The Horrors - Machine

| Keith
Your smile is nothing to live for
But read out your lines
And bring the fantasy to life
You taste like a ghost
A cold simulation
So close to the truth
A costume jewel, an off-white lie

Once upon a time, at SXSW, I saw a big haired goth-punk-industrial outfit called The Horrors and loved their crazy show. They've got two solid singles out now and an album coming soon. The first of these, "Machine", is today's Most Important, a sharp track with an industrial feel, and the second, "Something To Remember Me By" is a BONUS TRACK that's very pretty.

RIYL: Shout Out Louds, The Rapture, Depeche Mode, Klaxons

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Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes - Lullaby

| Keith
Sleep, where have you gone?
It's been months now
And I'm coming undone
I keep being woken
By screams and tears
Sheer fucking terror
Ringing out in my ears

I've thought about featuring Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes a few times recently, as I think their 2015 release Blossom is really interesting and seems to pop up my rotation quite often. Lucky me! They've got some solid new stuff that's finally given me the impetus to get on with the sharing.

Frank Carter hails from the UK and was the singer for hardcore punk outfit Gallows until he was replaced by Alexisonfire's Wade Macneil. Which, and I have no idea about the details, was probably a great move for him. Let go the screamo!  

You can still very much hear those punk influences with The Rattlesnakes. But there is much more here and it's good. Really good.

I first caught wind of them with their industrial-tactic hit "Devil Inside of Me" (off Blossom) which reminded me of early 90's acts like Ministry and Nitzer Ebb. 

I think that comparison holds, but there is some level of cleverness that comes out in the lyrics and arrangement that makes them stand out. And then there is the polish and quality production, which I think really works.

This is very evident in their newest work. At the time of this writing, they've got two new singles out, "Snake Eyes" and today's TMIS "Lullaby". They're both terrific examples of well-executed genre blending that results in a sum greater than the parts. Their new album, Modern Ruin, comes out in January 2017.

BONUS TRACK - here's the video for "Snake Syes".

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