Coach Pingatore from "Hoop Dreams" said it best, "Well, one goes out the door and another one comes in. That's what it's all about." In this case, Pretty Girls Make Graves are walking out, and some new young band who spent high school listening to Pretty Girl's uniquely melodic punk will be sashaying in to co-opt what they heard. But don't pity Pretty Girls now that they've finally decided to hang up their converse for good; they had a most remarkable musical run. (Man, Ping was such a dick.)

If you've been a fan for awhile, you have heard Pretty Girls' sound evolve from punk to pop to post-something. It's a shame we won't be hearing where these guys go next, except for the inevitable new bands that arise out of this band's ashes. Go see one of Seattle's best when they play The Glass House and the Troubadour, because you won't ever see them around these here parts again (of course, that's what Dinosaur Jr said...and the Pixies...and Slint...and Smashing Pumpkins...and...)

Pretty Girls features (for another month, anyway) ex-members of eight billion bands, including Death Wish Kids, Murder City Devils and Kill Sadie. They put out a good debut album maybe four years back (where does the time go?) called Good Health and followed that up with an even better one called The New Romance. Within the span of those two albums, the Pretty Girls sound had evolved, or "matured."

Today (until June), they lean less on the verse/chorus/verse songs, but instead use a more imaginative structure that builds tension and energy until it explodes in climax. But they'll only cum musically when they're ready. No one puts Pretty Girls in the corner. Fare thee well, our pretties. And thanks for all those melodic guitar lines.

Pretty Girls play The Glass House, on Saturday, June 2nd, and the Troubadour, on Sunday, June 3rd.