You’ll be hard-pressed to find another producer today who’s risen to such prolific heights as fast as Danger Mouse. Arguably the best thing to emerge from the mid-00s “mashup” fad, producer Brian Burton hit it big on The Grey Album, his deft fusion of the Beatles and Jay-Z, and has since become one of indie rock’s most sought-after producers.
Since 2005, Burton has been the yin to Cee-Lo Green’s yang in the psych-soul duo Gnarls Barkley, paved the way for the Black Keys’ rock superstardom with his production on their 2008 album Attack and Release, made sharply nuanced indie pop with the Shins’ James Mercer as Broken Bells, and gave Norah Jones a sexed-up makeover on her newest release Little Broken Hearts.
Most recently, Burton has bestowed his magic touch on LA indie poppers Electric Guest, whose Danger Mouse-produced debut album Mondo was released on April 24 on Downtown Records. Mondo fuses the group’s MGMT-esque indie pop with a healthy dose of R&B – to speak in Danger Mouse terms, imagine a Beck-helmed Broken Bells with some borrowed Gnarls Barkely soul. Frontman Asa Taccone‘s infectious falsetto is put to good use, coupling with enormous hooks and hip-swinging funk to create a retro-tinged sound that’s entirely listenable.
Electric Guest’s sunkissed grooves are not only dropping at the right time of year, but their debut release also coincides with the high-water mark for indie pop’s mainstream popularity. With singles by Fun. and Gotye reigning over the Billboard charts, Electric Guest’s fresh-faced strut is ripe with Hot-100 potential. Single “This Head I Hold” is an early contender for this year’s “Pumped Up Kicks” crossover summer jam, with the track’s irresistible Motown groove seemingly crafted for radio ubiquity.
We’re giving away a vinyl copy of Electric Guest’s Mondo, the perfect spin for a Memorial Day block party or a night of summertime revelry. To win a copy of Mondo, post below an artist or band who you’d love to see collaborate with Danger Mouse. My choice: the up-and-coming blues auteur Willis Earl Beal.
We’ll choose one winner on Wednesday, 5/23 with a North American mailing address!
