EP may refer to:

Audio [link]

Extended play, a musical recording that contains more than a single, but less than a full album or LP

Arts and entertainment[link]

''EP'' (The 77s EP), a 1999 rock album

''EP'' (Childish Gambino EP), 2011 album from rapper Childish Gambino

''EP'' (The Fiery Furnaces album), a 2003 indie rock album

''EP'' (The Format album), 2002 work

''EP'' (Hope&Social; EP), 2008 work

''EP'' (Luna EP), a 1996 indie pop/rock album

''EP'' (Mogwai EP), a 1999 Scottish post-rock album

''Singles: $100 EP'' (Alien Ant Farm album)

Edgar Allan Poe, an American storywriter

En passant (''e.p.''), a chess maneuver

Entity Paradigm, a Pakistani rock band

Europa-Park, a theme park in Germany

Executive producer, non-technical producer of an entertainment production

The Electric Playground, a news show on the American G4 television channel

Companies and organizations [link]

Editorial Photographers, a membership organisation for photojournalists

El Paso Corp. (NYSE stock symbol: ''EP''), a US natural gas producer

Emerson Preparatory School, a small private high school in Washington, D.C.

Iran Aseman Airlines (IATA code: ''EP'')

Europa Press (news agency), a privately-held news agency, in Madrid, Spain

Government, military, and politics[link]

English Partnerships, the former English urban regeneration agency

Estradas de Portugal, the Portuguese roads agency

European Parliament, the European Union's lower house

Places[link]

Eden Prairie, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, US

El Paso, Texas, a large city in Texas, United States

Science, medicine, and mathematics[link]

Engineering physics

Electrophotography

Electrophysiology

EPDM rubber, a synthetic ethylene-propylene-based rubber

Erythropoietin, a hormone

Evoked potential, a stimulation induced electrophysiological test

Evolutionary psychology, psychological approach that looks at traits such as memory

European Pharmacopoeia, listing of substances used to make pharmaceutical products in Europe

Expectation propagation, a technique in Bayesian machine learning

Etoposide and platinum agent (cisplatin), a chemotherapy regimen

EP, the alias of a patient with extreme anterograde and retrograde amnesia, similar to HM (patient)

$E\_p$, potential energy

Entry point (computer programming)

Transportation[link]

EP additive, a lubricant additive (mainly used in automotive gear oils)

Estimated position, a navigation term

EP, an electric locomotive (Polish train designation: ''EP'')

EP (English Premium) brake, an abbreviation for the electro-pneumatic brake system on British railway trains

Other[link]

End Phenomena (Scientology), the signs looked for by an auditor in an auditing session that indicate a process is finished

Category:Initialisms

bs:EP ca:EP cs:EP da:Ep (flertydig) de:EP et:EP el:EP es:EP (desambiguación) fa:EP fr:EP ko:EP hr:EP (razdvojba) it:EP sw:EP lv:EP lt:EP hu:EP (egyértelműsítő lap) nl:EP ja:EP no:EP (andre betydninger) pt:EP (desambiguação) ru:EP (значения) sk:EP sl:EP (razločitev) fi:Ep sv:EP (olika betydelser) zh:EP (消歧義)

name	Susan Boyle
birth name	Susan Magdalane Boyle
background	solo_singer
birth date	April 01, 1961
origin	Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom
instrument	Vocals
genre	Pop
occupation	Singer
years active	2009–present
label	Sony Music, Syco, Columbia
associated acts	Elaine Paige, Geraldine McQueen, Emeli Sandé
website	}}

Susan Magdalane Boyle (born 1 April 1961) is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme ''Britain's Got Talent'' on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ''''. Her first album was released in November 2009 and debuted as the number one best-selling album on charts around the globe.

Global interest in Boyle was triggered by the contrast between her powerful mezzo-soprano voice and her plain appearance on stage. The juxtaposition of the audience's first impression of her, with the standing ovation she received during and after her performance, led to an international media and Internet response. Within nine days of the audition, videos of Boyle—from the show, various interviews and her 1999 rendition of "Cry Me a River"—had been watched over 100 million times. Her audition video has been viewed on the internet several hundred million times. Despite the sustained media interest she later finished in second place in the final of the show behind dance troupe Diversity.

Boyle's debut album, ''I Dreamed a Dream'' (2009) remains as the UK best-selling debut album of all time, beating previous record holder, ''Spirit'' by Leona Lewis. ''I Dreamed a Dream'' is ranked fourth in its first week sales according to the Official Chart Company in the United Kingdom. In her first year of fame, Boyle made a fortune of £5 million with the release of ''I Dreamed a Dream'' and its lead off singles, "I Dreamed a Dream" and "Wild Horses". The success was continued with her second album, ''The Gift'' (2010), and was followed by Boyle's third album, ''Someone to Watch Over Me'', released on 31 October 2011. On 12 May 2012, Susan returned to Britain's Got Talent to perform as a guest in the final singing "You'll See". The following day, she performed at Windsor Castle for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Pageant singing "Mull of Kintyre". Boyle's net worth was estimated at £22 million in April 2012.

Life and career[link]

Early life and childhood[link]

Boyle was raised in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland, by her parents Patrick Boyle, a miner, World War II veteran and singer at the Bishop's Blaize, and Bridget, a shorthand typist, whose family comes from County Donegal, Ireland. She was the youngest of four brothers and five sisters. Boyle was briefly deprived of oxygen during a difficult birth resulting in a learning disability. Boyle says she was bullied as a child and was nicknamed "Susie Simple" at school.

After leaving school with few qualifications, she was employed for the only time in her life as a trainee cook in the kitchen of West Lothian College for six months, took part in government training programmes, and performed at a number of local venues.

Early musical training and career[link]

Boyle took singing lessons from voice coach Fred O'Neil. She attended Edinburgh Acting School and took part in the Edinburgh Fringe. Prior to ''Britain's Got Talent'', her main experience had come from singing in her local Catholic church, Our Lady of Lourdes; in local choirs; and in karaoke performances at pubs in and around her village. She had also auditioned several times for ''My Kind of People''. She has also long participated in her parish church's pilgrimages to the Knock Shrine, County Mayo, Ireland, and has sung there at the Marian basilica.

Her repertoire through the years has included songs such as "The Way We Were" and "I Don't Know How to Love Him." British tabloids claimed "exclusives" of video clips of some early performances. In 1995, her audition for Michael Barrymore's ''My Kind of People'' at the Olympia Shopping Centre in East Kilbride was filmedthe amateur video shows Barrymore was more interested in mocking her than in her ability to sing.

In 1999, she submitted a track for a charity CD to commemorate the Millennium produced at a West Lothian school. Only 1,000 copies of the CD, ''Music for a Millennium Celebration, Sounds of West Lothian'', were pressed. An early review in the ''West Lothian Herald & Post'' said Boyle's rendition of "Cry Me a River" was "heartbreaking" and "had been on repeat in my CD player ever since I got this CD..." The recording found its way onto the internet following her first televised appearance and the ''New York Post'' said it showed that Boyle was "not a one trick pony." ''Hello!'' said the recording "cement[ed] her status" as a singing star.

In 1998, Boyle recorded three tracks "Cry Me A River", "Killing Me Softly" & "Don't Cry For Me Argentina"at Heartbeat Studio, Midlothian. She used all her savings to pay for a professionally cut demo, copies of which she later sent to record companies, radio talent competitions, local and national TV. The demo consisted of her versions of "Cry Me a River" and "Killing Me Softly with His Song"; the songs were uploaded to the Internet after her ''BGT'' audition.

After Boyle won several local singing competitions, her mother urged her to enter ''Britain's Got Talent'' and take the risk of singing in front of an audience larger than her parish church. Former coach O'Neil said Boyle abandoned an audition for ''The X Factor'' because she believed people were being chosen for their looks. She almost abandoned her plan to enter ''Britain's Got Talent'' believing she was too old, but O'Neil persuaded her to audition nevertheless. Boyle said that she was motivated to seek a musical career to pay tribute to her mother. Her performance on the show was the first time she had sung in public since her mother died.

''Britain's Got Talent'' (2008–2009)[link]

In August 2008, Boyle applied for an audition for the third series of ''Britain's Got Talent'' (as contestant number 43212) and was accepted after a preliminary audition in Glasgow. When Boyle first appeared on ''Britain's Got Talent'' at the city's Clyde Auditorium, she said that she aspired to become a professional singer "as successful as Elaine Paige". Boyle sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from ''Les Misérables'' in the first round of the third series of ''Britain's Got Talent'', which was watched by over 10 million viewers when it aired on 11 April 2009. Programme judge Amanda Holden remarked upon the audience's initially cynical attitude, and the subsequent "biggest wake-up call ever" upon hearing her performance.

This performance was widely reported and tens of millions of people viewed the video on YouTube. Boyle was "absolutely gobsmacked" by the strength of this reaction. Since the appearance, Paige has expressed interest in singing a duet with Boyle, and has called her "a role model for everyone who has a dream". Boyle's rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" has been credited with causing a surge in ticket sales in the Vancouver production of ''Les Misérables''. Cameron Mackintosh, the producer of the ''Les Misérables'' musical, also praised the performance, as thrilling and uplifting".

She was one of 40 acts that were put through to the semi-finals. She appeared last on the first semi-final on 24 May 2009, performing "Memory" from the musical ''Cats''. In the public vote she was the act to receive the highest number of votes and go through to the final. She was the clear favourite to win the final, but ended up in second place to Diversity; the UK TV audience was a record of 17.3 million viewers.

The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) became concerned by press reports about Boyle's erratic behaviour and speculation about her mental condition and wrote to remind editors about clause 3 (privacy) of their code of press conduct. The day after the final, Boyle was admitted to The Priory, a private psychiatric clinic in London, TalkbackThames explained "Following Saturday night's show, Susan is exhausted and emotionally drained." Her stay in hospital attracted widespread attention, with Prime Minister Gordon Brown wishing her well. Cowell offered to waive Boyle's contractual obligation to take part in the BGT tour. Her family said "she's been battered non-stop for the last seven weeks and it has taken its toll [...but...] her dream is very much alive," as she had been invited to the Independence Day celebrations at the White House.

Boyle left the clinic five days after her admission and said she would participate in the BGT tour. Despite health worries, she appeared in 20 of the 24 dates of the tour, and was well received in cities such as Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dublin, Sheffield, Coventry, Birmingham and London. The ''Belfast Telegraph'' said "Despite reports of crumbling under the pressure..., she exuded a confidence resembling that of a veteran who has been performing for years".

''I Dreamed a Dream'' and tour (2009–2010)[link]

Boyle's first album, ''I Dreamed a Dream'', was released on 23 November 2009. The album includes covers of "Wild Horses" and "You'll See" as well as "I Dreamed a Dream", and "Cry Me a River". ''I Dreamed a Dream'' became Amazon.com's best-selling album in pre-sales on 4 September 2009, three months before the scheduled release. In Britain, Boyle's debut album was recognised as the fastest selling UK debut album of all time selling 411,820 copies, beating the previous fastest selling debut of all time, ''Spirit'' by Leona Lewis. ''I Dreamed a Dream'' also outsold the rest of the top 5 albums combined in its first week.

In the U.S., the album sold 701,000 copies in its first week, the best opening week for a debut artist in over a decade. It topped the ''Billboard'' chart for six straight weeks and although it narrowly failed to become the best-selling album of 2009, with sales of 3,104,000 compared to 3,217,000 for Taylor Swift's ''Fearless'', it was one of only two albums to sell over 3 million copies in the U.S., and was also the top selling "physical" album of 2009, with only 86,000 of its sales coming from digital downloads. This has in turn garnered more media attention, as mentioned by ''People'' magazine.

In Italy, it was the first album of the month in the Italian No. 1 Account by a non-Italian artist ever. In only a week, it sold more than 2 million copies worldwide, becoming the fastest selling global female debut album.

Boyle gave a U.S. concert tour in November as a lead-up to the album release. On 13 December 2009 she appeared in her own television special "I Dreamed a Dream: the Susan Boyle Story", featuring a duet with Elaine Paige. It got ratings of 10 million viewers in the United Kingdom and in America was the TV Guide Network's highest rated television special in its history.

In November 2009 it was reported that Boyle's rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" would be the theme song of the anime movie ''Eagle Talon The Movie 3'' which was later released in Japan on 16 January 2010. Boyle performed for Pope Benedict XVI on his tour of Britain in 2010. In May 2010, Susan Boyle was voted by ''Time'' magazine as the seventh most influential person in the world.

''The Gift'' (2010–2011)[link]

On 9 July 2010, Boyle announced that her second album would be a Christmas album entitled ''The Gift''. As part of the lead-up to the album, she held a competition called ''Susan's Search'', the winner of which sang a duet with her on her new CD. The album was released on 8 November 2010.

The album was produced by Steve Mac, who said that "Now Susan's used to the studio and the recording process, this time round we might go even further down a traditional route of recording by getting a band together and rehearsing songs before we go into the studio to see what works, how she reacts with certain parts, and so we can change the arrangements that way. I think that’s going to work much better....With Susan it’s very important she connects with the public and the public connect with her. She doesn’t want to sing anything that hasn’t happened to her or she can’t relate to." Boyle has suggested the album will include some jazz numbers now she's "a bit more content" within herself. "My next album has to have an element of surprise in it again. I'm hoping to make it better and a bit extra special."

In November 2010, Boyle became one of only three acts ever to top both the UK and US album charts twice in the same year. On 30 November 2010, in the United States, Boyle performed on ABC's ''The View'' singing "O Holy Night" and then on NBC's ''Christmas at Rockefeller Center'' program performing "Perfect Day" and "Away in a Manger". During her appearance on ''The View'' she was unable to finish her song, stating that she had a "frog in her throat"; she wanted to start the song over but was not allowed to. The audience applauded her anyway and she later performed an unaired version of the song which was uploaded to ''The View's'' YouTube account.

''Someone to Watch Over Me'' (2011–present)[link]

Emeli Sande was reported to have helped Boyle to write songs for her third studio album, which was released on 31 October 2011. Boyle performed on the second semi-final results show of the sixth season of ''America's Got Talent'', which aired on 31 August 2011.

Boyle made her first appearance in Australia, on ''X Factor Australia'', on 8 November 2011 and sang "Autumm Leaves".

Media impact[link]

Websites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter have been crucial in facilitating Boyle's rapid rise to fame: The most popular YouTube video submission of her audition garnered nearly 2.5 million views in the first 72 hours. On the day following the performance, the YouTube video was the most popular article on Digg and made the front page of Reddit. Within a week, the audition performance had been viewed more than 66 million times, setting an online record, while on Wikipedia her biographical article attracted nearly half a million page views. A total of 103 million video views on 20 different Web sites was reached within nine days. The ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that her popularity on YouTube may in part be due to the broad range of emotion packed into a short clip which was "perfect for the Internet". In December 2009 her audition was named the most watched YouTube video of the year with over 120 million viewings, more than three times higher than the second most popular video.

Additionally, Boyle’s first on camera interview with Scots journalist Richard Mooney for her local newspaper the West Lothian Courier, was named as YouTube’s Most Memorable Video of 2009. The video went viral after being uploaded to YouTube on 14 April 2009.

Many newspapers around the world (including China, Brazil and the Middle East) carried articles on Boyle's performance. British tabloid ''The Sun'' gave her the nickname "Paula Potts" in reference to the first series' winner Paul Potts. Later, the British press took to referring to her by a short-form of her name, 'SuBo'. In the U.S., several commentators also drew parallels between Boyle's performance and that of Potts. ''ABC News'' hailed "Britain's newest pop sensation", and its Entertainment section headlined Boyle as "The Woman Who Shut Up Simon Cowell".

Within the week following her performance on ''Britain's Got Talent'', Boyle was a guest on STV's ''The Five Thirty Show''. She was interviewed via satellite on CBS's ''Early Show'', ''Good Morning America'', NBC's Today, FOX's ''America's Newsroom''. and ''The Oprah Winfrey Show''. Via satellite on ''Larry King Live'', Boyle performed an a cappella verse of "My Heart Will Go On". She was also portrayed in drag by Jay Leno, who joked that they were related through his mother's Scottish heritage.

At the invitation of NHK, a major Japanese broadcaster, Boyle appeared as a guest singer for the 2009 edition of Kōhaku Uta Gassen, annual songfest on 31 December in Tokyo. She was introduced as the by the MCs and appeared on the stage escorted by Takuya Kimura, and sang "I Dreamed a Dream".

Although Boyle was not eligible for the 2010 Grammy Awards, its host Stephen Colbert paid tribute to Boyle at the ceremony, telling its audience "you may be the coolest people in the world, but this year your industry was saved by a 48-year-old Scottish cat lady in sensible shoes." There was also earlier controversy, when Boyle was not nominated in any of the categories for the 2010 Brit Awards.

Stage musical[link]

A stage musical of Boyle's life was originally planned with Boyle appearing as herself. She said she hated "having to sit watching people up there" who are actors. However it was later decided that actress Elaine C Smith would portray her and Boyle would join the cast of ''I Dreamed a Dream'' for a cameo appearance.

''I Dreamed a Dream'' opened on 27 March 2012 with fans from all over the world occupying the Theatre Royal, Newcastle for the opening week. The musical received rave reviews. David Cavendish wrote in his 5 star review “The overall shape of the show is hard to fault, and in matching the gutsy good humour of its heroine without stooping to hagiography, this is a delight that deserves to go far, and fast, as she has done.” John Dixon from his 5 star review on WhatsOnStage.com wrote "This production is a standalone show that should still play to audiences long after Elaine C Smith and Susan Boyle have left. In fact it deserves to become recognised as the Scottish equivalent to Blood Brothers, so strong are the production values. There is no doubting I Dreamed A Dream is one of the musical events of the year."

The musical will later tour the UK and Ireland.

Social analyses[link]

Judging by appearance[link]

''The Huffington Post'' noted that the producers of the show would have anticipated the potential of this story arc, by deliberately presenting Boyle in a manner that would enhance this initial reaction. ''The Herald'' described Boyle's story as a modern parable and a rebuke to people's tendency to judge others based on their physical appearance. Similarly, ''Entertainment Weekly'' said that Boyle's performance was a victory for talent and artistry in a culture obsessed with physical attractiveness and presentation. ''The Washington Post'' believed that her initial demeanour and homely appearance caused the judges and audience to be "waiting for her to squawk like a duck". New York's ''Daily News'' said that an underdog being ridiculed or humiliated but then enjoying an unexpected triumph is a common trope in literature, and the stark contrast between the audience's low expectations and the quality of her singing made Boyle's performance such an engaging piece of television.

Feminist view[link]

R.M. Campbell, music critic for ''The Gathering Note'' compared her to Ella Fitzgerald, in that "[... it is] really, really hard to make a career if a woman isn't attractive." In another ''Huffington Post'' article, Letty Cottin Pogrebin wrote that although people may "weep for the years of wasted talent", Boyle's performance was a triumph for "women of a certain age" over a youth culture that often dismisses middle-aged women. Tanya Gold wrote in ''The Guardian'' that the difference between Boyle's hostile reception and the more neutral response to Paul Potts in his first audition reflected society's expectation that women be both good-looking and talented, with no such expectation existing for men. Los Angeles vocal coach Eric Vetro stated, "She's an Everywoman as opposed to an untouchable fantasy goddess, so maybe that's why people react to her."

American Dream[link]

Several media sources have commented that Boyle's success seemed to have particular resonance in the United States. An American entertainment correspondent was quoted in ''The Scotsman'' comparing Boyle's story to the American Dream, as representing talent overcoming adversity and poverty. The ''Associated Press'' described this as Boyle's "hardscrabble story", dwelling on her modest lifestyle and what they characterised as urban deprivation in her home town. Similarly, ''The Independent'''s New York correspondent David Usborne wrote that the United States will always respond to "the fairy tale where the apparently unprepossessing suddenly becomes pretty, from ''Shrek'' to ''My Fair Lady''".

Personal life[link]

Boyle still lives in the family home, a four-bedroom council house in Blackburn which she purchased from her earnings in 2010. Her father died in the 1990s, and her siblings had left home. Boyle never married, and she dedicated herself to care for her ageing mother until she died in 2007 at the age of 91. A neighbour reported that when Bridget Boyle died, her daughter "wouldn't come out for three or four days or answer the door or phone." Boyle is a practising Roman Catholic and sang in her church choir at her church in Blackburn. Boyle remains active as a volunteer at her church, visiting elderly members of the congregation in their homes. On a 2010 episode of the ''Oprah Winfrey Show'', Boyle summarised that her daily life was "mundane" and "routine" prior to stardom.

In August 2010, British tabloid, ''News of the World'', reported that Boyle was experiencing financial woes as she was unable to access her fortune, which was being controlled by her management team – consisting of Andy Stephens, Ossie Killkenny and Boyle's lawyer and niece, Kirsty Foy. Boyle's brother Gerry said that his sister was fearful of losing her contract and of returning to her previous financial situation and also that she has been unable to move into her £300,000 five-bedroom house in Blackburn because she does not have the cash to furnish it. He said "[Her] millions are ring-fenced but Susan has no concept of money" and that she was "extremely distressed" at having to live off £300 a week after being banned from withdrawing money from the bank or owning a credit card. This story was contradicted the following day, however, by the news that she had bought two houses. It was also reported that Boyle had been on a spending spree in which she had bought a grand piano, an iPhone and five dresses made by Stewart Parvin, the Queen's dressmaker. The press had previously stated that Boyle was suing her brother Gerry for other stories he had sold to the newspapers.

Cultural references[link]

The American cartoon show ''South Park'' made a reference to the Susan Boyle craze in the episode "Fatbeard", which aired on 22 April 2009; the ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' show aired a comedy sketch showing the "feel good" effect that Susan Boyle's performance has had on people; ''The Simpsons'' aired a new commercial for its 20th-anniversary show "Springfield's Got Talent", in which Homer Simpson talks about his dreams "to be a great singer like Boyle". A European trailer for the video game ''The Sims 3'' includes a character mocked up as Boyle. In June 2009, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a short story called "I Dreamed a Dream" that was based on a combination of Boyle's appearances on ''Britain's Got Talent'' and the political difficulties of Gordon Brown. The 5 November 2009 episode of the show ''30 Rock'' showed recurring character Kathy Geiss (Marceline Hugot) – who has a dowdy appearance – singing in the style of Susan Boyle as Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy teared up. In a Season 35 sketch on ''Saturday Night Live'', an accountant (Andy Samberg) doing Boyle's taxes, notes that her income for 2008 was $1, $900,000,000 for 2009, and projected to be $1 for 2010. Bobby Moynihan played Boyle in the sketch.

In the ''Futurama'' episode "Attack of the Killer App", Leela has a boil named Susan ("Susan Boil") that can sing show tunes.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

''I Dreamed a Dream'' (2009)

''The Gift'' (2010)

''Someone to Watch Over Me'' (2011)

Awards and nominations[link]

! Year	! Association	! Category	! Result
2011	53rd Grammy Awards
2012	54th Grammy Awards

References[link]

Further reading[link]

Boyle, Susan. ''The Woman I Was Born to Be: My Story'' (2010) Atria Books ISBN 1451609256

External links[link]

Category:1961 births Category:Britain's Got Talent contestants Category:Columbia Records artists Category:Living people Category:People from Blackburn, West Lothian Category:Scottish female singers Category:Scottish mezzo-sopranos Category:Scottish people of Irish descent Category:Scottish pop singers Category:Scottish Roman Catholics Category:Torch singers *

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Name	Junior Boys
Background	group_or_band
Origin	Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Genre	ElectropopSynthpopIndietronicaIndie popElectro
Years active	1999 to present
Label	DominoKIN
Website	http://www.juniorboys.net/
Current members	Jeremy GreenspanMatt Didemus
Past members	Johnny Dark }}

Junior Boys are a Canadian indie electronic pop group.

History[link]

Junior Boys formed in 1999 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada as a duo of Jeremy Greenspan and Johnny Dark. Years of collaboration followed and a demo was produced, but after many rejections and near-misses, they were resigned to being bedroom beat constructors. Soon after, Johnny Dark left the band to pursue other interests. Eventually, KIN Records heard their demo at the end of 2002 and commissioned more work from remaining member Greenspan. Hooking up with his engineer, Matt Didemus, he began again, writing more material and pulling an album together.

The first release ''Birthday/Last Exit'' came in October 2003 — a four-track EP with a remix by Fennesz which brought them near-unanimous acclaim . The ''High Come Down'' EP followed in February 2004 with a Manitoba (now Caribou) remix and word began to spread. Their debut album, ''Last Exit'' (recorded at the end of 2003 by Greenspan and Didemus in Hamilton), was released September 21, 2004 on KIN Records. A reissue on Domino featured the Manitoba mix of Birthday, a Fennesz mix of title track, and a new track.

Junior Boys' most popular track, Birthday, was featured in Sander Kleinenberg's high acclaimed mix CD This Is Everybody Too.

The duo has since embarked on a number of tours with Caribou.

In 2006 Junior Boys have reappeared with new releases. A remix of "The Loving Sounds of Static" by Mobius Band was released on the Ghostly International ''Idol Tryouts 2'' compilation on March 7, 2006. "Max", a new original song, was released on the Paper Bag Records compilation ''See You on the Moon!'' on March 21, 2006. Their second full-length album, ''So This Is Goodbye'', was released in August 2006 on Domino Records.

2007 saw the Junior Boys embarking on a North American tour, and then headed to Europe for numerous festivals, continuing into the summer. The remix EP ''The Dead Horse EP'' was released in April containing remixes of tracks from ''So This Is Goodbye''. An iTunes exclusive live EP was also released, reminiscent of a John Peel recording, with four live tracks.

Almost a year after its initial release ''So This Is Goodbye'' was re-released as a bonus edition including the original album, and remixes from the singles and the live tracks from the iTunes session.

On July 10, 2007, Junior Boys second album was revealed as being on the shortlist for the 2007 Polaris Music Prize. They did not ultimately win the prize.

In April 2008 a single on the German Get Physical label was released titled "No Kinda Man", with mixes by Jona and Chloé. The original mix had just been featured on the same label's "Body Language Six" compilation released in March. Whilst the vinyl version was compiled by the band, the CD version was also mixed by the duo.

In September 2008, Morgan Geist's new album "Double Night Time" was released with five songs featuring Jeremy Greenspan.

On January 16, 2009, Junior Boys announced in an official press release that their third full length album would be titled ''Begone Dull Care'', and released on March 24, 2009 in Canada, April 7 in the United States and May 11 in Germany. The title and content of the new album was stated to be inspired by the Canadian animator Norman McLaren. A single from the album, "Hazel", was released on Domino Recording Company in April 2009.

Junior Boys finally managed to tour Australia in September 2009 as part of the Parklife Festival.

On October 9, 2010, via their Facebook page, they announced that their new album (untitled at that time) was nearly complete. On March 11, 2011, Junior Boys announced that their new album, It's All True, will be released on June 13, 2011.

Luke Winkie at Paste Magazine reviewed ''It's All True'' and the album received a score of 7.7 out of ten from the magazine. Winkie at Paste stated, "If Junior Boys’ fourth album ''It’s All True'' proves anything, it’s that the Ontarian, indie-electro originals will never be fully defrosted. Their stealthy, dampened beat-work has kept them remarkably suave in a subgenre that generally softens up to a dorkier demographic – and seven years since Last Exit the band is as frigidly unflappable as ever, progressing nicely through their expected idiosyncrasies, while continuing to sound effortlessly and solitarily cool."

They have been chosen by Caribou to perform at the ATP Nightmare Before Christmas festival that they co-curate in December 2011 in Minehead, England.

Promotions and media [link]

In support of their 2006 album ''So This Is Goodbye'', Junior Boys launched a fan-submitted video contest in conjunction with Domino Records and Imeem.com. Participants were invited to use any song from ''So This Is Goodbye'' as the soundtrack for their original video creations. The winner is to receive a $1000 in cash and prizes.

In October 2006 Junior Boys launched SoThisIsGoodbye.com, an interactive flash website based on the inspiration for the title. “It’s about dealing with the kind of goodbyes you say to things all the time that actually don’t tear you to pieces” explains Jeremy Greenspan of Junior Boys. Users were invited to post goodbye messages in the spirit of the title and to read those of others.

In December 2006 Junior Boys produced a podcast with interview clips and tracks from ''So This Is Goodbye''. The podcast was featured as part of the Dominocast series of podcasts.

In August 2007 the track "In The Morning" from ''So This Is Goodbye'' was featured in Mack Dawg Productions "Picture This" for Finnish professional snowboarder Eero Ettala's video part. "In The Morning" was also used for the "Picture This" trailer.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Year	Album details	Peak Chart Positions
!style="width:4em;font-size:75%"	!style="width:4em;font-size:75%"
2004		* Released: 21 September 2004	* Label: Domino Records
2006	''So This Is Goodbye''	* Released: 12 September 2006	* Label: Domino Records
2009		* Released: 7 April 2009	* Label: Domino Records
2011		* Released: 13 June 2011	* Label: Domino Records

Extended plays[link]

Year	EP details	Peak Chart Positions
!style="width:4em;font-size:75%"	!style="width:4em;font-size:75%"
2007	''The Dead Horse EP''	* Released: 10 April 2007	* Label: Domino Records

Singles[link]

"Birthday/Last Exit" (2003)

"High Come Down" (2004)

"In the Morning" (2006)

"No Kinda Man" (2008)

"Hazel" (2009)

"Bits & Pieces" (2010)

"Banana Ripple" (2011)

Remixes[link]

Yoko Ono - "Give Me Something" (2010)

References[link]

External links[link]

Junior Boys official site

Interview and Music From Junior Boys

Video of entire Amsterdam concert

Junior Boys on Soundcloud

Cover Story, 5 favorite singers

Top act best of 2009 list

Pitchfork Interview

Category:Musical groups established in 1999 Category:Canadian dance music groups Category:Canadian electronic music groups Category:Canadian indie pop groups Category:Musical groups from Hamilton, Ontario Category:Synthpop groups Category:Electronic music duos

ca:Junior Boys es:Junior Boys fr:Junior Boys pl:Junior Boys ru:Junior Boys sv:Junior Boys

Name	Johnny Cage
Series	''Mortal Kombat'' series
Firstgame	''Mortal Kombat'' (1992)
Voiceactor	Jeff Bennett (''The Journey Begins'')Jeff Pilson (''MK2011'')
Liveactor	Daniel Pesina (''MK'', ''MKII'')Chris Alexander (''MKT'')Linden Ashby (first film)Chris Conrad (second film)Jeff Durbin (''Live Tour'')Matt Mullins (''Rebirth'') and (''Legacy'')
Inuniverse	}}

Johnny Cage is a video game character from the ''Mortal Kombat'' series. Cage, whose real name is John Carlton, is portrayed as a film actor who enters the game's tournament, and provides the comic relief of the franchise.

In video games[link]

Johnny Cage introduced as a playable character in the first ''Mortal Kombat'' game. He enters into the titular tournament to prove he does not use special effects in the films he stars in. In the sequel ''Mortal Kombat II'', Cage goes to another tournament in the realm of Outworld after allying with the warriors who wish to protect Earth led by the thunder god Raiden.

He does not reappear in the series until ''Mortal Kombat Trilogy'', where he was killed by Shao Kahn's forces invading Earth. He is shortly revived to help his former comrades defeat Shao Kahn. In the next game, ''Mortal Kombat 4'', Cage is allowed to continue his life after seeking Raiden's help to revive and joins friends once again to defeat the forces from the former god Shinnok who plans to initiate a war between the realms.

By ''Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance'', Cage once again joins Raiden's group, in order to stop the menace from the alliance of sorcerers Quan Chi and Shang Tsung. However, Cage is killed alongside most of his comrades and he is resurrected by the Dragon King Onaga to use him as a slave. He is freed from his mind control by the ninja Ermac and Liu Kang's ghost. He returns in ''Mortal Kombat: Armageddon'' as a playable character, participating in the new tournament Armageddon that will decide mankind's fate. In the ensuing battle, Cage is decapitated by an unknown opponent.

He has also appeared in the spin off game ''Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks'' that reprises the events from ''Mortal Kombat II''. Besides being a supporting character across the game, he is also playable in the fighting mode.

He reappears in the 2011 ''Mortal Kombat'' game. As the game retells the events from the first tournaments, Cage joins Raiden's forces to save Earth. He and Sonya Blade become the only Earthrealm warriors to survive the course of the game's plot.

In other media[link]

Johnny Cage is one of the main characters in the ''Mortal Kombat'' comic book series. His portrayal in the comics is faithful to the games, keeping both his desire to prove his moves are real and his personality traits. He appears during the whole ''Blood & Thunder'' series, most of the time alongside Sonya, with whom he shares a relationship in the comics. His most serious moment is during issue 4 when he, under Raiden's advice, decides to not seek the power of the Tao Te Zhan, since he felt it would be like faking his moves in his films. During the second series, ''Battlewave'', he is seen resuming his acting career when Sonya asks him to help with an investigation after Jax was brutally attacked. He initially refuses, but later reconsiders what's important and decides to follow with Jax into the Outworld. In the meantime, he sends his musclebound bodyguard, Bo, to protect Liu Kang.

In the first ''Mortal Kombat'' film, Johnny Cage was played by Linden Ashby, whose portrayal was faithful to the games in keeping with Cage's personality and his comic relief role. During the film, he fights both Scorpion and Goro in ''Mortal Kombat'', and manages to defeat both. In the film and its novelization, Johnny has been trained from a youth by Master Boyd (full name Bill Boyd), portrayed by Peter Jason.

Johnny Cage reappears in ''Mortal Kombat: Annihilation''. He was played by Chris Conrad. In the opening scene, Shao Kahn takes Sonya Blade hostage, and Cage attempts to save her. He is killed when Kahn snaps his neck.

Matt Mullins appears as Johnny Cage in the internet video, ''Mortal Kombat: Rebirth''. He was an action movie star, whose career was dying. To allow his talents to still be used, he became an undercover agent for Jackson Briggs. However, Alan Zane / Baraka killed him shortly thereafter in battle. Mullins reprised his role in ''Mortal Kombat: Legacy'', in which he plays a failing (but still alive) Johnny Cage who, after all but ruining his show career after a fist fight with TV executives and security, is approached by Shang Tsung with an offer to provide "a way out of everything".

Creation and design[link]

The character was modeled after actor and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme. Cage's appearance in the first game was loosely based on Van Damme's portrayal of Dux Ryu Ninjutsu founder Frank Dux in the 1988 movie ''Bloodsport'', incorporating both Van Damme's appearance/outfit and his signature "leg split" move. Designed to be a Hollywood star, Cage is meant to be comic relief character in contrast to more serious characters like Liu Kang and Raiden. His real name came from Midway Games artist John Carlton, who worked on the ''NBA Jam'' series.

Reception [link]

UGO Networks ranked Johnny Cage fourth on their "Top 11 Mortal Kombat Characters" list, praising his role as the comic relief of the series with the added statement that "there's nothing better than kicking somebody's ass with a fighter that's supposed to be a joke". GameDaily put him 23rd in their feature "Top 25 Gaming Hunks", stating "If you can't marry Brad Pitt, you can always settle for Mortal Kombat's Johnny Cage". 1UP.com ranked him ninth in their "They Is Risen" feature, which covered the ten most notorious video game resurrections. The publication noted that one of the most remarkable part of his character was that he was one of the few ones who died during the storyline. In UGO Networks' 2012 list of the "Top 50 Mortal Kombat Characters", Johnny Cage placed at 23rd, who commented "there's nothing better than kicking somebody's ass with a fighter that's supposed to be a joke".

Cage's Split Punch was in GamesRadar's article "Gaming’s most devastating genital attacks" with its author commenting that "It’s hardly Cage’s most impressive or most damaging move, but it’s inarguably his best." In another article, the split-punch was listed as his signature move with notes that while it is performed in a "decidedly un-Street Fighter way", it was the first "silly" moment in the franchise. Johnny Cage's split-punch on Goro in the ''Mortal Kombat'' film was rated by UGO.com as one the top 11 Game Movie Moments. He was also ninth in Game Revolution's "Top 10 Old School Mortal Kombat Characters" with praise on his special moves that made him stand out. IGN listed him as a character they would like to see as downloadable content for ''Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe'', stating Johnny "remains a favorite among MK heroes, even though he's spent a good portion of the series' life in a coffin".

References [link]

External lnks[link]

Official Twitter account

Johnny Cage - The Mortal Kombat Wiki

Category:Fictional American people Category:Fictional actors Category:Fictional characters based on real people Category:Fictional characters from Florida Category:Film characters Category:Fictional Jeet Kune Do practitioners Category:Fictional karateka Category:Male video game characters Category:Mortal Kombat characters Category:Video game characters introduced in 1992

ar:جوني كايج az:Conni Keyc (Mortal Kombat) ca:Johnny Cage es:Johnny Cage fr:Johnny Cage it:Johnny Cage pt:Johnny Cage ru:Джонни Кейдж simple:Johnny Cage fi:Johnny Cage tr:Johnny Cage ur:جانی کیج (مارٹل کامبیٹ)