Despite the fact that Broken Bells only announced themselves as a project just over a year ago, the duo has exploded onto the scene with force and an eclectic new sound. Broken Bells is the now familiar name of Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) and James Mercer, frontman of the Pacific Northwest indie band The Shins. The two met at the Roskilde music festival in Denmark in 2004, but waiting another four years before embarking on their new collaborative project. With the release of their self-titled debut, Broken Bells introduced their experimental pop sound to the indie world and let’s just say it didn’t take long for new fans to accumulate.
“The High Road,” the first single from the duo’s debut album, was quick to permeate music circles with its indie-rock melody and catchy electronic additions from Burton. Second single “The Ghost Inside” has similar appeal and received extra press thanks to Christina Hendricks (of TV’s Mad Men), who starred in the elaborate music video. Now on tour, indie fans of both The Shins and Danger Mouse’s work will surely want to catch this collaboration live.
This Thursday the duo will play (backed by a full band)at Portland’s Crystal Ballroom as part of radio station 94.7′s highly anticipated December to Remember event. This year the same event is hosting The Temper Trap and The Black Keys. All three shows have been sold out for weeks (months in the case of The Black Keys) but if you are as interested in seeing Broken Bells live as we are, you might want to scrounge up a few tickets on Craigslist.
