Soundtracks to our lives

Dear Ann,

It was so cute at the Oscars when Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova won for that song from the “Once” soundtrack and then both stumped for indie art. What are some of your favorite soundtracks, especially ones that have helped expose new artists?

-- Marina P., Glendale, Calif.

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Dear Cinephile,

My Irish American heart swelled to see Mr. Hansard finally getting some stateside love after years of laboring with the Frames -- a great band that still hasn’t really broken here. Hooking up with a Czech teen prodigy was a smart move. “Once” is a special case, because John Carney made it as an homage to Hansard’s music (before turning to film, Carney was a Frame) and to the magic of his musical connection with Irglova. But I digress.... “Juno” is, of course, the other big soundtrack of the season -- why the supremely droll Kimya Dawson didn’t get an Oscar nod is beyond me. That film follows a common path in soundtracks, using one quirky musical voice to echo and enhance those of the main characters. “Juno” takes an interesting turn when lead actors Ellen Page and Michael Cera actually sing a song by Dawson’s duo, the Moldy Peaches – effectively switching roles with Dawson, echoing and enhancing her voice. This melding of cinematic vision and the pop sound was pioneered in the late 1960s, when rock dominated the zeitgeist and the bad boys of the art house reigned. “The Graduate” defined the era. Director Mike Nichols found a perfect counterpart to Dustin Hoffman’s middle-class lost boy in nebbishy Paul Simon, then at his most museful and quietly furious. Nichols essentially wrote the film to fit around Simon & Garfunkel’s post-collegiate pop.

Dear Ann Powers,

I'm dating a girl who spent two party-hardy semesters in Brazil. What should I play for her birthday dinner? While you're at it, can you throw in a foolproof recipe?

-- James L., Chicago

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Hey lover! You’ve got some obvious choices when it comes to Brazilian music – if the Gilbertos are hanging around, she’ll think you’re competent, and if you have a little CSS for the cocktail hour (or morning after) she’ll think you’re hip. But go for the brainier Brazilians to set the foundation for more than a one-night stand.

Caetano Veloso’s languid tenor has graced dozens of recordings, and even the sharply political ones still have the power to seduce. Does a more gorgeous description of erotic surrender exist than his version of Mexican songwriter Tomas Mendez’s “Cuccurucucu Paloma”? (You might have seen Caetano perform it in Almodovar’s insanely romantic film “Talk To Her.”) Veloso’s a world class songwriter in his own right; try one of his mellower outings, like “Cinema Transcendental” or “Cores, Nomes” (which includes this beauty) to set the mood.

The carnal pleasures of Brazilian beats

Dear Ann Powers,

I'm dating a girl who spent two party-hardy semesters in Brazil. What should I play for her birthday dinner? While you're at it, can you throw in a foolproof recipe?

-- James L., Chicago

***

Hey lover! You’ve got some obvious choices when it comes to Brazilian music – if the Gilbertos are hanging around, she’ll think you’re competent, and if you have a little CSS for the cocktail hour (or morning after) she’ll think you’re hip. But go for the brainier Brazilians to set the foundation for more than a one-night stand.

Caetano Veloso’s languid tenor has graced dozens of recordings, and even the sharply political ones still have the power to seduce. Does a more gorgeous description of erotic surrender exist than his version of Mexican songwriter Tomas Mendez’s “Cuccurucucu Paloma”? (You might have seen Caetano perform it in Almodovar’s insanely romantic film “Talk To Her.”) Veloso’s a world class songwriter in his own right; try one of his mellower outings, like “Cinema Transcendental” or “Cores, Nomes” (which includes this beauty) to set the mood.