Gorillaz Regift Christmas Present as New Album, 'The Fall'

When Gorillaz toured North America last fall, head honcho Damon Albarn spent his downtime doing something a little more productive than just chasing groupies and indulging in rock star excess -- he composed music on his iPad. It was an honest artistic pursuit, without the heaviness of thinking of it as the followup to 'Plastic Beach' or anything formal like that. And, yet, he managed to record a full 15 songs during his 19-date cross-continent trek -- enough material to form a complete album.

"I literally made it on the road in America over a month," Albarn said at the time. "I didn't write it before; I didn't prepare it. I just did it day by day as a kind of diary of my experience in America."

Suitably -- and, perhaps, poetically -- Gorillaz entitled the resulting album 'the Fall,' and gave it to card-carrying members of their fan club for free, as a Christmas present. Now repackaged as Gorillaz' actual, proper new album, 'the Fall' will be released on 180gm vinyl for Record Store Day (April 16). It will then see the full release treatment -- on CD and as a digital download -- on April 19. 'The Fall' was co-produced with 'Plastic Beach' engineer Stephen Sedgwick.

Sure, the new album may be a bit of a regift -- and, for the hardcore fans, it may not be brand new -- but it sure beats another round of ugly sweaters and poinsettias.