And One to Die On

Its ghoulish name and metallic rhythm riffs aside, the Birthday Massacre plays an inviting brand of electro-industrial pop. Singer Chibi’s voice recalls such coquettish chirpers as Altered Images’ Clare Grogan and Nu Shooz’s Valerie Day. Even when she’s eulogizing doomed relationships or fantasizing about mass murder (as on “Happy Birthday,” which elaborates on the band’s moniker), Chibi never strains to sound melancholy or evil. The Birthday Massacre loves the synthesizer hooks and new-wave guitars of the ’80s. The Toronto sextet also adores goth fashion. But whereas the group’s black-clad members put the “mascara” in Massacre, it’s dance-party sweat — not tears — that makes its cosmetics run. Seattle’s Schoolyard Heroes, which also features a charismatic frontwoman (Ryann Donnelly) and also boasts a September release, opens tonight’s show at the Grand Emporium (3832 Main, 816-561-2560). Tickets cost $12.
“Looking Glass” by Birthday Massacre:

Thu., Sept. 13