Punk rock isn't usually the medium for diversity or innovation. I mean that's not why we listen to The Ramones or Rancid, if we want innovation we always have Radiohead. Punk Rock music is also generally sloppy and unrefined. It's about attitude and lyrics not ego-trips or guitar-god heroics. Most Punk Rock is that way and that's the way the punkers like it. And that's probably why, despite all the Green Days and Blink 182s in the world, that true Punk Rock has survived. That being said, Pretty Girls Make Graves is indeed an innovative Punk Rock band. Much like And They Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead, Pretty Girls Make Graves (named after The Smiths song of the same name) put punks rage,intensity and screeching vocals all into tight three minute gems. The band is no garden variety punk rock group. Their playing is tight intense and yet accessible. They sound like a session band that plays every waking hour in some seedy punk club, not unlike seasoned jazz or blues musicians. Think Paul Butterfield Blues band. The tunes themselves though don't always measure up to the high standard of the playing. Good Health starts off with the best song "Speakers Push The Air". A solitary organ begins the song as a guitar chord weaves itself in before the raspy chorus of "Do you remember when we couldn't put it away? Do you remember what the music meant?" which is in turn followed by the sweet/tough vocals of Andrea Zollo as she proclaims "When I turn it up loud/ yeah nothing else matters". The tough punk attitude backed by atmospheric guitars accented by soaring vocals make this an undeniably remarkable song . Zollo's vocals aren't always at her best as some times she could use a little more Raw Power and a little less Gwen Stefani. The song "The Getaway" would make Sleater-Kinney envious and its followup instrumental, "Untitled", surely prove that they can hack it with the best of the indie bands. On the last song "By The Throat" Zollo's punk growl finally rears its head as she screams in a violent tantrum " and am I choking?/Yeah I can't breathe". Good Health is one of the better punk records to come out from Lookout Records in a while. With better tunes they could be on the way to a successful career all the while remaining true to their roots. Lets hope they don't pull a Green Day on us.

Beck: Sea Change
Available at Amazon.com

Beck Hansen is widely known for his rap/funk/folk hybrids like Odelay and more recently 1999's Midnite Vultures but his other pure folk records One Foot In The Grave, Stereopathic Soul Manure, and Mutations have been largely ignored. One tends to look at Beck's last record Midnite Vultures as the follow-up and evolution of his 1996 hit record Odelay. But what one forgets is that meanwhile his folk side has also progressed and to greater results. From the early Dylan-esque One Foot In The Grave to the studio savy folk of Mutations his folk records have grown in maturity. Mutations, sadly, suffered from too many mediocre songs and the inclusion of an obvious single the Brazilian flavored "Tropicalia". Last year Beck promised us a garage rock album but according to the man himself he's saving that one because of all those "the" bands like The Strokes coming out first. Good for you Beck you made the right move. You see Beck,who just got out of a relationship, has now on Sea Change gone all Blood On The Tracks on us. The sad ballads, blues and lonesome folk contained within Sea Change are by far the best folk/blues Beck has offered to date. Following in the footsteps of his idols Dylan and Willie Nelson, Beck has crafted a "songwriter" album. The album opens with the only potential single in sight "The Golden Years" with Beck moaning of "treacherous roads with a desolated view" and how he barely gets by these days. This is the most miserable music the Beckster has ever laid down and frankly he's great at it. Not even the rustic ballads of One Foot In The Grave could have predicted the greats on this album. Producer Nigel Goodrich (of O.K. Computer, Kid A fame) makes sure all the atmospheric strings come in at the right moment to punch all the appropriate emotional buttons of the listener. Beck's lyrics are not wacky or funky on this one but instead he gets down serious. For instance the lyrics to "Already Dead"