Broken Bells (Danger Mouse & The Shins singer) - new EP

[claaa7]

Anyone on here familiar with Broken Bells? They consist of producer Danger Mouse [Gnarls Barkley, DangerDOOM, Gorillaz, "Grey Album", etc.] who really proved to be one of the most versitaile (?spelling?) producers out there and the main singer from a band called The Shins. they dropped their debut album early last year and to me it was one of the finest non hip-hop album to drop in 2010. i played that alot and i'm always on the lookout for whatever Danger Mouse got cooking.

i got a mail a few days back which said that the duo is releasing a new EP in March, "Meryin Fields" with all previously unreleased tracks. that makes it sound like it doesn't have new material, but rather left-overs from the recording sessions that led up to their self-titled debut. the first single from the EP is available to listen to below:

]"WINDOWS" stream

[issues]

i will def get this.. the album was great..

had a nice atmosphere to it.. was very refreshing..

..

[Dr. Simon Hurt]

was there a specific date given on when the ep is going to be released?

[issues]

Originally Posted by Pandemic

was there a specific date given on when the ep is going to be released?

yea.. its 29 March..

..

[JASPER BEARDLY]

Anyone hear this?

[claaa7]

i downloaded it but i haven't listened to it yet. it's only about 15 minutes or so, but it should be interesting. Danger Mouse is one of the best producers for sure and Broken Bells LP were incredible imo.

[food for thought]

what does is sound like?

sound trip hop type shit or some gnarls barkley shit?

[Dr. Simon Hurt]

neither, probably closest to the stuff DM did the Gorillaz; it's still reocgnizably his production style though


EP's cool, only four tracks...should've just made those bonuses on the album.

[claaa7]

Originally Posted by food for thought

what does is sound like?

sound trip hop type shit or some gnarls barkley shit?

Originally Posted by Pandemic

neither, probably closest to the stuff DM did the Gorillaz; it's still reocgnizably his production style though

as Pandemic said it doesn't sound anything like that trip hop/big beat style he used on some of his albums and there's really no hip-hop connection in the sound like Gnarls Barkley had (to me at least). i don't think it resembles The Gorillaz stuff much either tho, if anything it's more like the albums he produced for Beck or that "Dark Night Of The Soul" compilation.

If i'd have to label it (which i don't like doing) i would call it alternative and experimental rock/pop. Danger Mouse is one of the best producers of all time imo, i remember when i first discovered him around 2005 with "The Grey Album", "The Mouse & The Mask", "Demon Days", "Ghetto Pop Life" and then "Occult Hymn" and "St. Elsewhere". i thought he was on the level of Madlib and just below Dilla, i saw them three in the same category of producers.

but then DM went out and started producing all kinds of different styles, and he did it GOOD. he produced albums that doesn't sound hip-hop at all and i've seen those LPs get rave reviews from sites and mags that focus on that type of respective music. He did another album with Damon Albarn from Gorillaz/Blur called "The Good, The Bad & The Queen", an album with Beck, one with rockers The Black Keys, a compilation together with Sparklehorse and now Broken Bells with James Mercer from The Shins. i'd say he's probably the most versatile producer there is. but i hope he will produce more hip-hop again as well, i would love for him to hook up with Jemini or DOOM again.

definitely check out the Broken Bells album tho Food, it's only 40 minutes so give it a chance. it's not at all the music i usually listen to but i fucking loved it after several listens.