"You know when you have the same dream for 740 nights in a row?" When Swedish singer/songwriter Jens Lekman asked this question to a sold-out crowd at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue last night, he phrased it so sincerely that you almost re-examined whether you actually had. Out supporting his EP An Argument With Myself, Lekman told beautiful musical stories that were quaint and odd, but still somehow managed to speak to the human condition. Jonathan Richman would be proud.

See additional photos from the set here.

Remember singing telegrams? Yeah, me neither. At least in my lifetime, their existence seems to have been purely pop-cultural.

But no longer(!), provided you like your missives flavored with saccharine, and occasionally anarchic, indie pop.

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down—formerly of Virginia, lately of San Francisco—will write and record a singing telegram for the winner of a raffle; the (kinda steep) $20 ticket price benefits CASH Music. The nonprofit creates open-source software and code to ease the distribution of music.

From CASH Music's Web site:

Having a hard time getting a message to someone? Let Thao [Nguyen] do it for you! You give a name, pertinent facts, a loving message, whatever. Thao will take it and write a song, record it, and send it off to the person you chose.

Only caveat: Thao is writing a song to someone on your behalf, so keep it positive — no haters please.

Hey, and if the telegram is for your significant other, and things work out, maybe you could book Jens Lekman to play your wedding.

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down plays with The Portland Cello Project and David Schultz on Nov. 6 at the Black Cat at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15.