Broken Bells

[spankythemuscleman]

hi gang!

for all those who are unaware: james mercer (the shins) and danger mouse (producer extraordinaire) have gotten together and made a band called broken bells... their album drops in like a week and they are streaming the album right now on npr! i've listened to it twice and have enjoyed it a whole hell of a lot and i think that a lot of you would really enjoy it to!

here is the link to the streaming full album preview: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124018401&ps=cprs

seriously... check it out, it's really good.

[spankythemuscleman]

oh, also Gorillaz are streaming their new album up there on NPR too, and it's fucking bad assed!

[spankythemuscleman]

just an update... the Broken Bells album dropped today, and yes... it is bad ass.

[WaltDangerfield]

they'll be on Letterman in a few minutes

[Scott]

I just got so soured on Mercer when he fired his whole band without warning... just can't enjoy his music like I used to. Haven't even bothered with Broken Bells... good or bad, I just have no interest after that.

Gorillaz, on the other hand, is bloody amazing.

[WaltDangerfield]

I found the performance to be really ordinary. Nothing about it at all made it special.

[wolfattack]

Nik Freitas, who toured with Jason on the mini fambly cat tour in 06 or so is playing in this band.

[dan]

oh, also Gorillaz are streaming their new album up there on NPR too, and it's fucking bad assed!

There's something about GOrillaz' new album that reminds me a little bit of grandaddy, specially the track called "On Melancholy Hill" ... am i the only one who thinks this way? Is it possible that Damon Albarn is a lil influenced by Jason ? Great album by the way!

[Llamameeljueves]

oh, also Gorillaz are streaming their new album up there on NPR too, and it's fucking bad assed!

There's something about GOrillaz' new album that reminds me a little bit of grandaddy, specially the track called "On Melancholy Hill" ... am i the only one who thinks this way? Is it possible that Damon Albarn is a lil influenced by Jason ? Great album by the way!

I agree. It's a good album indeed. I can see where you comments about "On Melancholy Hill" being a Grandaddy'ish type of tune. I do not think there is influence of Grandaddy in Damon Albarn as Damon has been playing this type of electronica music for ages. If you take a listen to Blur's music you will notice this style. Damon is mostly a keyboardist of all sorts. He has always added a wide range of sounds using keyboards. I believe this Gorillaz album exudes Blur's influence everywhere, and this is not a surprise.

"Broken Bells" is a bland album. Nothing extraordinaire here. It sounds like a downgraded The Shins. There are only two tunes worthy of listening: "The High Road" and "The Ghost Inside". The rest is just very regular songs, and the whole album feels like "fillers" put together. I don't want to say the album is bad, but it's no great either. 3 out of 5 will be my rating.

[motovres]

wow - i gotta disagree about broken bells.

best album of the year for me so far, and by-far.

i've listened to the whole thing from beginning to end countless times by now.

i would suggest goin back and at least giving these tracks another shot:

Vaporize
October
Trap Doors
The Mall & Misery

PLUS, if yer a fan of pet sounds/smiles era beach boys, then Your Head is On Fire is bliss.