Who Does the Song in BMW's i3 Super Bowl Ad?

The BMW's electric i3 has a lot to recommend it, from its sturdy carbon-fiber/aluminum structure to the fact that Car and Driver reported that it can get 81 miles per charge (and re-charge in just three hours). But, when it comes time for their Super Bowl ad, all of these things take a backseat to one aspect of the car that's more of a byproduct than a feature: It's quiet. Like, near-silent quiet. In the ad, a teenager takes advantage of the lack of an engine roar to sneak out of the house at night and do some capering with a girl in the passenger's seat. If you're basing your car ad around what the car sounds like, you'd better believe that the soundtrack to the commercial is important. So, who does the song that plays in BMW's electric-car commercial?

The song, appropriately enough given the sneaky romance of the ad, is called "High School Lover," and it's by a band called Cayucas. If you couldn't guess, they're an indie-pop band from California. The band is the brainchild of Zach Yudin, who previously recorded under the name Oregon Bike Trails, but changed the name to Cayucas when he started playing with a full band.

Cayucas has their own glitchy little video for "High School Lover." (I don't know about you, but it kind of reminds me of the Wang Chung video from a million years ago — though I realize I'm probably the only one on this planet who remembers that video. I watched a lot of MTV as toddler.)

You know what else this song reminds me of? Ever time it starts up, I think it's going to be "Porcelain" by Moby. But "Porcelain" doesn't make me want to drive around in fast circles in a parking garage, so it's not as good a choice as "High School Lover" for the BMW ad.

Anyway, if you're planning to sneak out of your house at night and steal your parents' car and want "High School Lover" for your own illicit playlist, the song appears on the band's album, Bigfoot, which is available on iTunes. Just make sure your car is charged up beforehand, because otherwise your joyride will have to end after 80 miles.