Plus: Gnarls Barkley, Chris Isaak, more

Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Stadium Arcadium"
(Warner Bros.)

The Red Hot Chili Peppers [ tickets ] are back with "Stadium Arcadium," the long-awaited follow-up to 2002's "By the Way." The 28-song set was produced by longtime RHCP mentor Rick Rubin.

Of course, some fans may have already heard this album. According to a letter to fans posted at the group's website earlier this month, Chili Peppers bassist Flea wrote that the tracks have already been leaked via the Internet. Flea went on to say that the leaked material was of sub-par quality and reprimanded the guilty parties.

"Yes, it is stealing from us, and that is lame," he wrote, in part. "Everyone has to live with their own conscience on that one. Let it be your guide. But to take a version that has been defiled sound-wise, a version in which some idiot has taken our year-and-a-half of soul-baring work and pissed all over it, that will break our hearts."

The Peppers will support the real McCoy with a lengthy North American tour that kicks off Aug. 11 in Portland, OR.

Paul Simon [ tickets ]
"Surprise"
(Warner Bros.)

The big "Surprise" is that the legendary singer/songwriter co-produced this 11-song set with Brian Eno. Hopefully, it will come as a happy "Surprise" for fans.

The pairing is certainly an unlikely one--Simon is best known for penning such folksy ditties as "The Sounds of Silence," "Kathy's Song" and "I am a Rock" and Eno is famous for his work with such avant-garde acts as Roxy Music and David Bowie. Eno not only co-produced, he also co-wrote three of the numbers.

"Surprise" is Simon's first studio album since 2000's "You're the One."

Nick Lachey
"What's Left of Me"
(Jive)

The buffed pop star returns with his first solo outing since 2003's "SoulO." Lachey must be getting used to the solo concept, having split from wife Jessica Simpson in 2005.

Lachey can sing, something he proved by leading the second-tier boy-band 98 Degrees in the late-'90s, and this album could make a respectable showing on the charts. But will he ever be able to live down the reputation that Simpson made him famous? That's certainly in doubt.

Gnarls Barkley
"St. Elsewhere"
(Downtown)

Obviously named after basketball great Charles Barkley, this collaboration features the talents of Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo. It's a potent combo--Danger Mouse is one of the hottest artists/producers in the business and Cee-Lo is a Grammy-nominated member of Goodie Mob. Understandably, expectations are running very high for this disc.

Chris Isaak
"The Best of Chris Isaak"
(Reprise)

The favorite son of Stockton, CA, releases his first true greatest hits package. His earlier career retrospective, 1998's "Wicked Game," didn't really do the job. This one, however, features all of Isaak's best-known tunes, including "San Francisco Days," "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" and, of course, "Wicked Game."

Snow Patrol
"Eyes Open"
(A&M)

The popular rock band is back with its follow-up to 2004's double-platinum "Final Straw." "Eyes Open" is the band's fourth studio album. Snow Patrol will support the effort with a North American tour that begins May 23 in Denver.

Other new releases:
Harry Connick Jr., "Harry on Broadway Act I" (Sony)
Grandaddy, "Just Like the Fambly Cat" (V2)
Jolie Holland, "Springtime Can Kill You" (Anti)
The Isley Brothers, "Baby Makin' Music" (Def Soul)
Jagged Edge, "Jagged Edge" (Sony)
Teena Marie, "Saphire" (Cash Money)
Nicole C Mullen, "Redeemer: The Best of Nicole C Mullen" (Word)
Oreja De Van Gogh, "Guapa" (Sony)
The Stills, "Without Feathers" (Vice)
Various artists, "Royal Dan: A Tribute to Genius of Steely Dan" (Tone Center)
Various artists, "Sail Away: The Songs of Randy Newman" (Sugar Hill)
Yonder Mountain String Band, "Yonder Mountain String Band" (Vanguard)

Soundtracks and scores:
"Charmed: The Final Chapter" (Adrenaline)
"The DaVinci Code" (Decca)
"Mission Impossible 3" (Varese)
"Poseidon" (Interscope)