The Raconteurs

Jack White is back with his retro-rock sound. Along with songwriter Brendan Benson, White has a new outfit, the Raconteurs. You’re asking, “Do they out-rock the White Stripes?” Maybe. The album, Broken Boy Soldiers, won’t be released until May 16, but the Raconteurs’ Web site offers two cuts, both sing-along specials: “Steady, As She Goes,” like a Stripes tune with a real drummer; and “Store Bought Bones,” a true homage to Hammond-organ ’70s rock. That’s the sound: vintage-style rock à la Jet and the Strokes. Yet, the Raconteurs maintain that distinctive Stripesian rawness. For now, the Web site almost trumps the music; it’s a throwback to computer graphics circa 1981, prompting users from page to page with keyboard shortcuts (type “H” for the home page, etc.). Clever stuff.