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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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.