Hushed but hardly timid, local band Cigarette put out one of the area’s best indie-rock records last year: Gush, a seven-song exercise in sneaky tension and patient rhythms. The guitars rarely rise above a careful strum and the vocals almost always come in a whisper, but it’s hard to argue that a song like “Waste You”—which, more than anything, has a gothic feel—is totally withdrawn. It’s music for a sublimely empty bedroom, but it’s worth talking about, too. Cigarette will be the first guests of District Sounds, a new monthly discussion and concert series hosted by Washington Post pop music critic Chris Richards at the Hill Center in the Old Naval Hospital. Following a short discussion, Cigarette will show off its slow smolder. Cigarette performs at 7 p.m. at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. $10–$15. (202) 549-4172. hillcenterdc.org.