Dancing and twirling loose-limbed across the stage in a flowing skirt Thursday night, Alanis Morissette seemed more the introspective hippie girl next door than the angry young singer with the best-selling female rock album in history ("Jagged Little Pill," 16 million copies and counting in the U.S.). Morissette, 24, whose upcoming "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie" (Nov. 3) is probably the most anticipated record of the decade, previewed 10 new tunes in concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City for a sold-out audience of celebs, record-industry types, and die-hard Alanis-heads.

Judging by the show, her fans are in for a treat when the 17-cut "Infatuation Junkie" hits stores a week from Tuesday. Backed by her five-piece band, Morissette performed a wide range of new songs -- everything from confessional acoustic guitar ballads to Led Zeppelin-influenced sonic jams ("Kashmir" seemed to be the touchstone for two of these). She also reprised such hits as "Ironic" and "Hand In My Pocket," drawing an approving roar barely two notes into each of these tunes. But it was the new material that brought Morissette's most impassioned performances during the 80-minute, 17-song set.

While in New York, Morissette will play a concert Sunday night at Roseland Ballroom. (MTV will air a tape of the show Nov. 2 at 9 p.m.) The singer then continues her 12-city album-prerelease tour in Philadelphia (Oct. 26), Washington, D.C., (Oct. 27), and Atlanta (Oct. 29.). Fans unable to score the hard-to-get tickets for these club shows can take heart: Morissette will return in '99 with a full-fledged arena tour.

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