Ring Tones

The genre-defying artist known as Danger Mouse has spent much of his career jumping from one successful project to another. He created the brilliant Beatles-Jay-Z Grey Album mashup in 2004, he formed Gnarls Barkley and Dangerdoom, and he's produced albums by artists such as Gorillaz and Beck. But Danger Mouse (whose real name is Brian Burton) is quick to point out that his latest collaboration, with Shins front man James Mercer, isn't a one-time experiment. He and Mercer have formed a fully realized band, Broken Bells, and their first album — also called Broken Bells — comes out March 9. (See the top 10 albums of 2009.)

It was an unexpected pairing. Burton's music tends toward the funky side — a bit of hip-hop here, a few tape loops there — whereas the Shins are the melodic band skinny kids in Converse sneakers name-drop if they want to sound sensitive. "People tend to be split on this album," says Burton by phone from his Los Angeles home. "They either think it sounds like what they'd guess the two of us together would sound like, or they say it wasn't like anything they expected."

According to Burton, it sounds pretty much as billed. "We chose 'Broken Bells' because the music sounded like that," he explains. He and Mercer make use of hand claps, drumbeats, harmonized vocals and the kind of soothing melodies that get stuck in your head for days. The album's opener, "The High Road," mixes fluid, head-bobbing rhythms with Mercer's somber lyrics for a bittersweet feeling that continues throughout the record. The music won't blow your mind, but it's a solid effort with several standout moments.

Such a high-profile collaboration was bound to receive a lot of hype, but the duo kept Broken Bells quiet for as long as possible. A cryptic website and stealth-marketing campaign used anagrams and binary code to increase the mystery. And they're touring with the same sort of restraint. Burton and Mercer promise a follow-up album and a full U.S. tour, but only a handful of shows have been scheduled. "There are always so many expectations," says Burton. "We're just trying to make music that we really like."

See the top 10 albums of 2008.

See the 100 best albums of all time.