Beautiful music

Did you know that Damien Rice could've starred in "Once?"

The folk singer/songwriter's name was bandied about, but if that interesting casting choice had come to be, then we never would've been introduced to Glen Hansard, Leading Man.

The founder and frontman for the Irish band the Frames ended up with the role of vacuum-repairman-by-day, lovestruck-street-musician-by-night, his first starring gig after a bit part in "The Commitments." Reason? The filmmaker loved his songs.

So do we.

Our sister pub, Billboard, gets behind this and other little-known trivia from this year's Oscar nominated songs (i.e., "American Idol's" Carrie Underwood sings one of the "Enchanted" songs on the hot-selling soundtrack, but won't be on stage Sunday night. Of the three songs from the Disney live-action-animated flick nominated for a Golden Guy, Carrie's wasn't one of them).

While we'd been a little preoccupied with the prospect of Hansard and Marketa Irglova's "Falling Slowly" performance at the Oscars, we have it on good authority that the dozen singing, songwriting members of the Harlem-based Impact Repertory's rendition of "Raise It Up" from "August Rush" will be a must-listen.

Which way outta here?

Indie guy needs air. Must. Get. Away. Too many suits and millionaires at pre-Grammy don't-we-all-just-loooove-music affair, where packs of photogs are on hand to capture every appreciative nod and toe tap.

To be fair, we don't really know if Glen Hansard was coming or going from this particular function (the 50 Years of Great Grammy Records bash at Village Recording Studios on Thursday). We just know we're smitten with the Oscar- and double Grammy-nominated Irishman. Let's hear it once again for "Once."

Monday, movies and music

Stop that fake work you're doing and indulge in some holiday pre-Oscar nom shenanigans.

Start here with Gold Derby's winnowed list of those likely to be happy when they wake up at the butt-crack of dawn tomorrow, and see journalist Tom O'Neil stubbornly refuse to give up on the whole "American Gangster," Ruby Dee, Denzel triumvirate. Or look here for someone who still thinks that "Atonement" has juice.

Surf iTunes and see that three of the top 10 albums right now are based on movies, though, oddly, "Alvin and the Chipmunks" is not an awards contender. Kids today -- nothing better to do with their overabundant allowance? In the restore-the-faith category: soundtracks from both "Juno" and "Once" are selling briskly.

In case you didn't catch the always-laconic Moldy Peaches on "The View" today, (what, you got something against TV-lite?) you can check out a slightly more tone-deaf version of the "Juno" theme on the YouTubes.

In other music news, Jonny Greenwood's much-lauded score for "There Will Be Blood" has been deemed ineligible for an Oscar. Go here for details that are too arcane to even summarize, and let it all out with others who share your pain.

Name that tune

There's been a resurgence of musicals this year, not in the classic song-and-dance Busby Berkeley sense ("Hairspray" notwithstanding), but more in the music-as-key-to-storytelling way (pun sort of intended). "Once," "Enchanted" and "Into the Wild" spring to mind.

The print edition of The Envelope looks at this year's musical movies (the ones likely to bag some major awards) and the folks behind the notes. Clint Eastwood talks about what it was like to score "Grace Is Gone" after the fact (it was already finished and had an existing score from its festival screenings), while Dario Marianelli had the opposite experience, starting to work on "Atonement" by reading the book because there was no screenplay yet.

Emmy and Oscar hoarders Craig Zadan and Neil Meron think it's more helpful to be Jewish than gay as a music producer, and Jonny Greenwood cops to gazing into Daniel Day-Lewis' dreamy eyes for inspiration for "There Will Be Blood's" soundtrack (he also relied on horror films and rural church music, which aren't nearly as heart-pounding as DDL).

Since campaigners can't send out music CDs (file under: another arcane Academy rule), some staged live concerts to show off their contenders like the star/musicians of Fox Searchlight's "Once." If you weren't lucky or fabulous enough to get invited to those intimate shows, you'll just have to beg for the CD like the rest of us. Or hope that somehow you'll make it up by squeezing into a "Walk Hard" performance.

Working girl

By Hy Hollinger

Talk about multitalented. Back in 1980, Dolly Parton was nominated for an Oscar for best original song, “Nine to Five,” from the movie of the same name in which she made her big screen debut. Could a Tony nom be in the wings for the country-music diva? It could keep company with the seven Grammys already on her mantle.

Parton has teamed with Patricia Resnick, co-writer of the original flick, to supply the music and lyrics for a Broadway-bound musical version of the stick-it-to-the-man office comedy.

Songwriter-musician-actress-entrepreneur and down-to-earth darlin’ Parton, 61, told the Los Angeles Times that she had no thought of reprising her film role in the musical, which will have its pre-Broadway world premiere in September at the L.A. Music Center’s Ahmanson Theater.

"Oh, hell, I’m too old for that,” she said to reporter Diane Haithman. “I don’t think they’d want somebody my age trying to play the red-hot secretary, although I think I could. I sure feel the same as when I played it. I think that’s why God lets our vision go first so we can’t see how old and ugly we’re getting."

But age has nothing to do with Parton’s talent as a composer-lyricist (and if you’ve seen her lately, you know she’s neither old nor ugly, just adorably self-deprecating). Parton said that the iconic hit tune from the movie (Workin' 9 to 5, what a way to make a livin'... Come on everybody, sing along, you know the words!) will be among 20 that will be performed in the show. No slacker, Dolly wrote nearly 40 songs and pared down that number for the stage production.

Movie buffs will recall that after her first film appearance in “9 to 5” Parton went on to star in “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” “Rhinestone,” “Steel Magnolias” and “Straight Talk.”

The sound of music

Could “August Rush” be this year’s “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” which, to us, translates as a sappy good time. Music swells. Adorable kid brings the house down. Long-lost/ estranged/ bickering family members are so moved that they see the folly of their ways. Kleenexes all around! As far as awards go, “August Rush” could do worse than draw some cheesy, feel-good “Opus” comparisons. The 1996 inspirational drama pulled down an Oscar nomination for star Richard Dreyfuss, and Golden Globe noms for him and screenwriter Patrick Sheane Duncan. It birthed two soundtracks. Its boxoffice, more than $100 million worldwide (not adjusted for inflation) surprised even those close to the project. It struck a chord, so to speak, with audiences.

Say it, don't spray it

Somewhere between "Singin' in the Rain" and "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" lies a crop of this year's music-infused movies, which THR's Chuck Crisafulli calls "maverick musicals."

For those who still prefer their film characters to burst unnaturally into song, there's always "Hairspray" on DVD and the upcoming "Sweeney Todd." But movies like "Once," "Across the Universe," "August Rush," "I'm Not There," "Control" and "Romance & Cigarettes" give new life to the term musical. As "Romance & Cigarettes" helmer John Turturro tells Crisafulli:

"I wanted people dancing in their underwear in their bedroom, and I wanted the musical elements to be very grounded in a simple, honest reality. I wanted to have a musical based on humanity rather than fantasy."

There's likely to be some awards nominees in the bunch, providing good fodder for Oscar performances that thank the Lord will not include a "High School Musical" medley.

Lyrically speaking

Is it a good thing or a bad sign when the soundtrack takes center stage in discussions about some potential Oscar fare? Could it mean the music was over-the-top intrusive, or that it made such an impression that it’s worthy of mention alongside performances and dialogue? This year, critics have taken pains to note the musical score from “There Will Be Blood” by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood. The same is true for the Eddie Vedder-created soundtrack for “Into the Wild,” showing considerable reverence for the Pearl Jam front man. And no discussion of “Once” is complete without a nod to Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who, with any luck, will get to perform at the Big Show. And, with any luck, there will be no interpretive dance with it. Note to producers: if there's ever another Paul Taylor-esque romp around burned out cars in a faux urban setting we're boycotting the show.