The Rosebuds preview

The Rosebuds
Bottom Lounge, Chicago
Thursday, November 13, 2008

For a band who’ve chosen such an iconic name in American arts, The Rosebuds seem to practice an ad hoc self-iconoclasmtreating the styles on past albums like used tissues.

Their latest, Life Like (Merge), finds the Raleigh duo drifting in and around old apartments, but keeping only bits and parts. “Cape Fear” carries the same dusky, goth dance demeanor of last year’s Night Of The Furie, and “Black Hole” winks coyly at their debut. But it’s hard to imagine the band of their first three records (even though they’ve churned all this out in five years) turning “Bow To The Middle”‘s chain-gang/spiritual lyrics into danceable indie pop while “In The Backyard” rubs Earlimart’s West Coast jangle. Not every new idea is a bank-shot (“Hello Darlin'” can only be appreciated as camp) and the subtlety in their presentation can be overlooked, but if we’re to look for clues to the next direction, we need only whisper “rosebud.”

Megafun, Otter Petter, and Glittermouse open.

— Steve Forstneger

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly