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Watch Damon Albarn Introduce Blithe ‘Mr. Tembo’ on ‘Kimmel’

Damon Albarn, "Mr. Tempo," "Lonely Press Play," 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' 'Everyday Robots'

Damon Albarn’s character songs have grown up with him. “Mr. Briggs,” “Colin Zeal,” “Tracy Jacks,” “Ernold Same,” “Dan Abnormal,” “Yuko & Hiro” — in Blur’s Britpop days alone, Albarn introduced us to enough proper-named third parties for a mini-album. And that’s not counting the guy who’s holding on “For Tomorrow,” or a certain “Charmless Man,” or the narrator on 20-year-old album Parklife‘s title track. Or, or: Last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Albarn gave U.S. TV its first taste of “Mr. Tembo” (above), a jaunty song with ukulele and gospel singers — and a title character of whom Albarn sings, in indifferent contrast to the sprightly accompaniment, “It’s where he is now / But it wasn’t what he planned.” Albarn also performed the more groove-based “Lonely Press Play,” which you can watch below. Both songs are from the Gorillaz man’s upcoming solo album Everyday Robots, due out April 29. We’ve also heard Brian Eno collaboration “Heavy Seas of Love” and “Everyday Robots.”

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