TAG: Dangermouse

Feb22

Danger Mouse and James Mercer Debut Broken Bells Project

We didn’t make it to the super sold-out Broken Bells show this weekend. But LAist caught the debut performance by James Mercer (of The Shins) and Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) and gives an encouraging report.

Mercer’s voice was strong and rose above Burton’s shuffling timekeeping. Several songs had a lilting bass groove reminiscent of the Manchester sound of 20 years ago — Stone Roses, Happy Mondays. It was also apparent that these musicians were influenced by the likes of Damon Albarn and Beck — not necessarily a bad thing. Add four- and five-part harmonies and some ace songwriting by Mercer and the live experience had a wall of sound, Floydian feel, melodies grinding through spiral video projected on the stage.

Broken Bells – “The High Road”
[videoembed …

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Dec07

URB BEST OF THE DECADE SURVEY (VOTE NOW)

The following list was assembled by a cabal of URB contributors and confidants—writers, DJs, publicists, label heads, fashionistas and more. It in no way covers <em>all</em> of the greatest musical moments of the past ten years, but we think it represents a good consensus. And of course, we left room for you to tell us  your favorite Artist, Album, Song and Label.

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Apr08

The Black Keys: Interview

The Black Keys have come a long way from their lawn-mowing days of the not so distant past. 

By Daiana Feuer

On their latest album, Attack and Release, they’ve applied brass to their bare knuckles aesthetic, with producer Brian Burton, aka Dangermouse, sinking his tiger claws into this fine compendium of romantic gut-busters. Soft, then splintered, well composed and flirtatious, daggonit this album paints the lily! Over a little phone conversation with vocalist-guitarist Dan Auerbach, we/I got to gush about it.

URB: What is behind Attack & Release? It’s like there’s a narrative to it. Just looking at the titles, it goes almost like a story from one end to the other.
Dan Auerbach: It wasn’t intentional, I don’t think. It just happened to be the placement that we put the songs in. I think it may have been subconscious when we were trying to figure out the sequence.

What goes into these songs? Are they based on facts, or on …

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Mar28

Gnarls Barkley: Total Recall

They changed the way a song becomes a hit. They wore joking costumes while singing about sex with dead people. And they joined Jethro Tull in the canon of famous bands named after imaginary people. But who is Gnarls Barkley, really? (by Andrew Parks) 

Something seems a little out of place. We really shouldn’t be here. I know it. Danger Mouse knows it. And a pajama-clad Cee-Lo knows it. Just ask the cocktail waitress who’s silently judging Cee-Lo’s manager, curtly asking for a hotel room key before allowing us one step further onto a penthouse patio full of suits and ultra-smooth $15 martinis. Of course, as soon as we show proof of residence, she’s quick to fill our drink order. Just some tap water, thanks. Oh, and a Diet Coke for Danger Mouse. Hiding underneath simple shades and an oversized sweatshirt, he’s still recovering from the night before, an afterparty attended by-as Cee-Lo states proudly-actor Efren Ramirez who played Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite.

“That was a highlight of this tour, for sure,” the gregarious singer smiles, struggling  to speak through strained, scratchy vocal chords. “My …

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