Gorillaz

I'm quite sure alot of people out there know who the Gorillaz are.

They're fucking annoying.

Aside from their campy cartoon appeal, their music sucks donkey balls. While I can appreciate the creativity and humor that goes into their artwork, I find their music irritating and the cookie-cutter Top 40 crap that plagues mainstream radio and M-TV. They claim to be "progressive" by blending rock elements with Latino music and hip-hop but they do more hip-hop music than anything else. If you're into that "phat" music scene then it's right up your alley, but for me I could honestly puke having to hear some annoying street thug scream ebonics to background music. I just don't wanna hear it.





This is their new album, Demon Days. It released not too long ago and has more of the same cartoony kitsch flavor to it. Or should I say "flava"? - You'll have to excuse my lack of multi-culturalism, like pronouncing Spanish words with a Latin dialect, even though it's not my native tongue. The same can be said for the lack of effort on my part in learning how to speak "jive" with a fake slave-dialect. It's just not happening. I stay true to my roots. Anycase, this new album is just as dull and unimaginative as the first album was. The only song in my opinion that has any potential is "Kids With Guns" since it has that pot-induced feel to it, with the flute playing in the backgound. The other song on there with any potential is "Feel Good, Inc." but only because it has that early 1980's Prince/Rick James sound to it. The song gets ruined by some obnoxious asshole screaming in thug-talk towards the end while laughing hysterically.

Because this whole album has that pre-packaged commercial hook to it, I can't help but think of another formulated celebrity markteted with a young target audience who had a quick bout of fame as well:



Parappa the Rapper.

Yes, Parappa the Rapper was a rapping poodle for the Play Station and Play Station 2 consoles that combined the elements of hip-hop, soul and funk, and centered them around a dog trying to impress his girlfriend. From getting his driver's license to rapping while waiting in line to use the bathroom, Parappa the Rapper could take any situation and turn it into a song. The game was considered to be an underground hit at the time, and even spawned an off-shoot game entitled UmJammer Lammy, a lesbian ram into grunge music with a penchant for getting into trouble. By passing each level, she could learn a different technique for her electric guitar. And who said that Grrl Power wasn't marketable?






A sequel for Parappa the Rapper released on Play Station 2 and despite re-capturing the initial enchantment renowned from the first game, sales paled in comparison. By this time, games like Grand Theft Auto 3 had made their debut and kids wanted to live vicariously as a virtual street thug instead of a peace-loving pooch. RockStar Games had cornered the market and gave a reason for parent groups everywhere to shit their pants over video games once again.

I see the Gorillaz as nothing more than being the Parappa of the music industry. While they're highly animated and have one or two catchy songs, they lack substance and will most likely bomb the same way Parappa the Rapper 2 did, despite the previous reputation they may have achieved. Unless they pull a rabbit out of their ass or the American population has truly developed a tone-deaf ear for music now, I can't see them being around a year from now. Then again, with the music industry being what it is, I wouldn't be surprised if these assholes end up doing a third or fourth album also. Frankly, I'd rather have Parappa the Rapper in my car stereo than these idiots any day of the week.