E-Mail This Article to a Friend Spring goes alterna-pop (continued)

New Order never did officially break up, did they? In any case, they’ve taken advantage of the Interpol-led march back to new wave’s past to reconvene. On April 26, we’ll all hear the results when Warner Bros. releases the band’s first album in years, Waiting for the Sirens’ Call. Ben Folds spent the better part of last year having fun with William Shatner and being his usual prolific self on three reasonably amusing EPs (especially the one where he covered that Darkness song). He’ll return to active duty with a brand new full-length, Songs for Silverman (Epic, April 26; he comes to Avalon on May 14). And if you dig that tune they’re using for the iPod Shuffle TV ad campaign, then you’ll want to check out the new album by the British band behind it. You’ll find a new remix of "Jerk It Out" on the Caesars’ Paper Tigers when Astralwerks jerks it out in the US on April 26. Less promising, perhaps, is the return of Us3 (remember "Cantaloupe"?), one of the pre-electronica bands who made sampling cool. After seven years, Us3’s London-based leader, Geoff Wilkinson, has decided to release the group’s first ever sample-free album, An Ordinary Day in an Unusual Place (Megaforce/Ryko); it’s due April 26.

Pervasive rumors about the existence of a new Weezer album tentatively titled Make Believe and scheduled for release sometime in May have yet to be confirmed (though a May 8 show at Avalon has). In fact, they may just be a ploy to help sell the cleverly titled River’s Edge: The Weezer Story, an ECW Press published band biography written by John D Luerssen. However, a hard-rock icon of a different sort, Led Zep’s Robert Plant, does have a new backing band called Strange Sensation, as well as a new album — Mighty Rearranger — set for release by Sanctuary on May 3. It’s perfect timing when you consider that the definitive film about the band who set out to destroy Plantian cock rock — those lovable lads in the Sex Pistols — is being released on DVD by Shout! Factory for the very first time on May 3; it’s called, for you young uns who don’t know, The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle.

Speaking of swindles: on May 3 the Raveonettes will continue their earnest efforts to go where no other band who sound like a cross between the Cramps and the Jesus and Mary Chain have gone — which I guess would be somewhere in the upper reaches of the Billboard charts. The Danish band’s new Pretty in Black (Columbia) will be launched in the US with a single called "Love in a Trashcan." Sounds like fun. The big Britpop phenomenon of the moment, Athlete, whose new Tourist entered the British charts at numero uno at the beginning of the year, will once again attempt an American breakthrough when Astralwerks releases the album here on May 10. According to Q, Athlete are "hitting their stride." Meanwhile, one-time Boston rocker Tracy Bonham will be trying to regain her stride when she releases Blink the Brightest (Zoë/Rounder) on May 10. She’s got some heavy hitters helping her out this time, including Beck/R.E.M. drummer Joey Waronker, Soul Coughing bassist Sebastian Steinberg, and PJ Harvey guitarist Joe Gore. The Boston punk band the Unseen didn’t need any extras on the set when they recorded their new State of Discontent, though they did have Dropkick Murphy Ken Casey along to produce. It’ll be hitting stores courtesy of the fine folks at Epitaph on May 10.

Critics darlin’ Lucinda Williams may have a habit of taking forever in the studio, but Lost Highway didn’t have to worry about that this time around. Her new Live @ the Fillmore is, as advertised, a 22-track two-disc set recorded live at the Fillmore in San Francisco, and it’s set for release on May 10. If you like your country even more y’alternative, then Robbie Fulks is your man: his new Georgia Hard (Yep-Rock) is out the following Tuesday, May 17. Or for something kinda in between, there’s Grammy-winner Shelby Lynne, who returns with Suit Yourself (Capitol) on May 24. Or you can go along with Reprise’s gamble that there’s room for another Norah Jones in the pop world: her name’s Missy Higgins, she’s from Australia, and she’s said to have a jazz sensibility and the allure of a true chanteuse on her US debut, The Sound of White. At least they got the title right.

Spring may seem a little early for the big summer concert season to begin in these parts, but if they can play ball at Fenway in April, well, then, you should be able to weather a Billy Idol show at the newly christened Bank of America Pavilion when he kicks things off there on May 20. The Tweeter Center is revving things up country-style in May with Reba McEntire on the 6th and Alan Jackson on the 22th. But of course, the biggie is indoors at the TD Banknorth Garden, where U2 will arrive with their Vertigo tour to play on May 24 and 26.