DAN SARTAIN To the nouveau garagistes and punk-friendly, Sartain is a prolific gift from above - or the past. His latest, Too Tough To Live (cover painting by local stud-ette artiste Kelly Keith, by the way), delivers 13 tracks in just under 19 minutes and is a label-described tribute to the era when "punk was real." With that track-to-minutes ratio, you guessed it, Sartain is exercising his "one-two-three-four!" Ramones' muscle here. But he's also dabbled in everything from rockabilly to dark spaghetti twang, so there's more to his music quiver as well. If you like your oysters raw... this gig's for you. With local ODBs Temperance League and Babyshaker. $10. The Milestone.

BLIND PILOT Now a robust sextet consisting of a wide range of instruments from trumpet to banjo, Portland's Blind Pilot radiates sweet warmth with their indie-folk-pop songs. The band is most famous for completing a West Coast tour on bicycle, and its live shows are certainly worth the effort. Blind Pilot maintains an intimate connection with the audience in its shows - the band often finishes out a set by performing an entirely acoustic song to a hushed audience. The music may be nothing new, but it is certainly well-performed and charmingly earnest. $15. Neighborhood Theatre.

GHOST WOLVES This is an instance of a new band transcending both its influences and the inherent gimmick of a purposefully anachronistic style. Blanco, Texas, guitar-and-drums duo Ghost Wolves plays visceral, pounding blues-rock. Yeah, I know, The White Stripes and The Black Keys got there first. But Ghost Wolves, refreshingly rowdy and reckless, avoids those bands' self-seriousness. Overdrive becomes a living, breathing, tangible thing in Carley Wolf's slide guitar work, while Jonny Wolf's insistent bass drum drives the duo's stomp-and-shout. Are those real last names? Can't be. With Uncle Lucius. $8. The Evening Muse.

AQUALADS You can practically hear the waves crashing within these Charlotte natives' music, which hearkens back to the days of The Chantays and Dick Dale. Formed in 1997, Aqualads have stayed loyal to the genre of '60s instrumental surf-rock through tremolo guitar picking and heavy reverb. With four albums under its belt, the quartet spends June as the artist-in-residence at Snug Harbor. Aqualads' lineup has gone through changes over the years, but current members Darrell Ussery, Jimmy King, Jeremy DeHart and Greg Walsh consistently deliver tight, groovy instrumental lines that recall sand, surf and high-waisted bathing suits. 9 p.m. Free. Snug Harbor.

FOREST TOURIST Self-described "trash-pop" from the increasingly fertile Charleston, S.C., indie scene, this young quartet's music is notable for its carnival-funhouse keys, fuzzed-out guitars, energetic tempos and singer Edward Burroughs' half-slacker/half-crooner vocals (is that some Julian Casablancas I hear in there?). The lead single "Winnebago Dreams" off their new EP, Pop Reject, has been a show-topping anthem in the band's hometown, and is well-worth a bandcamp.com visit; its extended bridge/outro also suggests there's more to the songwriting than just "trash" or "pop." Bright future? Quite possibly. With locals the Orchidales, Secret Hospital and Such Mad Hope, as well as New Orleans' Habitat. $7. The Milestone.

PIG MOUNTAIN Enjoy your metal served up thick with a side of sludge? Guitarist/vocalist Dustin "Doob" Outen, bassist Ricky Culp and drummer Dillon McKinnish infuse plenty of dark emotions amidst the gruff vocals and heavy instrumentals of Charlotte's Pig Mountain. During an Off the Record performance last year, the band said they were more concerned about slogging their wares through the musical atmosphere than offering any kind of message in the lyrics. Mission accomplished. Steel-toed boots recommended for wading through this trio's trough. With Witch Mountain, Lord Dying, Monarchist. 9 p.m. $7. The Haunted Mill, Belmont.

THE EASTERN SEABOARD Mix punk and free jazz, chill, serve, and you have The Eastern Seaboard. Hailing from Brooklyn, the band creates dark, improvisational jazz that will put you on the edge of your seat. Saxophonist and Charlotte native Brent Bagwell makes his instrument a living, breathing, screaming entity while bassist Jordon Schranz creates both rocking riffs and dissonant noise and Seth Nanaa keeps a meandering yet insistent pulse on the drums. Built on Sonic Youth and John Coltrane, this genre-straddling act should bring out fans of all kinds. Free. Snug Harbor.

TOM PRINCIPATO Oft accompanied by just a drummer and a bassist (what else does a guitar maestro need?), Principato has hit the road a few times in his four decade career. The Telecaster guitar wiz, road-hardened crooner and storyteller is on tour supporting Raising the Roof!, his remixed and reissued recording with an added live cut. This is just good old indigenous American music - blues, rock, and sprinkling of jazz - along with an occasional reggae outing where Principato's solid riffs fill the air and fluid solos tell sinewy tales. $12. Double Door Inn.

BIRDS WITH TEETH Lead singer Jon Davis has described his writing style as doodling until he likes it. That approach is what makes this Charlotte rock outfit's take on indie-punk compelling. Like most young bands, they've had some turnover, but with the release of Birds' second album, Two, slated for June 23, the group's evolution should be fun to watch. Modern Primitives, The ThoughtCriminals and Southside Punx are also on the bill for this birthday party/autism fundraiser. $8-$10. The Milestone.

OCTOPUS JONES Musical relevance in the tourist trap of Myrtle Beach - aka the Grand Strand of shite cover acts and tiki lounge jam bands - takes perseverance and, no doubt, a healthy ability to ignore one's surroundings. But this quintet's self-styled "spank-wave boogie" manages a compellingly weird hybrid of regionally apropos elements (surf guitars and syncopation) and glammy, post-punk sounds you'd never associate with their hometown. Kinda like the Ventures and Echo & the Bunnymen bunking up - yeah, it's strange, but it works. This has all the makings of a good rock ‘n' roll show with locals Little Bull Lee, Savannah, Ga.'s Cusses and Winston-Salem shoegazers White Rifles. $6. Evening Muse.