Bambi, beautiful women and blood have become synonymous over the past few years. From Giles Deacon’s Spring ’08 punk fetish collection to Stella McCartney’s Fall ’09 disney-inspired photoshoot to musical acts such as the Bambi Killers and Terry Poison, we wonder if we have The Sex Pistols to thank for this snowballing global fascination with femininity and a loss of innocence.

Meet the Bambi Killers, a creative troupe based in Manhattan and a true breath of fresh air to the downtown creative scene. Melding performance art, role play, costume design, audio soundscape and circus freakery, this trio explores topics such as government brainwashing, conspiracy theories and brut sexuality every time they go on stage. “Initially we were inspired by the loss of innocence, but our shows have evolved into a creative reaction on how pop culture objectifies women,” says Dawn Dunning, the group’s cofounder and fashion designer.

Tapping similar styling techniques and fierce attitudes, the Tel Aviv based girl band, Terry Poison is just as eye-catching. Petite Meller, Louise Kahn, Gili Saar, Bruno Grife, Anna Landsman are all members of this electro-clash band that merges “American sleaze with European finesse” and has been performing the underground scene since early 2004. Terry Poison will be making their first US debut during CMJ– check them out if you’re in New York in late October.