Gorillaz

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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• single
• concept
• 2D
• flesh and blood

• jumbo-tron
• collaborate
• guest spot
• gimmick

• defeat the purpose
• remix

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Since the late ‘90s, Gorillaz has been challenging the public’s ideas of what it means to be a band. A rotating group of musicians writes and records the songs, but the band is represented by four cartoon characters. At live shows, musicians play in the shadows while images of the animated characters appear on giant video screens.

The members of Gorillaz also collaborate with other artists, who sometimes show up at their concerts and play alongside video images of the band. The latest Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach, features guest spots from artists as diverse as Snoop Dogg, members of the Clash, and the Lebanese National Orchestra for Oriental Arabic Music.

Find out if Devan and Jeff think Gorillaz is a goofy gimmick or a musical revolution.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jeff

Devan

Jeff:  Hey Devan, have you heard that new Gorillaz album?

Devan:  I haven’t. I didn’t even realize they were still together until I just heard that they had a single coming out recently.

Jeff:  Yeah, I heard a remix of one of the songs online today. It was pretty good.

Devan:  Yeah. I still don’t even fully understand the concept of their band, so it’s…It’s like they’re animated characters, right?

Jeff:  Yeah, they’re real-life musicians but the image of the band is presented with animated characters.

Devan:  So, it seems like our concept of what a band is or can be has kind of changed in this decade, you know? Like you don’t even have to have real people playing instruments anymore, you can be cartoons. It’s just kind of a new concept, it’s very strange.

Jeff:  I’d agree. The 2-D characters have taken over the flesh-and-blood, apparently.

Devan:  And then I heard that at their concerts there’s a jumbo-tron that like projects characters onto the screen, which to me seems weird because it’s like going to a concert to watch TV almost. Like I thought the whole point of going to a concert is to see the musicians live, you know? But if it’s just a screen…I don’t know, do you feel like that defeats the purpose?

Jeff:  I don’t think so, I think it’s just a new thing that they’re experimenting with, which is what a lot of art is all about.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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