Sugar Town

by Patrick Rapa

Rock/pop

Everybody knows: Bands with numbers in their names usually suck. Think about it. Sum 41, 311, Blink 182, Matchbox Twenty -- they were/are the very prototypes of assembly-line radio rock. And Seven Mary Three was even worse. (Oh, write me a letter already.) But here in Philly, we've managed to avert the trend, thanks to Three4Tens, Delta 72 and, now, Beretta76 (pictured). Their eponymous debut EP works the numbers like a skilled chaotician, jamming five sweet and sweaty rock songs into just 16 minutes. And "10:1" -- with its plunging basslines and Joan Jett vocals care of Camille Escobedo -- is its grooviest track. But let's not play favorites, the whole disc is tight, well-enunciated and maybe even a little slick. Beretta76 makes their second appearance on Sugar Town's women-powered stage this Saturday, sharing the spotlight with an impressive lineup of local talent. The two Appalachia-minded kids in The Buried Beds have an excellent debut EP of their own, and if they play "Camellia" you should buy them each a beer. Speaking of, JD & The Rocketbras, a raucous bunch of punks from the 'burbs, promise "some fine old tunes about drinkin', killin' and screwin'." And as for The Tights -- featuring members of Philly rock veterans Mae Pang (in case you're making a genealogical chart or something) -- go to their website right now (www.thetights.net) and download their moody, brooding version of "You Shook Me All Night Long." If that doesn't hook you, try the moaning, synth-rocking "Not My Fault." If you're still not into it, stay home on Saturday and listen to your Matchbox Twenty CDs.

Sat., Nov. 29, 9:30 p.m., $7, with Beretta76, The Tights, JD & The Rocketbras, Buried Beds and the Sugar Town DJs, The Balcony, 1003 Arch St., 215-922-LIVE.

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