Music Blogs

Honda is looking pretty hip these days (for a car company). Not only is it boasting an upcoming line of hybrids, but its ads complement the sleek new design of the other 2009 merchandise.

There are two edgy and clever spots for the Acura TSX, whose "New Generation" slogan fits the bill. And here's why.

A voice-over begins, "Sometimes luxury needs to howl at the moon." The familiar and subliminally seductive voice belongs to none other than actor James Spader.

He talks about the surround sound in the car, and its souped-up capabilities. While he's touting the system's specs, a retro-leaning piano melody, coupled with a simple two-beat rhythm, begins to play in the background. The same song was used in the soundtrack of Will Ferrell's film Stranger Than Fiction. Another not-so-well-known fact is the same tune is also featured in a trailer for the 2008 motion picture 21.

Check it out:

That cool little ditty is a song called "My Mathematical Mind" by the Austin, Texas, indie-rock band Spoon. Spoon's Britt Daniel made his first foray into film scoring with the soundtrack for Stranger Than Fiction he penned with in-demand movie music composer Brian Reitzell.

Spoon is experiencing a recent flurry of commercial success. The band had fleeting momentum since it formed in 1993. I met Britt Daniel on two separate occasions in two different cities back when they started playing larger venues in 2000. Daniel was modest, accessible, and friendly to an avid fan.

Acura's second TSX commercial features the same narrator, actor, and script as the first. But the song in the spot is different:

It's a song by Citizen Cope called "Let the Drummer Kick." Citizen Cope is a pseudonym used by Clarence Greenwood, a keyboard player, guitarist, singer, DJ, and record producer.

"Let The Drummer Kick" has had a lot of play. It's turned up in one episode of CBS' CSI: Miami, an episode of Cold Case, in a dance routine on So You Think You Can Dance, in the films Accepted, and Coach Carter. Oh, and don't forget the fourth season finale of HBO's hit series Entourage.

Does the tune merit this much promotion? You decide.