The Console War Friday, June 20, at the Red and the Black

In the ongoing battle between electronic-pop “composers” hunched over various synths and sequencers while performing onstage and guitar-slinging musicians who insist that computer-chip-generated blips, bloops, and beeps do not equal music, the Console War straddles a fine line. On record, the local duo sounds grounded in gentle guitar and vocal melodies backed by light drumming; live, however, well...they can apparently often be found hunched over a bunch of synths and sequencers. It’s a tricky alliance—as if fans of shoegaze pop didn’t already have enough reason to keep their eyes glued to the floor. But the end result is a brand of inoffensive indie-pop that effortlessly slides from sparse to lush and back again. The Console War performs with the Bales and One-Eyed Stanley at 9:30 p.m. Friday, June 20, at the Red and the Black, 1212 H St. NE. $8. (202) 399-3201.