appreciate that she's affected a number of lives for the better.

Including, apparently, several among the U.S. military in Afghanistan: members of the 82nd Airborne made a video for Gaga's "Telephone" that's been setting the blogosphere abuzz. No dialogue about killing cows and making burgers (what does that line even mean?), just gyrations and choreography and three minutes of implorings to "stop talking."

I haven't yet decided, though, if it's preferable to the 10-minute Tarantino-inspired epic video Gaga and Beyonce did, though.

PS22 Chorus, "Lisztomania"

I just learned today via a friend on Facebook about an incredibly inspired music instructor and his marvelously gifted kids at a public school on Staten Island. The PS22 Chorus, consisting of what look to be fourth graders, have made a name for themselves doing covers of contemporary hits, and their latest effort has already hit the blogosphere hard. So this likely isn't the first you'll be reading about them, nor will it be the last.

L&Gs, some amazing kids and their gem of a teacher performing Phoenix's "Lisztomania." It was one of my favorite singles of last year, and I like it even better in the sound and vision of young boys and girls singing together with such obvious joy. (I was going to say "glee," but that word's been co-opted for the moment.) I wish my own days of classroom chorus had been such pleasant experiences.