Dowbrigade

After a decade as the leader of Blur, one of England’s most celebrated
bands of the 1990’s, Mr. Albarn started a new, plural identity, as Gorillaz.
Usually, Gorillaz present themselves as a two-dimensional band: four
cartoon characters drawn by Jamie Hewlett, who created the punky, unstoppable
comic book and movie heroine Tank Girl. Now and then, however, Mr. Albarn
can be persuaded to drop the mask and admit that, yes, he is the mastermind
of Gorrilaz, an invented band whose debut album has sold six million
copies worldwide.

On tours, Gorillaz plays behind a screen running cartoons of figures
like these: Russel, the African-American, and Noodle, the Asian guitarist.

from the New York Times