Recently you may have noticed, during a commercial break from “Vanderpump Rules”—or whatever it is you watch after work when it’s only 6 p.m. but it’s already dark out and pissing rain and you just wanna dissolve into your couch with a box of Bagel Bites and a jug of Carlo Rossi and forget about life, man—a familiar song emanating from your television.
Specifically, that song might have been attached to an ad for the Lexus RX, a sleek SUV whose tagline is “MODERN. LUXURY.”
The song is “Cool,” an iconic tune by Athens post-punk heroes Pylon, from the band’s 1980 album Gyrate.
Says Pylon’s Vanessa Briscoe Hay:
Pylon didn’t formally announce the commericial for Lexus, but our friends and fans figured it out. They have been very happy and surprised to hear our music in a national commercial for the most part. This commercial is not something that we actively sought out. We were contacted through DFA records last fall right before Labor Day. It was a bit difficult finding anyone in BMG’s office on either coast on a holiday weekend, but I finally reached a V.P. in LA and she made the calls and got the deal finalized with the ad agency.
The commercial spot (the song was reportedly placed by Aquarium Drunkard founder and former Athenian Justin Gage) is already drawing rave reviews, including this assessment from YouTube commenter and presumed Lexus enthusiast “Karl Borsche”:
Pursuit of perfection never ends. At last good car commercial from Lexus. Not twisted and bizarre like the old ones of RC F… Lexus turns to good direction…
Hay has assembled an all-star cast of local musicians who are currently performing as the Pylon Reenactment Society. The group will play the 40 Watt Club on Saturday, Feb. 20 with Elephant 6 associates Dressy Bessy.
Hay also tells Flagpole there is more exciting Pylon-related activity in the works:
Pylon is currently working with Henry Owings on releasing a two-disc live vinyl album which will be released later this year… It was mixed by Derek Almstead from a 4-track recorded at our first final show at the Mad Hatter in December of 1983. Jeff Calder assisted Henry Owings in finding the tapes and Sonicraft restored them. It has now been mixed and has been just been sent to be mastered by someone with major post punk band mastering experience.
A formal release date for the live LP is yet to be announced.
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