We're calling it now: 2010 will belong to Gorillaz, the band co-created by Blur's Damon Albarn and visual artist Jamie Hewlett. Not long after first single "Stylo" (featuring Mos Def and Bobby Womack) leaked, and the group was tapped as a Coachella 2010 headliner, it's been announced that the new Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach, will see a March 9 release via Virgin.
The official release of "Stylo" will be be January 26, but you can hear it over at Gorillaz.com.
Gorillaz’s Murdoc Niccals (aka Albarn) wrote on his Twitter page, “A leak! A leak! Plastic Beach has sprung a leak! One of those Russian pirates has put a bullet hole in my island! My single’s leaked! STYLO!” The aforementioned single features R&B singer Bobby Womack’s trademark croon on the chorus, as well as the ever-incredible Mos Def, who's animated character for the role is named “Sun Moon Stars”.
Guests on Plastic Beach include Snoop Dogg, Lou Reed, De La Soul, Mark E. Smith from the Fall, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, and Mick Jones and Paul Simonon of the Clash. Here's the story behind the album, according to a press release: "The band have taken up residence, recording on a secret floating island deep in the South Pacific, a Plastic Beach HQ, made up of the detritus, debris and washed up remnants of humanity. This Plastic Beach is the furthest point from any landmass on Earth; the most deserted spot on the planet.
Additionally, Albarn's alter ego hijacked a radio station this morning. On his Twitter, he (or rather Murdoc) claims he is stranded on Plastic Beach with just a radio transmitter to keep him company. If you missed it, stay tuned to NME Radio for another appearance coming soon.
The full Plastic Beach tracklist and cover is below:
Plastic Beach:
01 Orchestral Intro (ft. Sinfonia ViVA)
02 Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach (ft. Snoop Dogg and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)
03 White Flag (ft. Kano, Bashy, and the National Orchestra for Arabic Music)
04 Rhinestone Eyes
05 Stylo (ft. Bobby Womack and Mos Def)
06 Superfast Jellyfish (ft. Gruff Rhys and De La Soul)
07 Empire Ants (ft. Little Dragon)
08 Glitter Freeze (ft. Mark E Smith)
09 Some Kind Of Nature (ft. Lou Reed)
10 On Melancholy Hill
11 Broken
12 Sweepstakes (ft. Mos Def and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)
13 Plastic Beach (ft. Mick Jones and Paul Simonon)
14 To Binge (ft. Little Dragon)
15 Cloud of Unknowing (ft. Bobby Womack and Sinfonia ViVA)
16 Pirate Jet
