The Shins frontman & Danger Mouse team up with new project Broken Bells

James Mercer of The Shins and Brian Burton a/k/a Danger Mouse release the self-titled first album by their new band Broken Bells on Columbia Records March 9, 2010. The band will make its first ever television appearance that same day on The Late Show with David Letterman.

The record's release will be previewed by full length streaming previews NPR.org/music and Myspace.com beginning March 1, marking the first time the two sites have shared such a debut event.

In addition to standard CD, LP and digital versions, Broken Bells will also be released in a limited edition one-of-a-kind music box configuration available at finer music retailers. The record will also be available at Starbucks locations.

Broken Bells' release week will continue apace with another TV appearance and two special intimate live performances: The band will make its New York live debut March 10 at Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg, followed by a March 11 appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and a March 14 one-off at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. The following week the band will play NPR's SXSW opening night gala at Stubbs in Austin TX alongside Spoon, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, The Walkmen and more.

Broken Bells' release has been preceded by overwhelmingly positive critical response, with Rolling Stone awarding the album a 4-star lead review and and previously running a Hot List lead on the single "The High Road," while Wired called it "crazy good stuff," Laist.com remarked of the band's recent live debut "Try to imagine what (Broken Bells) might sound like and your expectations would be met and likely exceeded."

Broken Bells features Mercer on vocals, guitars and bass while Burton plays organ, drums, piano, synths and bass. The pair play all the instruments on the album with the exception of a full string section arranged by Daniele Luppi. Broken Bells was recorded by Todd Monfalcone and Kennie Takahashi at Mondo Studio in Los Angeles and produced by Danger Mouse.

Each a long-time fan of the other's work, Burton and Mercer first met face-to-face backstage at the 2004 Roskilde Festival in Copenhagen. The pair immediately hit it off and kept in touch over the prevailing half decade and in May 2008 seized the opportunity to finally collaborate on original music together. Broken Bells was pared down from more than 20 pieces of new music written and recorded to the 10 songs that coalesced together the most seamlessly.

MARCH 9 LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN APPEARANCE CONFIRMED
MARCH 11 LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON ALSO CONFIRMED
Live Shows On Sale Now in New York, Los Angeles, Austin
NPR Music First Listen and MySpace Listening Previews Commence March 1