The Gorillaz have many admirers in the music world, and guest shots on the band's new album, Plastic Beach, were probably pretty hard to come by. Among the lucky few asked to contribute were Lou Reed, Snoop Dogg, and Barry Gibb. Left on the outside was Katy Perry, who, according to band bassist Murdoc Niccals, lobbied hard for an appearance on the record. Niccals was very gentlemanly about the snub, going on to say that the band couldn't work with Perry while "she's got Russell Brand all over her." It's good Niccals was able to shift the blame; this saves Perry's fragile ego for the onslaught to come from obsessed Smurf fans dissecting her performance as Smurfette. [The Daily Swarm]