POP AND JAZZ REVIEWS : Beck Keeps His ‘Genius’ Under Wraps

If the triple-header on Saturday at Jabberjaw was any indication, the punk-rock state of the art is . . . goofiness uber alles . Not a lot of substance in major-label finds Beck and That Dog or the still-indie Lois, but a kind of cheerful, informed innocence isn’t the worst thing that could infect the genre.

Beck, an L.A.-based 23-year-old, was the object of last year’s most famous bidding war. In his opening set at Jabberjaw, it was hard to see why--which was more refreshing than distressing, since Beck hasn’t let his status as Geffen signee get in the way of many very casual gigs or even further independent vinyl releases while the big March album looms and KROQ plays the living daylights out of “Loser.”

The coffeehouse was packed to the gills for Beck, who reciprocated with silliness like donning an Imperial Stormtrooper helmet while dancing along to the recorded tracks of “Loser.” He alternated between noodling folk guitar songs and singing along to hip-hop tracks seasoned with distorted voices. A good part of his oeuvre sounds based, if anything, in the infectious absurdism of “Come Together.”

That Dog is another unlikely new Geffen act--minimalist and curiously modulated, leaving cause to be curious whether they’re harmonically ambitious or naive. Since Anna Waronker only recently picked up the guitar, you might assume the latter; since Rachel and Petra Haden are jazzman Charlie’s kids, you might more reasonably figure the former. The tunes are slight, but weird harmonies, Rachel’s punky bass lines and Petra’s solemn violin sidetracks added up to a developing bite that might be as good as its self-consciously quirky bark.

Pop-punk headliner Lois really was a jabberjaw between songs--endearingly so--and, if way too congenial to be a riot grrrl, a riot nonetheless, though the weak mix emphasized band over vocals.