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Anyone remotely curious as to what’s up with Jason Segel, now that he’s performed the same song not just with Maroon 5 but now with (Oscar-darlings) The Swell Season?  Is he laying pipe for a potential musical-comedy album or something?

Anyways, the supposed backstory to this song goes like this: “The band was at a restaurant in Los Angeles; drinking tea, when they were offered a bottle of wine by two celebrities. Paul Rudd and Jason Segel. Now The Swell Season has been enjoying watching their “Freaks & Geeks” DVDs while on tour, so this was a nice coincidence. They became good acquaintances, so The Swell Season asked Jason Segel to be a surprise guest and sing a song for us. ”

Now I’m really going to call the number to see what happens.

If I told you The Swell Season performed NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series would you be interested?

If I reminded you that The Swell Season is Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the irrepressible duo who won an Oscar for the song “Falling Slowly” and became Oscar-darlings, would that pique your interest?

If I told you the duo has a new album coming out on October 27, titled Strictly Joy, and that they played six songs off the new record for Tiny Desk Concerts would that get you to watch the above clip?

Yes, yes it should.  I just want to wrap them both up in a blanket and give them a giant bear hug.  Don’t ask me why, I won’t have a good answer.  It just seems that’s what one should do to these two.

An Israeli movie blog, Cinemascope, is claiming to have the brand new track from Oscar-darlings (yes, this is what we are required to call them) Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

According to them, their new tune “One More Word” was recorded for an Israeli boy-meets-girl film, Strangers.  

Hansard and Irglova (aka The Swell Season) recorded the track in early February 2008, two weeks before they won the Oscar for “Once”. The song, as well the entire score for the movie, was written by Israeli musician Eyal Leon Katzav. Czech director Jan Hrebejk, who used Hansard’s songs in his previous film, introduced Hansrad to Nattiv and Tadmor. They sent him the song, he loved it and agreed to sing it. A week later he and Irglova recorded the song in a Czech studio, and then flew to the Los Angeles to win the Oscar. Tadmor tells him that Hansard loved the fact that “Strangers” was produced in a similar fashion to that of “Once” and wanted to support the movie. Tadmor and Nattiv now plan to shoot Hansard and Irglova for the music video of the song.

You’ll have to head to Cinemascope to listen, but it’s certainly worth it.  The new tune sounds nothing like “Falling Slowly.”  Whereas that song swooned, this one sounds like an Middle Eastern pop song.  It’s downbeat, has some nice guitar picking, but is just as emotional.  Glen Hansard is the real deal.

Still taking in all the love from their Oscar moment, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, aka Swell Season, have announced a batch of tour dates.

Anyone bet that “Falling Slowly” becomes the new “Stairway?”  Hopefully, the song doesn’t become an unwilling albatross.

Tour Dates For The Swell Season:
04/23 – Phoenix, AZ – Orpheum Theatre
04/25 – Indio, CA – Coachella
04/26 – Oakland, CA – Paramount Theatre
04/27 – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre
04/28 – Portland, OR – Portland Center For The Arts
04/30 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre
05/01 – Missoula, MT – Wilma Theatre
05/02 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
05/03 – Denver, CO – Ellie Caulkins Opera House
05/05 – Lawrence, KS – Liberty Hall
05/10 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
05/11 – Cleveland, OH – Allen Theatre
05/12 – Louisville, KY – W.L. Lyons Brown Theatre
05/13 – Atlanta, GA – Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
05/16 – Richmond, VA – Toad�s Place Of Richmond
05/17 – Baltimore, MD – Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
05/19 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall
05/20 – Upper Darby, PA – Tower Theatre
06/16 – Madison, WI – Overture Center For The Arts
06/17 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
06/22 – Telluride, CO – Town Park

I’ve been waiting to be able to use that Buffy episode as a title to a post that’s unrelated to the television show’s musical episode. Just a few more things from the Oscars last night. We’re already on record as saying our fav moment was when Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova performed and accepted their Oscars. Soooooo…

Here’s their performance.

And here’s the entirety of their acceptance speech, which we couldn’t find late last night, but now it’s popped up on YouTube. Fast forward to about two minutes for Marketa to come back on stage.

And just came across this NY Times article about the real life couple. See there are happy endings, even if they didn’t end up together in the movie. If you didn’t love them before you’ll certainly love them even more.

But when Mr. Hansard and Ms. Irglova came to town recently for their first-ever awards season, they did not stay in a luxurious hotel. Like many artists trying to stay afloat in the indie world, they crashed at a friend’s house.

A few days before they were to perform their nominated song “Falling Slowly” at the Academy Awards, the two musicians — who went from on-screen pair to real-life couple — borrowed a car and drove to Amoeba Music on Sunset Boulevard. They were besieged by fans. “ ‘Once’ was so authentic,” a young man said enthusiastically.

Mr. Hansard, the 37-year-old frontman of the Dublin rock band the Frames, gave an aw-shucks smile.

Ms. Irglova, a 19-year-old singer and pianist of Czech descent, stood to the side, fiddling with a locket she was wearing. Both performers were looking forward to rebelling against the formal dress code at the Oscars.

“I don’t own a suit, so I just bought one,” said Mr. Hansard, whose curly hair looked as if someone had taken an eggbeater to it. “But I’m not going to wear black tie. I’m going to be meself. They’re not going to kick me out!”

Ms. Irglova said, “For me to wear a night gown …”

“A what?” Mr. Hansard interrupted.

“An evening gown,” she said, correcting herself.

“No,” he said with a laugh. “I like it. Let’s both go in our pajamas.”

Here’s hoping this isn’t the last time we hear from them both.