Catchy tunes on TV

Two of my favorite things came together in beautiful harmony tonight - Gabe Dixon's "All Will Be Well" was featured in the newest episode of Parks & Rec. The combination of music in television shows, movies and commercials has always fascinated me and I often imagine what it'd be like to pick out one perfect song to fit a scene. Imaging rummaging through an endless library of millions and millions of song is both exhilarating and fascinating! In any case, kudos to the Parks & Rec music supervisor since the song was a great fit for the episode.

A few other songs recently featured on TV that I'm loving:

• The Subaru honeymoon commercial and M. Ward's "Here Comes The Sun Again"

• Peter Bjorn and John's "Second Chance" in a Bud Light lime commercial earlier this year.
• The season 8 premiere commercial for HBO's Entourage this summer featured "High for This" by The Weeknd.
• Chevy's new commercial debuted during the World Series with Ray Charles' version of "America the Beautiful." 
• Last but not least, my all-time favorite commercial/music pairing - Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" for the iPod.

What are your favorite songs discovered through TV shows or commercials? Check out the TV Commercial Songs blog for the latest and greatest songs on the tube.

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Live from HOB: G. Love & Special Sauce with The Apache Relay

Saturday was a great night for music at the House of Blues, featuring The Apache Relay followed by G. Love & Special Sauce. I was absolutely hooked since hearing The Apache Relay a few weeks ago and could not wait to see the live show. 

The indie/folk-inspired band, originally from Nashville, had the entire crowd jamming by the end of their "American Nomad" set. The lead singer, Michael Ford Jr., was easily the most energetic and entertaining aspect of the evening. He literally did not stand still the entire 45-minute set! He jumped from one side of the stage to the other, hopped on one leg, and completely let the music take over. It was clear that each member of the band truly loved and believed each word and note they sang and played. By their last song, everyone in the room was singing along and having a  blast. My favorite song of the evening was "Home Is Not Places." BTW, check out their website for a free MP3 download.

G. Love released his album Fixin' to Die earlier this year and with its bluesy-catchy-beats, I was definitely looking forward to seeing a live performance. He did not disappoint! He opened the set with Milk & Sugar - a personal favorite from his latest album - and did not lose energy or enthusiasm for two hours. What impressed me the most was his amazing talent for engaging the audience (mostly a mix of middle-aged hard core fans since the 90s) and switching between a harmonica, acoustic and electric guitar, blues, hip hop,  and even covering Johnny Cash at one point. Talk about multi-talented!

During the encore, he performed a few songs with two of the members from The Apache Relay and I honestly think I could have listened to them all night. I'm hoping they'll just form one big G. Lovin' band and go on tour as a single group! Maybe in 2012?

Check out The Apache Relay on Facebook and G. Love & Special Sauce here to find out when they are coming to a city near you.

Song of the week: Fun ft. Janelle Monáe "We Are Young"

Fun (formed by the frontman of former-band The Format) and Janelle Monáe team up to bring you this brilliant and catchy duet, "We Are Young." It's been on repeat for the past few weeks but in particular this week, I can't get enough. I'll admit I was even belting this one out on the commute to work today. See if you aren't doing the same thing by the second time you listen!




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Music spotlight: Radical Face

I started listening to one song by the band Radical Face ("Welcome Home") and each song I've listened to since I enjoy more and more. The mellow sound is both soothing and energizing and the incorporation of several instruments keep it interesting. Below are my two favorites (for today at least) - let me know what you think.

Have a fabulous weekend.

-C