Schoolyard Heroes

This Seattle-based outfit pairs darkly humorous lyrics with riffy but spare punk-metal music--with female vocals, rare for the genre--for a refreshing take on horror rock. Though the Misfits influence is obvious, the band's interesting rhythmic twists, occasional electronic touches, and singer Ryann Donnelly's throaty, Siouxsie Sioux-like vocals add new colors to a trusty old palette.