While the pop-rock genre seems to be filled with a million bands that all sound remarkably the same, there is something about The Blues Pages from Massachusetts that sets them apart from the rest. Their sophomore release "Bear Fight" proves that this band is not like everyone else.

The 1990s were full of alternative rock bands like The Goo Goo Dolls, Vertical Horizon, and Third Eye Blind. And with a bat of an eye, the genre seemed to disappear, folding into itself to make way for much poppier music. Bands like No Doubt disappeared as bands and re-emerged with Gwen Stefani paving a way into pop-stardom.

If you can survive your sophomore release it's reasonable to wager that you've got a strong band with a good sense of creating good songs. Enter Michigans' The Offramps. We'd written about The Offramps last year as a featured "Indie Noise" artist so we leapt at the opportunity to review their newest offering, "Split the Difference." 

We had the great pleasure of catching New York rockers Kill the Camera at a Connecticut stop in July. We enjoyed their tunes though they gave a rushed performance and took home a copy of their seven-song EP. While the band took the stage looking very much as the Goo-Goo Dolls did when they released their hit "Name," they were given the backbeat drumming of a Nikki Sixx look-a-like.