# The Strange Magic of: Broken Bells



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

We last encountered James Mercer as lead vocalist and founder of Alternative Pop band The Shins. But Mercer is not content to working only within The Shins; he additionally has co-founded another Alternative band--again writing and performing the sort of moody reflections that typified The Shins, but this time around with somewhat less opaque lyrics. Broken Bells is Mercer, V,G,B,K; and his sidekick Brian Burton aka "Danger Mouse", K,B,D. While on the road, Broken Bells also includes Dan Elkan, G,B,K; and Jon Sortland, D,K,B. Alternative is alive and well in this second decade of the century. Herewith _Vaporize_.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

The lyrics:

What amounts to a dream anymore?
A crude device;
A veil on our eyes
A simple plan we'd be different from the rest
And never resign to a typical life
Common fears start to multiply
We realize we're paralyzed
Where'd it go,
All that precious time?
Did we even try to stem the tide?
Why should we waste it on
Buying into the same old lies?
The longer we wait around
The faster the years go by
It's not too late
To feel a little more alive
Make our escape
Before we start to vaporize
Doubtless, we've been through this
So if you want to follow me you should know
I was lost then and I am lost now
And I doubt I'll ever know which way to go


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

Never heard music by Broken Bells; will check them out. 
But I have heard of DangerMouse, in collaboration with mf Doom. I'm not a great fan of rap, but I do love that niche in hiphop that mixes their own beats with obscure old soul, funk and jazz.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Jos said:


> Never heard music by Broken Bells; will check them out.
> But I have heard of DangerMouse, in collaboration with mf Doom. I'm not a great fan of rap, but I do love that niche in hiphop that mixes their own beats with obscure old soul, funk and jazz.


I am definitely no Rap fan either, but/so I'll have to check out Danger Mouse some more to see what he may be about when he's not the other half of Broken Bells. If you find Broken Bells to your taste, also check out The Shins again. Mercer is the main engine of both groups.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

More from Broken Bells, _After the Disco_. I really like James Mercer's often quiet, enigmatic pop, with both The Shins and here with Broken Bells. I find he has a way with melody, and some interesting turns of phrase in the lyrics--in one Shins' song, he sings of feeling like someone sitting perched on the handlebars of a blind man's bike as it careens along.


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