Out Today: Paul Simon Resurgent, Foos Get Loud, Isbell Kills

By Craig Hlavaty Tue., Apr. 12 2011 at 12:15 PM

Categories: This Just In

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It's New Release Tuesday, and this week's is one of the biggest days of the year, with new discs by the Foo Fighters, a reinvigorated Paul Simon and TV On The Radio leading the pack, plus a few other artists returning to the scene after a few years away from the limelight.

Next week (April 19), expect a batch of Kinks and Billy Joel deluxe re-releases, another Glee disc, Bob Schneider's new Perfect Day album, and physical copies of last year's The Fall LP by Gorillaz, which was released for free on their Web site just months ago.

The Fall is a collection of songs created on an iPad as the band touring North America last fall. It includes "The Parish of Space Dust," written about the band's time in Houston. For now, this week...

Foo Fighters, Wasting Light: The Foos turn in 11 songs recorded in Dave Grohl's garage, and it's one of their loudest records in years. The standouts for us our the lead single, "Rope," the Bob Mould-assisted "Dear Rosemary" and "A Matter of Time." Live, the record pops, and we hope that we see the band in Houston this year.

Paul Simon, So Beautiful or So What: The hype machine is correct this time: This is Paul Simon's best album since Graceland. Or at least the most cognizant. You wanna stomp your feet, smile, and clap for the whole hour of So Beautiful. Here's hoping Rhymin' Simon comes back to Houston soon.

TV On the Radio, Nine Types of Light: We heard most of the new album at various SXSW parties and appearance last month, and we can say that this new disc by TVOTR is one of their most masterful. It does quite surpass the excellent Return To Cookie Mountain, but it's most assuredly a must-listen.

Thursday, No Devolución: Thursday is back with a new album, now their second on Epitaph. This time around, lead singer Geoff Rickly's voice gets bathed in effects and multi-tracked, turning it into a ghostly entity, while the guitars get mixed into Black Rebel Motorcycle Club oblivion. It pays off.

Alison Krauss & Union Station, Paper Airplanes: Krauss reunites with Union Station after a seven-year layoff that included a stint with Led Zeppelin/Band of Joy's Robert Plant. Welcome home, er, back. Take a listen to the title track on the playlist on the next page.

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