Chris Lowe

I n the skyscraper of pop, dance music is the basement. In terms of critical respect, it's down there with heavy metal. The common complaint: Dance music is nothing but a mindless, recurring beat accompanied by frivolous lyrics. To many critics and pop fans, the Pet Shop Boys are just another synthetic entry on the crowded, largely faceless dance-club circuit, and they dismiss the duo's records as simply pretentious disco.

I n the skyscraper of pop, dance music is the basement. In terms of critical respect, it's down there with heavy metal. The common complaint: Dance music is nothing but a mindless, recurring beat accompanied by frivolous lyrics. To many critics and pop fans, the Pet Shop Boys are just another synthetic entry on the crowded, largely faceless dance-club circuit, and they dismiss the duo's records as simply pretentious disco.

City Council member Chris Lowe, 28, was recently appointed to the governor's State Job Training Coordinating Council, which oversees job training programs statewide and seeks to improve the quality of California's work force. Lowe will remain on the council while serving on the state council.

More than 75 people turned out Wednesday for the groundbreaking of Nicky Petroleum's new Placentia headquarters on Miraloma and Lakeview avenues. The company is moving its offices from Santa Ana. The petroleum company started scouting potential sites several months ago, but Placentia turned down the company's offer to relocate then. Councilman Chris Lowe said he was surprised by the council's decision and immediately called a meeting to rectify the situation.

* * 1/2 Pet Shop Boys, "Very," ERG. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have made some great records featuring their wall of techno sound. Their melodic pop tales, brimming with quirks, ironies and black humor, can be effervescent or nightmarish. Like all their other albums, "Very" is listenable and danceable, but overall it sounds as if their creativity has petered out--they're recycling these days rather than creating.