Fujirockers: The official fansite of the Fuji Rock Festival

Maybe the only thing Broken Bells doesn’t have going for it is band history. Just formed in the autumn of 2009 by two fantastic musicians from very different backgrounds in James Mercer (The Shins) and Dangermouse (Gnarls Barkley), and then suddenly blossoming by way of Mercer’s superb songwriting skills and Dangermouse’s magical studio finesse to produce the hit eponymous album released this spring, all that remained was to develop a live show. This afternoon at the Red Marquee, this odd couple of Portland indie meets trans-Atlantic hip hop was joined by five other musicians. Mercer was of course on vocals and guitar, and Dangermouse’s efforts at learning instruments just for this band produced credible results on drums and keyboards, if he looked like he was trying too hard at times. Extra percussion, bass, keyboards and more guitars rounded out the band, which started with a spaced-out Pink Floyd style intro before kicking things off with the song October. Continue Reading…

Dangermouse and James Mercer from Broken Bells gave this interview to Los Angeles radio station KCRW just last Friday. Aside from about 30-minutes of live studio recordings, they talk about doing cover songs, what The Shins are up to, learning to play instruments, and a documentary soundtrack project. Here are a few highlights: Continue Reading…

Alright this is my first post, I’m stateside and can’t wait can’t wait. My name is Clay and I live in Atlanta, GA. Jason Jenkins (aka Jinki) is one of my oldest and dearest friends and we experienced some monumental shows together back in the day including the first Lollapalooza, B Boys “Check Your Head” with Henry Rollins, D’Angelo’s “Voodoo”, Soundgarden’s “Badmotorfinger” and that unforgettable Digable Planets show in Athens. Unfortunately, there are many more that I don’t remember…oh well. (Maybe Fishbone, Bad Brains, Pavement, Meat Puppets, Pharcyde…kinda foggy)

Anyway, I’ve been subjected to his incessant ravings about FRF over the years, and I, like all of his stateside friends, have been quietly envious. He’s always offered a tatami at his place but as you all know a Japan adventure is a fairly rich mission. Well I’m through with envy and decided to cash in my chips this year. The lineup didn’t hurt either.

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2009 was a year of unprecedented cooperation within the North American indie music scene. Not only did super groups such as Broken Social Scene and New Pornographers record new material despite the growing success of their solo careers, but audiences were also treated to the inconceivable alliance of slow folk, indie guitar gods, Jim James, Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and M. Ward as a recording and touring act known as the “Monsters of Folk.”

This context may allow us to understand why Broken Bells came about, a collaboration between acclaimed producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) who has worked with mega-selling artists such as Gnarls Barkley and Gorrilaz, as well James Mercer of The Shins, a group that Natalie Portman in the film Garden State, famously said, “it’ll change your life.”

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Yesterday Smash added five more acts to the FRF ‘10 lineup. The biggest name of the bunch is Broken Bells, the new band featuring Danger Mouse and The Shins’ James Mercer. Danger Mouse previously appeared at FRF ‘06 with Gnarls Barkley and Mercer visited the fest back in ‘07 with The Shins.

Also included in the latest artist announcement in Emeline Michel, The Entrance Band, Green Velvet, and Y.Sunahara.

*Photo of Danger Mouse by Ryota and used with the permission of Fuji Rock Express ‘06.