Glen Hansard

I've long considered Glen Hansard, front man behind the bands the Frames and the Swell Season, to be something of a musical genius. From the first scene in the film Once when I was introduced to Mr. Hansard performing an acoustic cover of Van Morrison's "And the Healing Has Begun" on the streets of Dublin, I knew that this Irish singer-songwriter had an inordinate amount of talent. He quickly earned his place among my favorite musicians and has remained there ever since.

After hearing news that Glen was releasing a solo album this summer, I've been anxiously counting the days until its release date on June 19th. In the meantime, YouTube offered me some musical solace with these little gems. I don't know if any of these tunes will make it to Glen's new album (though I'm pretty sure the song featured in the final video, another Van Morrison cover, won't be one of the tracks), but they offer some wonderful listening in the meantime. Enjoy!