Daryl Palumbo has become one of rock's definitive versions of the musical moving target.

On the one hand, there's the Palumbo fans know from his role of lead singer in Glassjaw, a scream-laced hardcore band that built considerable acclaim with just two albums.

Then more recently, Palumbo has started what now appears to be his primary band, Head Automatica, which is appearing Feb. 8 at the Avalon in Salt Lake City, opening for Jacks Mannequin. And the two CDs he's created as the creative focal point of this group have been notably different from each other -- and from Glassjaw.

The 2004 CD, "Decadence," wove together techno/electronic sonics and guitar pop, while the recently released "Popoganda" is a power pop CD in the tradition of such acts as Squeeze, Rockpile and early Elvis Costello.

Such eclecticism has become rare in a music world that encourages neatly packaged, easily categorized bands and solo artists. That mindset bothers Palumbo.

"People like to put up a wall where when they play one thing, that's where it's going to end," he said in a recent phone interview. "I don't look at music like that and I never have. I've never at one point in my life listened to only one kind of music. ... Music is all relative. It's all notes. There's nothing different between heavy metal and pop music. It's all notes. It's all just the sound of the amp and how forcefully you play the notes.

"I know how notes work, and that's what a lot of people, I don't think, realize," Palumbo said. "I think a lot of people don't even try. They don't venture out enough."

Palumbo's decision in 2003 to put Glassjaw on hold so he could pursue Head Automatica produced an emphatic example of the diversity of his musical tastes.

Setting aside the thrashing guitars and angry screams of Glassjaw, he teamed up with noted electronic rocker Dan "The Automator" Nakamura (known for his work with the Gorillaz) to craft six of the 11 songs on "Decadence."

The modern mix of electronica/hip-hop beats and rocking guitar pop worked well as "Decadence" offered plenty of hooky grooving rockers supplemented by a few more straight-forward pop tracks.

On the other hand, "Popoganda," Palumbo said, was an opportunity for him to revisit the music that first got him interested in rock 'n' roll.

"I can't even remember how young I was when (my dad) was playing Rockpile," said Palumbo, who's in his mid-20s. "Those are my dad's bands, Squeeze, Rockpile and Wings, Graham Parker, John Hiatt, Todd Rundgren, pop music throughout the '60s, '70s and first half of the '80s. That was huge and that was kind of what was force fed to me my whole life. So I always had this penchant for incredible pop music. I just really wanted to be able to finally do it."

Palumbo clearly learned from his pop heroes. "Popoganda" is filled with crisp and catchy rockers like "Lying Through Your Teeth," "Graduation Day" and "God" that brim with guitar and vocal hooks. Other than the song "Egyptian Musk," the new CD avoids the electronica of "Decadence" and relies on the classic mix of Palumbo and Craig Bonich on guitars, Jarvis Morgan Holden on bass, Larry Gorman on drums and Jessie Nelson on keyboards.

But Palumbo said Glassjaw's days aren't finished and there are definite plans to release a new CD, perhaps as soon as next year. "There will be a new album, absolutely," Palumbo said.

In the meantime, Head Automatica will be on tour, playing a set that will feature a healthy dose of "Popoganda" material in the set.

"We'll be playing pretty much the whole record on the tour," he said.

Jacks Mannequin with Head Automatica

When: Thursday at 6 p.m.

Where: Avalon Theater, 3605 S. State St., Salt Lake City

Tickets: $18 advance, $20 day of, available through Smith's Tix (800-888-TIXX, www.smithstix.com)

Info: (801) 480-5634, www.theavalontheater.com