"Dirty Harry" (Gorillaz)

For a band that doesn’t actually exist, Gorillaz has crafted some damn good music over the past decade—particularly the album Demon Days (2005).
In reality, Gorillaz is a clever vehicle for social and political commentary by way of comic book-style characters and a unique hybrid of alt rock and hip hop.  The brains behind it all are musician Damon Albarn, graphic artist Jamie Hewlett, and producer Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton. 
Based on a 2003 demo by Albarn called “I Need A Gun,” the track “Dirty Harry” (referring to Clint Eastwood’s gun-toting vigilante cop) is a great example of the “band’s” genius, combining a danceable rhythm track, sing-along verses--complete with children’s choir, and insightful observations about the state of the world.
The commentary in the song is twofold: first, it’s a look at our society—kids carrying guns to feel safe in everyday situations (I need a gun, ‘cos all I do is dance).  Second, it’s a rumination on the 2003-2011 Iraq War.  It’s not so much a criticism of the politics or motivations behind the war, though; it's more of a reminder to listeners that there were young men and women on the ground there, facing very real danger.  
Rapping from the point of view of a disillusioned young soldier, the Pharcyde’s Romye “Bootie Brown” Robinson makes direct reference to our 43rd President’s infamous declaration of “Mission Accomplished” while the war was still raging:

And I'm filled with guilt from things that I've seen
Your water's from a bottle, mine's from a canteen
At night I hear the shots
Ring so I'm a light sleeper
The cost of life, it seems to get cheaper
Out in the desert with my street sweeper
“The war is over,” so said the speaker
With the flight suit on
Maybe to him I'm just a pawn
So he can advance
Remember when I used to dance?
Man, all I want to do is dance.

"Feel Good Inc." (Gorillaz)

The concept of a fictional band playing pop music is nothing all that new.  For one, there were The Monkees.  Or, if we're talking about a band without a pulse, The Archies.
In a way, Gorillaz is nod to both of those bands--only with a knowing wink.  
Gorillaz basically was formed in the late 90s after former housemates Damon Albarn (formerly of Blur) and Jamie Hewlett (the graphic artist behind Tank Girl) had spent marathon hours one afternoon watching MTV.  Feeling as if they had entered some meaningless, vapid netherworld, they hatched the idea of a cartoon band that would address such crass commercialism and insipid drivel.
Like Parliament/Funkadelic's comic book mythology, I don't claim to know the elaborate backstories of Gorillaz four cartoon members: Russel, Noodle, Murdoc, and 2D.  But they appear to be mutated primates at the center of a dystopian nightmare, searching for some kind of meaning or escape.  Whatever the characters' mythology might be, those two themes pop up quite a bit on Demon Days (2005), which, despite some minor flaws, is a well-crafted, highly creative album from start to finish.
"Feel Good Inc." is one of my favorite cuts from the album because it's a total synthesis of what Gorillaz is about: part hip hop, part alt rock; part glam, part gloom; part dance floor, part meditation room...  "Feel Good Inc." is an art rock piece that's commenting on isolation and the emptiness of feel-good culture, only it's dressed up as a funkified pop song.
But really, who would have thought that a song that sounds like a hybrid of The Dazz Band's "Let It Whip" and some long lost track from Ray Davies and The Kinks circa 1975 would jam this hard?  Or that you could have De La Soul (!) spit on the track and have it automatically transport you to the halcyon days of Stakes Is High?
(I think the answer to both questions is Damon Albarn.  Or maybe 2D?)