Review: The Bronx- IV

I never fell in love with the Foo Fighters.  Sure, the band's back story is amazing and I share the rest of the world's affection for Dave Grohl.  But whenever I hear one of the band's hits I wish it was just a little dirtier and bit less corporate.  The Bronx have made that sound in my head a reality with their new album IV.  It's precisely the sort of big, obvious anthemic rock that will always have a place of honor in my rotation.


---
Hey, look!  Here's documentation of a 2006 show by the Bronx at the RecordBar.  And lest you forget, the Bronx's alter ego is pretty amazing.

---
I reviewed concerts by Kenny Garrett and Kurt Elling last weekend.

---
I reviewed the debut album by Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle at Plastic Sax.

---
Coming to terms with the death of Donald Byrd is just too much for me to deal with right now.  I'll simply note that I bought a "Walking In Rhythm" 45 when I was a kid.

---
Alice Russell's new song "Twin Peaks" is RIYL Amy Winehouse, Dusty Springfield, Adele.

---
Oh, for f***'s sake!  Check out the lineup for Jazz Aspen Snowmass.

---
Here's a list of the releases for Record Store Day 2013.  Put me down for Husker Du (7"), Sir Douglas Quintet (7") and Eric Church (LP).

---
Michelle Rosewoman's new project looks great, but asking for $23,000 seems like a bit much even if Oliver Lake is in the mix.

---
The debut album by the new "supergroup" Pinnick Gales Pridgen is RIYL Robin Trower, "Sunshine of Your Love, the 1970s.  (That said, I genuinely want to see 'em live.)

---
I hate to sound like a whiny twit, but the decision to make the new "Bryan Ferry" album sound as if it was recorded in 1928 doesn't work for me.

---
SSION just dropped a stunning video for "High".  RIYL: mullets, Arthur Baker, creepy basements.

---
Kansas City Click: Max Groove returns to the Green Lady Lounge on Tuesday.

Torn the F*** Apart appears at the Riot Room on Wednesday.

Cantus sings at the Folly Theater on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Toro Y Moi- Anything In Return

Although I've only published a handful of posts at There Stands the Glass since New Year's Day, I've already offered abundant praise of hip hop, EDM, opera, gospel, R&B, reggae, folk, jazz, blues, punk and indie rock artists.  Is there anything I don't like? 

I have, in fact, encountered a new album that encapsulates many of the things I abhor in popular music.   The fashionable aural wallpaper of Toro Y Moi's Anything In Return serves as a case study of my dislikes.  The frothy album is emotionally vacant and deliberately devoid of grit and soul.  By my standards, Toro Y Moi makes music for people who don't like music.

Incredibly, many of my friends love Anything In Return.  That's fine.  The pleasure they take in the music of Toro Y Moi doesn't bother me.  To each his own.


---
James Carter plays a lot of notes.  And I like it.  I reviewed last weekend's concert by the James Carter Organ Trio at the Folly Theater.

---
I reviewed Passport's self-titled debut album at Plastic Sax.

---
Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonnner of the Ohio Players has died.  He last performed in Kansas City at the 2010 Rhythm & Ribs Jazz and Blues Festival.

---
Gour Khyapa has died.  (Tip via BGO.)

---
Foxygen's "San Francisco" fills me with joy.  RIYL: Ray Davies, Eric Burdon, fops.

---
Miss the White Stripes?  Pony Time has you covered with the excellent "Geordie".

---
Whenever I find myself bedridden with an injury or an illness, I attempt to make the best of a bad situation by using my impaired state to explore new forms of music.  Armed with painkillers after I broke my ankle a few years ago, I came to appreciate EDM on a new level.  When the flu knocked me out last week, I discovered the compositions of Henri Dutilleux.  This stuff is sick.

---
Chris Morris wrote a great analysis of Amoeba's digital efforts.

---
I adore Broadcast's original soundtrack for Berberian Sound Studio.  RIYL: Ennio Morricone, John Zorn, found sound.

---
Free Energy's Love Sign is an excellent windows-down summer cruising album. RIYL: The Cars, Cheap Trick, Peter Wolf.

---
The demos at the end of some versions of Camper Van Beethoven's new reunion album La Costa Perdida are markedly more interesting than the official tracks.  RIYL: the Grateful Dead, California, patchouli.

---
I'm looking forward to digging into Gamak, Rudresh Mahanthappa's skronky new album.

---
Vinyl eroticism from Salina, Kansas: "The Doors Infinite Unboxing".

---
Kansas City Click: Max Groove plays Jazz on 39th Street on Tuesday.

Stone Sour is Wednesday's headliner at the Midland.

La Guerre performs Thursday at the RecordBar.

Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle hit the Blue Room on Friday.

The Folly Theater hosts Danielle de Niese on Saturday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)