Slideshows

[Thursday, November 20] Last year, married North Carolinians Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp – better known as The Rosebuds – delivered a terrific album of dark, stylish, synth-heavy pop (Night of the Furies) that merged ominous imagery with Howard’s nocturnal guitar, Crisp’s jaunty keys, and the pair’s dramatic vocal interplay in a manner that suggested early Cure combined with Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. They’ve somehow managed to one-up that disc with the stunning new Life Like – impeccably crafted, it’s even more seductive and atmospheric than its predecessor; still lyrically obsessed with trouble and strife, yet packed with plenty of sweet melodies. With No Kids, The Kindness Kind. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599. 9 p.m., $10. Listen to Blue Bird.