Last night’s Academy Awards provided many memorable moments for fans of the big screen and the glitz it attracts.  From Jennifer Lopez’s alleged “Nip Slip”, Angelia Jolie proving her leg does indeed go all the way to her hip, to Sacha Baron Cohen baptizing Ryan Seacrest; there was a tsunami of twitter buzz through-out the night.

There was however, something that quietly snuck by.  The 2011 Academy Awards had only 2 songs nominated for an Oscar.  Never in the history of the award has so few songs been selected.  (3 songs were nominated in 2008, 2005, 1935 and 1934).

In his acceptance speech last night, Bret McKenzie thanked Disney for “making movies with songs in them”.  Afterwards, McKenzie said he was more than happy to have less competition, “Well, I am not sure why they only nominated two songs, but I was very happy with that situation.”

So does this bode bad news for song writers?  14 songs were nominated in 1945 (“It Might as Well be Spring” from the movie “State Fair” took the statue home that year) Past winners include such great names as Tim Rice, Burt Bacharach, Elton John, Oscar Hammerstein II, Randy Newman, Bob Dylan, Eminem and Henri Mancini just to name a few .

Perhaps it was just an anomaly; still one has to hope that along with amazing 3-D visual images, mind-blowing computer animation, incredible special effects and brilliant writing, there might be room in there for a good song or two.

Tired of hearing the same old same old on the radio? Between the exceedingly whiney Adele who can’t understand why her ex-boyfriend doesn’t want to still be friends to Maroon 5 serenading us with a very disturbing image of Mick Jagger’s tongue, the music coming out of the speakers can have us quickly reaching for a CD, or Pandora.

Fortunately there is a sanctuary of remarkable music for people who want to hear something other than “Sweet Home Alabama”. Say hello to Lost and Found; a nationally syndicated radio program that plays “the best music you never heard” (Lost and Found airs Sunday mornings from 8 to 11 on FM 103.7).

Lost and Found is hosted by Luke Crampton and offers a widely entertaining assortment of music from artists around the world. It’s like hanging out in a used record store with old friends exchanging new found music to check out. Crampton is a veritable wealth of knowledge who walks you through the world of undiscovered music with the ease of someone who genuinely enjoys bringing these hidden gems out of hiding for the world to hear.

Where else would you hear the smoky-voiced Nellie McKay singing a wonderfully sexy rendition of Doris Day’s “If I ever had a dream” or “Love has left the room” by Nina Persson performing under the name A Camp. How do you explain the genius of a Ross Cooperman, a wildly talented singer songwriter whose songs are in a league with John Mayer and Dave Matthews, but can’t seem to get a sniff of airplay?

Listening to Lost and Found makes you really appreciate the fine line that exists between being the rock star Nickelback sung about and that terribly talented musician who doesn’t have the luck, timing, right promotion (you fill in the blank) on what it takes to get noticed.

You need to have both hands on the wheel when listening. From The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, to Aaron Neville, to Graffiti6 and Smoove & Turrell (check out these guys if you like funk), there is no style left unturned. And yes, Campton does play Adela as well, but he digs deep into the playlist to find that rare nugget you won’t hear on the radio.

So make a pot of coffee, grab the Sunday paper and get ready to be entertained, informed and impressed by the best music you never heard.

Peter Frampton changed the business of music forever in 1976 when he released his wildly successful double live album; Frampton Comes Alive.  In Wayne’s World 2, Wayne Campbell acknowledged the album’s status among rock fans when he said, “Everybody in the world has Frampton Comes Alive. If you lived in the suburbs you were issued it”. 

Three hit singles were released from the album Baby, I Love Your Way, Do You Feel Like We Do and Show Me the Way. The Do You Feel Like We Do single version was edited down from the 14 minute album version to 7 minutes and was almost twice the length of the average hit single and one of the longest ever to make the top 40.

Although the album came out 36 years ago, there is, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story.  The iconic guitar (a distinctive black 1954 custom Gibson Les Paul electric guitar with three humbucking pickups as opposed to the usual two) became lost in 1980 when a cargo plane carrying Frampton’s gear crashed while flying to Panama.  All of the instruments were thought to be destroyed.

While the details are still a bit murky; somehow the guitar has been found on the Dutch island of Curacao by two fans with the assistance of the Curacao Tourist Board.  The Gibson Guitar Company has verified that the guitar is indeed the real deal.

“I am still in a state of shock, first off, that the guitar even exists, let alone that it has been returned to me,” Frampton said in a statement. “I know I have my guitar back, but I will never forget the lives that were lost in this crash. I am so thankful for the efforts of those who made this possible … And, now that it is back I am going insure it for 2 million dollars and it’s never going out of my sight again! It was always my #1 guitar and it will be reinstated there as soon as possible — some minor repairs are needed.”