There's much discussion of a Chrysler ad that aired during the Super Bowl, a popular American sporting contest. I was pulled in not only by the rasp of Clint Eastwood's voice but also by the intriguingly dour score, which avoids the ersatz Coplandisms you might expect in this context. (Compare the infamous Rick Perry "Strong" ad.) It reminds me a little of Jóhann Jóhannsson's music for The Miners' Hymns. A few minutes' search on the Internet yielded the information that the score is the work of the Portland musician Alison Ables, who plays in the instrumental trio Strange Holiday. The brass section includes Lydia Van Dreel, professor of French horn at the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance. The producer is Collin Hegna, another musician active in the Portland indie scene, and the current bass player of the neo-psychedelic band Brian Jonestown Massacre. No wonder Karl Rove doesn't like it.
