Blondie

Biography by William Ruhlmann
Blondie was the most commercially successful band to emerge from the much-vaunted punk/new wave movement of the late '70s. The group was formed in New York City in August 1974 by singer Deborah Harry (b. July 1, 1945, Miami), formerly of Wind in the Willows, and guitarist Chris Stein (b. January 5, 1950, Brooklyn) out of the remnants of Harry's previous group, the Stilettos. The lineup fluctuated over the next year. Drummer Clement Burke (b. November 24, 1955, New York) joined in May 1975. Bassist Gary Valentine joined in August. In October, keyboard player James Destri (b. April 13, 1954) joined, to complete the initial permanent lineup. They released their first album, Blondie, on Private Stock Records in December 1976. In July 1977, Valentine was replaced by Frank Infante.

In August, Chrysalis Records bought their contract from Private Stock and in October reissued Blondie and released the second album, Plastic Letters. Blondie expanded to a sextet in November with the addition of bassist Nigel Harrison (born in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, England), as Infante switched to guitar. Blondie broke commercially in the U.K. in March 1978, when their cover of Randy and the Rainbows' 1963 hit "Denise," renamed "Denis," became a Top Ten hit, as did Plastic Letters, followed by a second U.K. Top Ten, "(I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear." Blondie turned to U.K. producer/songwriter Mike Chapman for their third album, Parallel Lines, which was released in September 1978 and eventually broke them worldwide. "Picture This" became a U.K. Top 40 hit, and "Hanging on the Telephone" made the U.K. Top Ten, but it was the album's third single, the disco-influenced "Heart of Glass," that took Blondie to number one in both the U.K. and the U.S. "Sunday Girl" hit number one in the U.K. in May, and "One Way or Another" hit the U.S. Top 40 in August. Blondie followed with their fourth album, Eat to the Beat, in October. Its first single, "Dreaming," went Top Ten in the U.K., Top 40 in the U.S. The second U.K. single, "Union City Blue," went Top 40. In March 1980, the third U.K. single from Eat to the Beat, "Atomic," became the group's third British number one. (It later made the U.S. Top 40.)

Meanwhile, Harry was collaborating with German disco producer Giorgio Moroder on "Call Me," the theme from the movie American Gigolo. It became Blondie's second transatlantic chart-topper. Blondie's fifth album, Autoamerican, was released in November 1980, and its first single was the reggae-ish tune "The Tide Is High," which went to number one in the U.S. and U.K. The second single was the rap-oriented "Rapture," which topped the U.S. pop charts and went Top Ten in the U.K. But the band's eclectic style reflected a diminished participation by its members -- Infante sued, charging that he wasn't being used on the records, though he settled and stayed in the lineup. But in 1981, the members of Blondie worked on individual projects, notably Harry's gold-selling solo album, KooKoo. The Best of Blondie was released in the fall of the year. The Hunter, Blondie's sixth album, was released in May 1982, preceded by the single "Island of Lost Souls," a Top 40 hit in the U.S. and U.K. "War Child" also became a Top 40 hit in the U.K., but The Hunter was a commercial disappointment.

At the same time, Stein became seriously ill with the genetic disease pemphigus. As a result, Blondie broke up in October 1982, with Deborah Harry launching a part-time solo career while caring for Stein, who eventually recovered. In 1998, the original lineup of Harry, Stein, Destri, and Burke reunited to tour Europe, their first series of dates in 16 years; a new LP, No Exit, followed early the next year. After more touring, this was followed by another studio set, The Curse of Blondie, in 2003, and a DVD of the Live by Request program from A&E was released in 2004. In 2006, Blondie celebrated their 30th anniversary with induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the release of Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision, a best-of collection that contained all their classic videos as well.

Internet meme

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The Hampster Dance is one of the first widely distributed Internet Memes and illustrates the characteristic silliness of the genre.
The Hampster Dance is one of the first widely distributed Internet Memes and illustrates the characteristic silliness of the genre.

An Internet meme (often the early form of an Internet phenomenon) is a piece of digital content that spreads rapidly, widely, and organically from person to person on the Internet. The term is a reference to the memes as virus-like self-replicating packet of information.[1]

Pitchfork Media

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The neutrality of this article is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.

Pitchfork Media Logo

A typical example of Pitchfork's main page, as of 12-12-06
Launched 1995
Based in Chicago, Illinois, US
Created by Ryan Schreiber
Owner Ryan Schreiber
Registration No
Type of website Music webzine
Status Active
URL pitchforkmedia.com

Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork and occasionally shortened to P4K or pfork,[1] is a United States-based daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on independent music,[2] including indie rock. However, the range of musical genres reviewed extends to electronic, pop, hip hop, dance, folk, jazz, and experimental music.

The site, which was established in 1995, concentrates on new music, but Pitchfork journalists also review reissued albums and box sets. The site has published "best-of" lists – such as the best albums of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, and the best songs of the 1960s – as well as annual features detailing the best singles and albums of each year between 2001 and 2006. The site is reputed to have significant influence in the independent music world, although it is criticized by some for its "hipster" attitude, devotion to hype and trends, and a focus on obscure bands and musical styles.[citation needed]

Modest Mouse

Biography by Jason Ankeny
Issaquah, WA, indie rock trio Modest Mouse was formed in 1993 by vocalist/guitarist Isaac Brock, bassist Eric Judy, and drummer Jeremiah Green. After honing their muscular sound in "The Shed" -- a makeshift practice space built by Brock on the land next to his mother's trailer -- Modest Mouse entered Calvin Johnson's Dub Narcotic Studios to cut their 1994 self-titled debut single, released on Johnson's K Records label. Following a move to the Up label, the trio issued two 1996 LPs, This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About and Interstate 8. After returning to K, Modest Mouse released The Fruit That Ate Itself in 1997; its follow-up from later that year, The Lonesome Crowded West, was the band's breakthrough, and in the wake of a major-label bidding war, they signed to Sony. The rarities collection Building Nothing out of Something appeared on Up in early 2000, followed later that year by their long-awaited Epic debut, The Moon & Antarctica. In 2001, the band issued the Everywhere and His Nasty Parlor Tricks EP and K released Sad Sappy Sucker, a "lost album" that was intended to be the group's full-length debut back in 1994. Brock kept busy with his Ugly Casanova side project, which delivered Sharpen Your Teeth in 2002. Modest Mouse finally returned in 2004 with Good News for People Who Love Bad News, their best-received record and a Top 40 hit as well. For their next record, Brock enlisted the help of former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, who not only added his songwriting and playing skills to We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank -- which was released in early 2007 -- but also toured with the band as a member.

Funeral

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
"Wake Up," a track from the debut full-length by Montreal's Arcade Fire, builds from a midtempo strum into a "You Can't Hurry Love" gallop, which singer Win Butler interrupts with a yell: "You better look out below!" Somehow, none of this hits the ear as overemotional. Throughout Funeral, the band augments its five-piece lineup with string sections, weaving near-cinematic, folk-influenced chamber pop that slots in somewhere between Belle and Sebastian's delicacy and the robust classicism of ’80s New Zealand bands such as the Chills and the Verlaines. The album drips with enough romanticism to rival Jeff Buckley's Grace, from the dreamscape of "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" ("Meet me in the middle of the town, forget all we used to know") to the epic realism of "In the Backseat." One of the indie rock community’s most beloved finds of 2004, Arcade Fire are poised to win over even more listeners. --Rickey Wright

Product Description
Montreal's Arcade Fire brings a theatricality, an intensity, an insanity, and a penchant for amazing hooks to their debut full-length. You've never heard such energy, beauty, and emotion from such a young band. Fans of Neutral Milk Hotel, Broken Social Scene, and Roxy Music's first two albums will have a new favorite band.

65daysofstatic

Biography by Kenyon Hopkin

Focusing on instrumental post-rock with live and electronic percussion, 65daysofstatic is based in Sheffield, England. The band, whose name originates from an unreleased John Carpenter film, formed in 2001 as a trio (Joe Shrewsbury, Paul Wolinski, and Iain Armstrong). Armstrong left in May 2003 and by the end of the year Rob Jones (drums) and Gareth Hughes (bass) were added. The band released three albums: The Fall of Math (2004), One Time for All Time (2005), and The Destruction of Small Ideas (2007). As of spring 2007, the lineup included Shrewsbury (guitar), Wolinski (guitar, programming), Jones (drums), and Simon Wright (bass, programming).

Morning Runners

Biography by Kenyon Hopkin

Despite several critics dismissing Morning Runner as yet another replica of Coldplay -- the band is even on the same U.K. label -- the piano-led group found some success in the U.K. since forming in 2003. Established in Reading, England, the group features Matthew Greener (vocals/guitars), Chris "Fields" Wheatcroft (keyboard/vocals), Tom Derrett (bass), and Ali Clewer (drums) in its lineup. The bandmembers had originally been more interested in garage rock, but Wheatcroft's playing led Morning Runner in a different direction. The band signed on with indie label Faith & Hope and, after issuing a 7" in 2004, made the move to U.K. major Parlophone. Morning Runner spent 2005 touring with Ian Brown, Bloc Party, the Magic Numbers, the Pogues, and Coldplay. In May 2005, they released their first EP with Parlophone, Drawing Shapes, followed by the debut single Gone Up in Flames. In February 2006, they released the single Burning Benches, which broke into the Top 20 of the U.K. singles chart. The full-length Wilderness Is Paradise Now was issued in March 2006.

Funeral for a Friend

Biography by Ed Rivadavia

Welsh quintet Funeral for a Friend featured vocalist Matt Davies, guitarists Kris Roberts and Darran Smith, bassist Gareth Davies, and drummer Randy Richards. The quintet's energized blend of emo, metal, and post-hardcore first appeared in 2002 with a series of EPs and singles, including Between Order and Model, Four Ways to Scream Your Name, and "Juneau." The releases wound up landing them on the cover of Kerrang! magazine, instant hype that paid off in the shape of a record deal with Warner Music. Funeral for a Friend's debut full-length, Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation, was issued in October 2003. It was not given a concurrent U.S. release; instead, the seven-track mini-CD Seven Ways to Scream Your Name (collecting non-album tracks from the earlier EPs) appeared domestically via the New Jersey indie Ferret. Meanwhile, Funeral for a Friend embarked on a series of high-profile touring engagements, including a series of European dates opening for Iron Maiden. Touring continued through summer 2004. The Spilling Blood in 8mm DVD appeared in September with live footage, videos, and a band documentary. Funeral for a Friend returned in June 2005 with Hours, their second full-length; more touring followed, including the band's first stint on the Warped Tour. The guys also picked up that year's Kerrang! award for Best British Band. Back at home by the end of 2005, Matt Davies used some downtime from touring to work on material for his first side project, the alt-country-inspired the Secret Show, whose debut album was released in February 2007. Three months later, Funeral for a Friend issued their next album, Tales Don't Tell Themselves, subsequently jumping on the road for headlining dates in the U.K. and U.S. before spending summer on the Warped Tour.

Guillemots

Biography by Marisa Brown

The multinational Guillemots, comprised of English singer and classically trained pianist Fyfe Dangerfield, Brazilian guitarist MC Lord Magrao, Scottish percussionist Greig Stewart (aka Rican Caol), and Canadian double bassist Aristazabal Hawkes, use their eclectic influences and personal styles to create a catchy pop sound and energetic live show that has won them many fans in their British home base. In 2005, they opened for Rufus Wainwright during his U.K. tour and released the EP I Saw Such Things in My Sleep. The "mini-album" From the Cliffs (a collection of their early singles, including all four songs from the EP) came out in March 2006. The full-length, Through the Windowpane followed later that year.

+/- (plus or minus)

Biography by Margaret Reges

After spending a few years playing in his brother Ed Baluyut's band, Versus, James Baluyut opted to go solo in 2001. The project was called Plus/Minus (+/-), and after a whirlwind year of writing and recording material, Baluyut released his first album, Self-Titled Long-Playing Debut Album, on Teenbeat Records in 2002. Baluyut was joined by Margaret McCartney and former Versus member Patrick Ramos on the album, but by and large it was Baluyut's baby -- he sang the songs, he played the instruments, and he even produced the album. He recruited a couple old friends to fill out Plus/Minus shortly after the first album was released -- Ramos joined the group on guitar and vocals, and Chris Deaner joined on drums. They got to work on some new songs, cobbling together what would become the band's signature synthy, jumpy sound. The group released its first EP, Holding Patterns, in 2004, and followed it up a few months later with its second full-length album, You Are Here. The second full-length marked the crystallization of Plus/Minus's signature blend of dream pop and hyperactive drumming. They went on tour in Japan, necessitating a premature release of their third album, Let's Build a Fire, and they followed it up with performances at SXSW and the Noise Pop festival. Soon after that, they landed a deal with Absolutely Kosher Records, which allowed them to put the finishing touches on their third full-length effort, Let's Build a Fire. It was released in late 2006.

一小塊長期吃 黑巧克力降血壓

【聯合晚報╱編譯夏嘉玲/美聯社芝加哥三日電】 2007.07.04 03:00 pm

每天吃一小塊黑巧克力可降血壓，但，吃多了可不好。
報系資料照片
可可對健康的好處再增一項。德國一項研究發現，長期吃含可可的黑巧克力，只要非常少量就有降低血壓的功效。這也是首度發現黑巧克力只要吃一點點就能裨益健康。

這項研究呼應多項研究對含可可食物有益健康的結論。可可含植物性化合物黃烷醇 (flavanols)，喝紅酒有益心臟，也是拜這種成分所賜。

不過，巧克力熱量高，專家不鼓勵把大吃特吃當成降血壓的手段，免得體重上升，反而導致更多健康風險。

科隆大學研究人員讓44名56歲到73歲的受試對象吃德國Ritter Sport方塊型黑巧克力，每天吃一小塊，等於攝取6公克多黑巧克力，或者吃大小分量差不多但不含可可的白巧克力。受試者體重大致正常，但血壓略高或有前高血壓，研究開始時血壓平均為收縮壓147毫米汞柱，舒張壓86毫米汞柱。18周後，吃黑巧克力的人平均收縮壓下降近3毫米汞柱，舒張壓下降近2毫米汞柱。吃白巧克力的人則血壓幾無變化。

研究論文已發表在最新一期「美國醫學會期刊」。論文主要執筆者陶伯特博士指出，吃黑巧克力所降血壓幅度不大，但已足夠減少罹患心血管疾病風險，不過該研究並未就心血管疾病進行後續追蹤研究。研究人員為了避免受試者吃進太多熱量，把他們每天攝取的巧克力量限制為30卡。

研究人員指出，長期攝取黑巧克力可擴張血管，維持血壓穩定。美國約翰霍普金斯醫學院艾佩表示，最有效的非藥物降血壓方法還是保持體重正常與減少鹽分攝取，如果再經常吃少量黑巧克力，或許更能事半功倍。

【2007/07/04 聯合晚報】@ http://udn

中國摧毀中產階級

經濟學大師梭羅預言巨龍大未來：中國摧毀中產階級！

‧商業周刊 2007/07/04
世界級經濟學大師梭羅（Lester C. Thurow）與《商業周刊》一行人在香港九七回歸十週年前夕展開會談，在：「當中國成為第一（China as Number One）」的文章中指出，中國強勁的製造力，將使全球中產階級消失。中國質變、量變，改變了全世界，也改變你我處境。


【整理者／李郁怡】

世界級經濟學大師梭羅（Lester C. Thurow）與《商業周刊》一行人在香港九七回歸十週年前夕展開會談，在：「當中國成為第一（China as Number One）」的文章中指出，中國強勁的製造力，將使全球中產階級消失。中國質變、量變，改變了全世界，也改變你我處境。


「當中國覺醒，世界為之撼動。」這是拿破崙用以形容中國的名句。


中國正邁向致富之路。從一九七八年開始，中國開始經濟改造，當時她的國內生產毛額（GDP）占世界比重不到一％，進出口總額只有二百零六億美元，她必須仰賴原油出口換取國際上被信賴的貨幣（hard currency）。今天，中國的國內生產毛額已成長到約占世界總額的五％，外貿總額超越日本，成為全世界第三大貿易國。


中國是世界工廠，過去是，現在也是。她低廉的勞工與製造成本，經濟規模如此之大，從供應端來看，她所製造的商品，在價格上的優勢，沒有其他國家可以競爭。


影響1》摧毀全球中產階級


中產階級消失，伴隨而來社會貧富差距惡化，這是全球化現象的一部份。


目前，在中國有三大經濟活動模式，一是直接在中國銷售消費商品、二是將中國視為境外製造中心、最後則是出售資本設備給中國。而將中國視為境外製造中心，仍是外商在中國長期賺錢最重要的選項。



世界各國將經濟活動外移中國， 毀了所有國家的中產階級， 因為中產階級的工作隨著外包也移動了。
(照片提供／商業周刊)

因為世界各地的經濟活動大量外移往中國，包括美國在內，所有國家的中產階級都因此毀滅（China's destroys the middle class in all countries），因為中產階級工作機會隨著外包消失了。


但另一方面，中國本身的中產階級人數，卻隨著經濟活動活絡而增加之中。

不過，中國底層的工作機會並沒有增加。社會上收入最少的一○％家庭，發現他們的收入每一年以一‧二％的速度下降，但社會上前一○％最有錢的人，收入卻每年以八％的速度增加。


中產階級消失，伴隨而來社會貧富差距惡化，不過這並不是只在中國發生，在美國也一樣，這是全球化現象的一部分。


影響2》扼殺出口導向國家


中國將持續以出超驅動經濟，在無人能敵的價格競爭下，其他出口國將被她「殺」了。


所謂出口導向經濟，就是指利用出口驅動經濟成長率，但是要達到經濟成長的目的，國家必須有大量的出超。出口要成長兩倍，國內生產毛額才會出現一倍的成長。


當全球只有少數國家操作的時候，出口導向的經濟模式是可以行得通的。但是，中國現在以其他國家無法競爭的價格從事製造，世界各地企業紛紛將中國視為境外製造中心。原來操作出口導向國家的經濟成長，則被中國「殺」了（China kills export led growth）。


在可以預見的未來，中國將會一直是出口導向的國家。一旦失去出超，她會失去三分之二的國內生產毛額。中國政府一定會設法讓出口導向經濟盡可能的持續下去。


影響3》阻止全球通貨膨脹


中國利用低廉的製造成本，向世界各國輸出產品，是全球通膨平緩的主因。


中國利用低廉的製造成本，向世界各國輸出產品，是目前全球通貨膨脹平緩的主因。今天通貨膨脹（應該）到處在發生，以往從沒有實質經濟成長率到五％，但沒有通貨膨脹的情形，主要原因是今天的製造供給便宜了。


你有一個擴張中的市場（booming market），但沒有通貨膨脹。在一九七○年，這是不可能發生的。


未來1》中國股市仍然看漲


我認為中國經濟並未過熱，也許某些區域房市過熱，但不是整體。



不管經濟成長率有多快，中國應該持續投資經濟發展。
(照片提供／商業周刊)

在通貨膨脹獲得控制的前提下，中國經濟如果維持成長，中國股市長期仍然會持續成長。


或許有人會擔心經濟過熱的情形，但我認為，中國經濟並沒有過熱。中國總理溫家寶曾經與我在電話中談過這個問題。他問我，是否認為中國的房市出現泡沫化了，我說，「不。如果你整體考量租屋、房貸壞帳等情況，房市並沒有泡沫化的情形。也許在某些地區是過熱了，但不是整體。」


中國實際的經濟成長率並不如她所宣稱的，有八％到一一％那麼高。假使一個國家的經濟成長率有一○％，像中國，但占七○％人口的農村生產力卻沒有相對成長，這意味著城市每年的經濟成長必須到達三三％。中國城市的經濟成長是很快，可是不可能到達三三％。


事實上，中國政府也承認，有些經濟數據失準，例如相對每單位的國內生產毛額的能源消耗，事實上是在成長之中，而不是降低。


未來2》公共投資將續增加


中國仍然是個窮國，如果她想加速經濟成長，投資基礎建設是唯一的方法。


另一個關於中國，一個非常根本的問題是：「中國投資太多了嗎？」


我認為答案是「不」！相反的，如果中國想要加快經濟成長的腳步，應該繼續增加公共建設投資（infrastructure investment）。


中國經濟持續成長，但她仍然是個貧窮的國家。如果中國想要加速經濟成長，投資基礎建設是唯一的方法。市場經濟（Market Economy）這個火車頭取代計畫經濟（Command Economy）這輛大卡車，但中國卻沒有足夠的火車運載量。


中國當然理解基礎建設的必要性，也知道應該在那些地方建設，不過，有沒有什麼項目是應該額外去投資的呢？答案是擴展服務。


英文城市（English Speaking Cities）是很好的例子。像新加坡一樣教英文、開放學校決定要教中文還是英文，然後讓家長決定該讓孩子上什麼學校。不過，要讓他們瞭解，選擇中文學校，孩子未來可能找不到好工作。英文，畢竟是商業世界最主要的語言。


中國如何成為第一


擁有全球五分之一人口、教育普及、科技等資產，當然有條件成為經濟強權。


中國想要成為地區的經濟強權，這意味著她必須成為世界經濟超強，因為中國的鄰國日本，已經是世界上第二大的經濟體。


中國當然有成為經濟強權的條件。她有全世界五分之一的人口，從發展中國家的標準看來，她的教育十分普及，擁有眾多高等教育人才。而在科技創新上，在高等物理、生物科技等領域取得領先。而來自香港、東南亞的華人菁英，則為中國注入了企業家精神，讓市場經濟得以順利運轉。


中國的經濟成長是很快，而且快得超過許多人預期。但如果運用貨幣購買力平價（Purchasing Power Parity, PPP）推算，中國目前的經濟規模，應該只占世界的四％，而不是一二％；假設在未來，中國實質經濟成長率可以持續維持四‧五％（歷史上最高紀錄），完全沒有經濟衰退，中國的人均國內生產毛額也不會在西元二一○○年之前趕上美國。更何況，在下一個世紀，中國一定會經歷景氣循環，遇到經濟不如預期的壞時機。


歷史告訴我們，貧窮的國家要變成富有，至少要花百年的時間。台灣從一九四九年起，每年經濟成長率達到七％，所得仍低於美國；歐洲在一九九○年代，國內生產毛額是美國的九○％，但現在只有六六％。因為美國做為世界經濟強權，也會持續成長，不會停留在原地等待。


隨著經濟成長，中國會逐步的建立民主，就像台灣，或是日本一樣，但是那不會很快的發生。台灣民主化花了三十年的時間，中國的時間可能會更長。


中國人的世紀或許即將來臨，但如果要趕上全球第一名，不會在二十一世紀，而會是在二十二世紀。


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