Success can be the worst thing to happen to a group. Just look at Gorillaz, the "virtual band" featuring Blur's Damon Albarn, Cibo Matto's Miho Hatori, Dan The Automator and others. Adopting cartoon-character personas, they put out a CD last year apparently as a lark, but damned if it didn't take off. So now they're scrambling to follow up with tours and new product. Fans didn't go ape for a live version which debuted in Toronto recently. Maybe they'll go bananas for G Sides, an EP of remixes and leftovers. The remixes (like most remixes) are blah, but the five new cuts are better; The Sounder is a bluesy hip-hopper, Faust is angelic Muzak, Ghost Train is Teutonic soul-funk, Hip Albatross is a freaky sound collage, and 12D3 is a hypnotically smoky little meditation. Not brilliant -- but not too bad for monkey business. (More on: Gorillaz).

Track Listing