127 in the 916

Wanna get to know some of the people the Bush administration would be tickled to invade, er, “spread democracy” to? Meet 127, a five-piece rock band from Tehran, Iran. They’re the first Iranian rock band to tour the United States, according to their Web site, making a stop at the old ship Ironsides this Sunday. Their songs have lyrics about the frustrations of life in English and Farsi, like in the ditty, “My Sweet Little Terrorist Song,” frontman Sohrab Mohebbi laments with Dylanesque vocals: “I’m dee-tained / from the axis of eev-il / … I’m a terrorist, though I haven&Rsquo;t killed anyone yet.” The music is laden with lively and jazzy piano breaks and trombone punctuation with Gogol Bordello energy: an alternawhatever-works sound.

127 plays with Syncro and the Bicycle Rider on Sunday, June 15 at 8 p.m. at Old Ironsides, 1901 10th Street, (916) 443-9751, $6. Get acquainted with their evil axes at www.myspace.com/127band.