By Laura Robida

"Check Yes Juliet"
We The Kings

"Check Yes Juliet" could be any pop-punk song.  It's certainly up-beat and bouncy enough. It's what could easily be called a hit song. Complete with hand-claps and fun background vocals, you might wonder what sets We The Kings apart from the hundreds of thousands of pop-rock/pop-punk

bands out there. The answer is quite simple and evidenced on "Check Yes Juliet." There's a degree of talent in this band that might not be found within the songs of other poppers and vocalist Travis Clark shines. He's not a scream and he's not a mumbler. With a unique voice he shines for this band. Check out "Check Yes Juliet" at www.myspace.com/wethekings.

The Blue Pages out of Massachusettes are another one of those pop-rock bands that seem to keep coming out of the woodwork. With vocals that remind us of The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers, Zac Barnett is a singer that was made for the stage. Live this song sounds just as good as it does on their recording. This is one band that's the real deal. "Loverboy" is addictive and paints a sonic landscape. We love it. It's addictive, like the sugar in our coffee. Check out "Loverboy" at www.myspace.com/thebluepagesmusic.

We're in love with the latest offering from Connecticut rockers She Eats Planets. Their track "Stay Away" from their soon-to-be-released self-titled EP rocks just like you'd expect from an SEP release. We're dazzled by singer Sara Hart's vocal harmonies and we can't help but wonder if it gets any better. This song uses the pop-punk trademark palm-muted chords and combines the single note melodies borrowed much harder edged music. Top it off with bass chords (yes, chords!) and a rockin' drum track and you've got "Stay Away." It's truly a melting pot song that does the job. Take a listen to this brand new track at the band's Myspace page www.myspace.com/sheeatsplanets.

When this song first comes on your MP3 player you might think you're listening to "Best of You" by the Foo Fighters. But no, the opening of this song is just reminiscent of Dave Grohl and company. That might be where the comparison stops but The Classic Crime from Seattle, Washington has done something special with their sound. They've combined the 1990s alternative rock styles with modern pop-rock/punk and done away with both styles, creating something different. "Abracadavers" has classic rock feeling guitar leads, heavy drumming like something from a metal band, and Matt Macdonald's vocals just don't quit. Check out "Abracadavers" and everything that The Classic Crime has to offer at their Myspace at www.myspace.com/theclassiccrime.

Pop-rock reigns supreme lately and Virginia's The Downtown Fiction does a great job with their offering "Is Anybody Out There?" Contagious with high-energy and hooks, "Is Anybody Out There?" tells a story better than most modern pop-rock songs do. We're enamored with Cameron Leahy's vocals and though this band might remind you of the Jonas Brothers, make no mistake. This ain't Disney. We guarantee that if you stop by their Myspace www.myspace.com/thedowntownfiction you won't be able to get this song out of your head either.