MUSIC . Music Picks

Dan Sartain

Wed., Dec. 20, 7 p.m., The Trocadero,


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Published: Dec 13, 2006

rock/pop

A suave rockabilly misanthrope from Alabama, Dan Sartain has the pipes and the presence to back up his swagger. His latest, Join Dan Sartain (Swami Records), is a collection of grudges against pretty young things and their ex-boyfriends, with a dart or two aimed at God and government. He gets a lot of mileage out of being the chump who falls for a girl on the rebound; "Replacement Man" is part defensive dig and part pity party, while "Gun vs. Knife" is a thrashy duel. Drummer Raj Parmely's got his back, and he gets assists from Rocket From the Crypt frontman John Reis on seven of the disc's 15 tracks, and a mariachi band for "Besa Me Mucho" and Sartain's own bird-eat-bird allegory "Flight of the Finch." But he's been known to steal an audience's affection from bigger bands by strapping on his guitar and strolling onstage alone without warning. Back when he was a cocky 21-year-old with no rep, he stuck it to the Husbands right upstairs at the Balcony. Gypsy punks Gogol Bordello might prove a tougher rival, but with three more years of experience, two well-received albums and a hook as relentless as "Thought It Over" — not to mention a better-groomed mustache than Eugene Hutz's — he should nip more than a few hearts.

Wed., Dec. 20, 7 p.m., $14-$16, with Gogol Bordello and Valient Thorr, The Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 215-922-LIVE, www.thetroc.com.