The Shins' Jason Mercer and Danger Mouse's Broken Bells Hitting The Road

In addition to being the year's highest charting debut album by an alternative/rock band, Broken Bells' has met with an insanely and unanimously positive critical reception. The mere handful of shows the band has played to date have fared likewise, selling out as quickly as tickets could be processed, and dazzling crowds in Los Angeles, New York, and most recently Austin.

Broken Bells features Mercer on vocals, guitars and bass while Burton plays organ, drums, piano, synths and bass. The pair play all 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.

Mercer and Burton will continue to work as a band in the future.