Monday, July 30, 2007

Ear On TV: Week of July 30

This week, it's all about the main players in the indie film/musical Once, as Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova appear not once, but thrice on evening talk shows. They'll both perform and sit down for an interview tonight on Leno, Wednesday on Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson, and then Friday on Last Call With Carson Daly.

Hansard is already a rock star in Ireland, being the lead singer/songwriter of the hugely popular The Frames, and had collaborated previously with the then 17-year old Irglova on the album The Swell Season. The duo are touring in support of the film and soundtrack currently, under this moniker of The Swell Season.

The film, directed by ex-Frames bass player John Carney, was initially written as an excuse to use some the songs from that collaboration and had cast Irglova opposite actor Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Sunshine) in the lead. Murphy ended up backing out because of Irglova's inexperience, which opened the door for Hansard to step in and sing the songs he was already writing for the role. While the lead characters remain nameless throughout the film, Hansard and Irglova inject them with something more: reality. It's a love story shot almost like a documentary, and during the filming and shortly after, the two found themselves falling in love, despite their nearly twenty year difference in age. They've since gone back to being friends and collaborators, but it speaks to the magic spell that the film casts, that it affected the performers as much as the audience. Here's their live performance in Washington D.C. that NPR webcasted last week.

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, July 30
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Bravery
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Nellie McKay
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová
Tuesday, July 31
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Common
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Gogol Bordello
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Tegan & Sara
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Lily Allen
Wednesday, August 1
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová
Thursday, August 2
ZZZZZZZZZ
Friday, August 3
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Rooney
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová
SYNDICATION: The Ellen Degeneres Show: John Mellencamp
Saturday, August 4
PBS: Austin City Limits: Ozomatli, The Polyphonic Spree (REPEAT)

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5 comments:

Shawn Anderson said...

Picks for the week of 07.30.07

1. Time Won't Let Me Go - The Bravery
2. Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
3. GO! - Common
4. Wonderlust King - Gogol Bordello
5. Back In Your Head - Tegan and Sara
6. Knock 'Em Out - Lily Allen
7. When Did Your Heart Go Missing? - Rooney
8. Cupcake - Nellie McKay
9. The Americans - John Mellencamp
10. Can't Stop - Ozomatli
11. Light & Day - The Polyphonic Spree

Michelle Auer said...

I've never heard of this, but now I MUST see it! In a way, how you describe it, it reminds me of how we all fell in love with Before Sunrise once upon a time... (Not that I know for a fact that YOU did, but I am using the Queens We here)

Shawn Anderson said...

or maybe the Nintendo Wii?

I do have to admit to owning that Linklater flick ;) Once has some of that same magic, but uses singing instead of lengthy dialogue. I'm willing to bet you'll love it.

Anonymous said...

I think ONCE is more a "Love" story of music-love, not romantic-love. Sure they have their moments of near hanky panky, yet it's the music that provide the stimuli.

Shawn Anderson said...

Agreed... I think that's what makes Michelle's comparison to Before Sunrise more apt, as it parallels that movie's love story in that it's two people falling in love not necessarily with each other as much as with their environment.