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Roxy S.Foo Fighters “Echos, Silence, Patience, and Grace”8 out of 10As if I had on a pair of ruby red slippers and clicked my heels to say “there’s no place like 1997, there’s no place like 1997...”, the Foo Fighters arrive right on cue. Now they have me jones-ing for some good ol’ alt-rock radio as I sit in a Weezer shirt looking at Radiohead posters and a giant Foo Fighters one doubling as wallpaper smattered across my living room. Call me what you will, but I didn’t get into the music I’m into now by asking an American Apparel cashier what was playing on the corporate mix. No sir, I got started on a steady diet of quintessential alternative rock bands like Sublime, the Violent Femmes, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, and the Pixies; just don’t hold my Limp Bizkit phase against me. The Foo Fighters were among those bands who i’d consider my Zeppelin and Floyd’s of the time. I remember seeing them live and almost peeing my pants when I got to meet them backstage. When I heard they were coming out with a new record, I felt a rush of nostalgia that said “Hey friends, thanks for doing this all over again.” A new Foo Fighters record may be the breath of fresh air we need from all the “Sad Boys Can’t Dance” and “The [insert name here]” bands of today. So get ready to break out your Lisa Frank stationary and POGS and take a trip down memory lane with “Echos, Silence, Patience, and Grace.”As alt-rock lore has it, the Foo Fighters was formed in 1995, about 6-months after Kurt Cobain’s death. Grohl, who had been compiling songs in his down-time from Nirvana, was offered a major label contract with Capitol Records for the subsequent self-titled debut. Impressive as it was to have played almost every instrument on “The Foo Fighters” himself, Grohl decided to recruit Sunny Day Real estate’s Nate Mendel and William Goldsmith for bass and drums along with former Nirvana guitarist Pat Smear for the supporting tour. Goldsmith was later replaced in 1997 by Taylor Hawkins just as their sophomore effort “The Colour and Shape” was being released. As “The Colour and Shape” gathered steam with timeless hits “Everlong”, “Monkey-Wrench”, and one of my all-time favorites, “Hero”, Pat Smear left the band, replaced by Chris Stiflett, and the band retreated to record “There is Nothing Left to Lose.” Hits such as “Learn to Fly” off their third album set the Foo FIghters apart from the rest of the pack by incorporating the band’s feel-good sense of humor that only comes with dressing up in drag and a fat suit for the music video. The fat suit was certainly worth it for Grohl when the band won two Grammy awards and numerous MTV awards for “There is Nothing Left to Lose”, making them the poster child for guitar-fueled alternative rock n’ roll. After inspirational sessions drumming for Queens of the Stone Age, the band to reconvened to release 2002’s “One By One” followed by 2005’s “In Your Honor.” A few years and Grammy awards later and we’re left with “Echos, SIlence, Patience, and Grace.”I didn’t like it at first. I thought “Echos, SIlence, Patience, and Grace” was silly and too fierce. But wait a second, isn’t that what makes the Foo Fighters so wonderful, that they can be both silly and fierce in the span of two songs? Aren’t they part of a long equation that explains why I’m able to sit here and write what I like and dislike and why? I tuned everything out and played the album again, and I’ve come to this conclusion: it rocks. Not only that, but iTunes listed the album under the “grunge” genre. I mean how awesome is that?! Opening with hit-single “The Pretenders”, the Foo’s stay true to their sound with growling guitars and Grohl’s gruff voice. Tracks like “Erase or Replace” and “Come Alive” have me advising against driving while they're playing due to possible incidents of road rage. Bluesy southern rock influences seep into “Home”, “Stranger Things have Happened”, and the refreshing all instrumental “Battle of the Beaconsfield Miners.” “Cheer Up Boys Your Make-Up is Running” and “Long Road to Ruin” return to the band’s roots and apparently mine as I laughed at being reminded of pumping my fists in a Foo Fighters mosh-pit when I was younger.Although the mystery of where all of Taylor Hawkins’ shirts go may never be solved, solving the mystery of the new Foo Fighters album lies simply in getting it and listening. All in all, I’m just happy they are still making records and harboring UFO/bison fascinations. Grohl has said of this last album that it’s their greatest effort to date. I don’t know if I would agree with that not because this album isn’t solid, but because previous albums are all so good. I might just be holding out for another fat-suit stint...