Femme Fatality

Femme Fatality's sound may veer toward electroclash, but they're from St. Louis, and things get to the Midwest late, so leave them alone, all right? Actually, the group has been popular in the Lou for years — think of them, perhaps, as Boston's Dresden Dolls on crystal meth — and is signed to Atlanta-based label Stickfigure. (Their new 7" is called "Pretty Mess.") On record, the group sounds a bit gimmicky at first, with ambient noise, '80s keyboards, shrieking and lines borrowed from more famous songs forming an urgent, unrelenting cacophony. But the only way to really "get" Femme Fatality is to see them live; the members' energy level is always high, they tend to dress monochromatically and wear plenty of makeup, and concertgoers have been known to wonder if they will escape with their lives. For a brief preview, check out the highly stylized "Pretty Mess" video at femmefatality.net.