Redd Kross, "Beyond The Door" (Merge Records)
Redd Kross continue to swing their pendulum widely and wildly between punk roots and power pop on "Beyond The Door," their latest album arriving after seven lean years in terms of new recordings, but rich with live dates and reissues.
Brothers Jeff and Steven McDonald have been in bands together for over four decades and the method to their madness/genius has barely changed — plenty of groovy melodies atop loud guitars, abundant pop culture references that could fill their own "Jeopardy" category, high doses of merriment and an unfair flair for being a quarter- or half note out of step with the prevalent trends.
No matter. With guitarist Jason Shapiro and Dale Crover on drums expertly completing the lineup, the album blasts off with "The Party." It's from the soundtrack of the hilarious 1968 Blake Edwards-Peter Sellers film and the mission statement is clear: "The party is groovy and everyone loses control." That's followed by "Fighting," which mentions K-pop, South Korea's own musical genre, and is more energetic than violent.
The title track references the Velvet Underground's Nico while linking a Martin Scorsese film and Alice Cooper. The younger and sometimes less-prolific Steven appears to pay tribute to a rebellious offspring on "There's No One Like You" and his bass playing cracks the pinata wide open on the rocking "The Party Underground," as joyous as the B-52's "Love Shack" but with nods to Mott the Hoople/David Bowie, Voltaire and molasses.
Jeff's "What's a Boy to Do" is power pop heaven, as is the closing cover of a tune by another band led by California siblings, Sparks' "When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way.'"
Those elated by Redd Kross' unexpected 2012 return with "Researching The Blues" will find that the quality remains high on the timeless "Beyond The Door."
PARIS (AP) — Microsoft announced its most substantial commitment yet to France, pledging on Monday to invest 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion) this year to bolster the country’s burgeoning artificial intelligence sector.
The move is part of a broader effort unveiled during President Emmanuel Macron’s pro-business event, Choose France, which aims to attract foreign investment and stimulate economic growth.
Microsoft’s vice chair and president, Brad Smith, visited the company’s French headquarters with Macron.
“We will build out the computing capacity here in France," Smith said. "We will put this infrastructure to work for everyone in France.”
The plan includes expanding next-generation Cloud and AI infrastructure and delivering up to 25,000 of the most advanced GPUs, or graphics processing units, to France by the end of 2025.
Additionally, Microsoft will launch an AI skilling initiative to train 1 million French people by the end of 2027, emphasizing the importance of equipping citizens with future-ready skills.
The announcement was made as part of the annual Choose France summit, created by Macron in 2018. The summit, held this year at the Palace of Versailles, was attended by 180 international CEOs and senior business executives. It highlighted foreign investments totaling a reported 15 billion euros, surpassing last year’s 13 billion euros raised through 28 projects.
Macron addressed the necessity of advancing AI technology in Europe and told Microsoft staff, “We are entering a totally different world where the competition will be ferocious, and we can only win this competition if we have trusted partners, and you are among them.”
This significant investment underscores Microsoft’s commitment to supporting French growth in the AI economy and marks a milestone in the ongoing efforts to enhance France’s position as a global leader in technology and innovation.
French President Emmanuel Macron greets employees at the French Microsoft headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, outside Paris, Monday, May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool)
French President Emmanuel Macron, left, applauds Microsoft CEO Brad Smith at the French Microsoft headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, outside Paris, Monday, May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool)
French President Emmanuel Macron, left, applauds Microsoft CEO Brad Smith at the French Microsoft headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, outside Paris, Monday, May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool)
Microsoft CEO Brad Smith delivers his speech at the French Microsoft headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, outside Paris, Monday, May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool)
Microsoft CEO Brad Smith, right, shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron at the French Microsoft headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, outside Paris, Monday, May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool)
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks at the French Microsoft headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, outside Paris, Monday, May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool)
Microsoft CEO Brad Smith, right, speaks to French President Emmanuel Macron at the French Microsoft headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, outside Paris, Monday, May 13, 2024. Microsoft, which has been present in France for 41 years, is announcing a 4 billion euro investment this year, the largest to date in the country, to support French growth in the new artificial intelligence economy. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool)
