Whether the world needs another garage-rock band is debatable, but Atlanta’s Howlies manage to pick some meat from a pretty dry bone. Deploying a spitfire rhythm section and wall o’ jangle, the quartet wildly careens through tunes that sound like a juvie-hall sock hop. It’s increasingly difficult for skinny boys with guitars to make three-minute ditties sound dangerous, but the Howlies come close, which could be why they caught the attention of producer/über-cad Kim Fowley, ex-manager of teen leatherettes the Runaways. (Fowley shepherded Howlies through their debut, Trippin’ With Howlies, which comes out this fall.) Even without that influence, the band would still have teeth. Howlies supposedly formed after wolves attacked members during a group camping trip, which, if olden legends are to be believed, can produce hairy results. THE HOWLIES PERFORM WITH FOREVERALWAYS, THE BARBERRIES, AND THE DAISY CUTTERS AT 9 P.M. AT THE RED AND THE BLACK, 1212 H ST. NE. $8. (202) 399-3201.