Wednesday, 06 January 2010

• Band Of The Decade: Gorillaz

  
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  While trying to come up with lists for the best of various media for the decade we covered movies and teevee. For those noticing, music was clearly missing (the final piece of the ultimate pop cultural trifecta). This is because an insane amount of music is released every year, let alone over the course of the decade. Not to mention how hard it is to pin down exactly what decade artists belong to (for example The Strokes and The White Stripes were both formed in the 90s, but neither was culturally relevant until the 00s) and how unbelievably contentious the topic of music is.
  
  So it was believed to be impossible to create any sort of order or lists or comments on music for the decade, but that doesn't mean we stopped thinking about it. And as we thought about it, it became clear that one band truly captured the decade in a way no other recording artist did. That band was the Gorillaz.
  
  The world's first animated band brought something new to the table that became the understated soundtrack to the decade. Claiming the Gorillaz as the band of the decade probably took you a little by surprise. You no doubt like them, but they probably aren't your favorite band. In fact, I don't know anyone who's favorite band is the Gorillaz and you probably don't either. But I don't know anyone who doesn't like the Gorillaz a whole lot. This cuts across all genres and tastes. Regardless of what type of music you like, you probably like the Gorillaz. The only other band that can compete for this level of near universal love is Sublime.
  
  But let's take a look at some of they're credentials.
  
  First of all, they are wholly a creation of the 00s. Sure there was an early incarnation in 98-99, but they didn't go by the Gorillaz and didn't release music and didn't fully form the characters until 00s.
  
  Secondly, they have longevity. They were around throughout the course of the decade. From their introduction to most of the world in 2001 to today their music has been present. Many bands that you can think of as possibly deserving of this title probably got big for a few years, but they aren't really a presence anymore. Or in the case of bands like MGMT weren't around at the early part of the decade. My point is that at any point during this decade you could have turned on the radio and heard a Gorillaz song and you wouldn't be surprised.
  
  Their musical style is one that fuses together a variety of influences from all over the musical spectrum. That has been a theme in pop music over the course of the entire decade. From the rap-rock and nu-metal of the earlier days of the decade to mash-ups to internet remixes to Girl Talk to the electronic indie rock bands of the latter part of the decade fusion of genres has been a staple throughout this decade. There are very few lines anymore. Can you even name what genre the Gorillaz are? We've seen a breakdown of genre over the course of this decade and the Gorillaz epitomize that.
  
  Another trend of the 00s they represent is the explosion of animation. Sure, there's always been animation, but it's largely been viewed as a children's format. The past decade saw the expansion of animation into more adult realms. People are clamoring for Pixar to get oscars. You have the animation comedy explosion with family guy, futurama, adult swim, etc. that now we're used to comedies being animated. It's not weird to want to throw in some cartoons to watch with your friends on a Friday night. Speaking of adult swim, in many ways the Gorillaz paved the way for Dethklok which puts out successful albums and tours. We interact with animation differently than we did in 1999 and The Gorillaz are a large part of that.
  
  They're music is just damn good. If you want to be a DJ, you will sample their music at some point. I've never heard a DJ who hasn't. If you go to a concert, you will probably hear their music during intermission. Almost any concert regardless of genre. Not to mention the level of talent and intelligence that is evident in every song.
  
  They didn't just provide incredible and universally pleasing aural stimulation either. Visually the band itself and especially their videos are all very appealing. They created characters with back stories.
  
  The Gorillaz are one of the few bands I can say that I've listened to and enjoyed every year of the decade. They are not only among the most talented and stimulating bands of the decade, but they are also among the most innovative. They've had a strong pop cultural resonance throughout the globe over the course of the entire decade and, in fact, epitomize many of the aspects that characterize the past ten years. Their sound itself simmers with an intellectual bend delivered in a very pop friendly format. There is an element of darkness, while at the same time it is endlessly fun. It is perfect to listen to through your headphones just to chill out/to admire or to play at parties.
  
  The Gorillaz are the band of the decade
  

  
  

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