March Madness music

BRACKETS & BACKBEATS: Televised sports and music have never been more synergistic, and the next big look-and-listen will go down during the three weeks of March Madness, which begins on 3/20, with all 67 games airing live across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV, in the second year of Turner and CBS Sports’ 14-year deal to jointly air the tournament. Last year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament put some early momentum behind Tame Impala’s “Elephant” via a Blackberry commercial, while also raising the profile of Jake Bugg, whose “Lightning Bolt” was heard endlessly on a Gatorade spot. So what acts and records will receive the exposure from this year’s tournament? The Killers, for one. The NCAA said yesterday that it will feature as-yet-unnamed tracks from the Island/IDJ band as the backdrop for its March Madness video promos across the Turner and CBS Sports platforms. (3/5a)