Blondie opens vaults for a hefty box set celebrating cool

NEW YORK (AP) — For decades, a New Wave treasure trove sat in a converted barn. For Blondie fans, it was the equivalent of the Ark of the Covenant housed in a rickety storage space. In the building just outside Woodstock, New York, sat 100 reel-to-reel tapes, half a dozen cassettes and a few storage tubs crammed with records. The haul chronicled the rise of Debbie Harry and Co. as they tried on many styles, from reggae and rap to rock. What eventually emerged is the comprehensive box set “Blondie: Against the Odds, 1974-1982,” with 124 tracks and 36 previously unissued recordings, demos, outtakes and Blondie’s initial six studio albums.