Back in September, it was announced that prolific production wizard Danger Mouse would be be tucking yet another high profile collaboration under his belt, this time with James Mercer, main songwriter and lead vocalist of The Shins. Best known for his controversy-sparking Jay-Z/The Beatles mash-up The Grey Album, and for his collaborations with Cee Lo Green as Gnarls Barkley, Danger Mouse also produced the most recent albums by Beck and Gorillaz and collaborated with Sparklehorse on Dark Night of the Soul which, despite being shelved for legal reasons, is still widely available for download. The new duo, dubbed Broken Bells, announced that for a limited time, the first single from their upcoming debut album, "The High Road," will be available for free download via their e-mail newsletter.

The track is about what you'd think a collaboration between these two might sound like. There's indie pop vocals and there's funky drumming, and the result is pretty catchy, if not entirely groundbreaking. Those seeking the track should direct their browsers to www.brokenbells.com for a free stream; if it's your cup of tea, go ahead and sign up for the Broken Bells newsletter and the song is yours, on the house.

The debut album by Mercer Mouse...uh...Broken Bells, drops March 9, 2010.