Crack the darkest sky wide open

And speaking of great music in advertising, I saw a sweet Liberty Mutual ad during American Idol tonight that features Hem's "Half Acre" - another amazing indie gem with medieval folk influences. (Is anyone sensing a trend?)

I first heard about Hem thanks to my favorite movie of all time, Elizabethtown. (Hem is not featured on the soundtrack, but they do make an appearance on one of the mixes that Claire makes for Drew's road trip - yes, I'm that geeky for Cameron Crowe movies.)

You can listen to "Half Acre" on their MySpace page, along with a few other songs, all of which make a lovely companion to the Sleepy Rebels.

Maybe unbelievable

Have you seen this JC Penney ad?



The song is "Unbelievable" by the New York-based Sleepy Rebels and you can listen to two different versions of it on their MySpace page, plus a few other songs by this up-and-coming band. They somehow manage to mix a 1920s radio sound with medieval English folk with indie pop (!) for a result that is totally charming ear candy.

Their album is called World Record - check it out!