Welcome to another exciting edition of Indie Noise. We’ve taken a look at a lot of different types of indie bands lately, but this week is a pop-rock explosion. Sure, in the past I’ve dissed a lot of pop-rock but this week I’m pleased to report that there are two bands worthy of your 2 or 3 minutes worth of listening time. You could do a lot worse than check out The Loyalty and The Bridges.

Since I’m always a big supporter of women in rock and roll, let’s kick off this edition by taking a look at a pop-rock band that’s been on tour with 1980s rockers The Bangles. I had the great pleasure of catching The Bridges at the Woodstock Fair here in Connecticut. The Bridges weren’t listed on the fair’s program and I was in fact only hanging out at the Main Stage so that I could Walk Like an Egyptian with Susanna Hoffs and company, but was pleasantly surprised to hear a quintet out of Alabama turning out tight harmonies and interesting melodies.

It’s hard to pinpoint what The Bridges remind me of. They evoked a bit of country rock twang with sounds reminiscent of The Corrs and the pop-rock fun of bands like the Bangles and the Go-Gos. I’ve been trying to put my thumb on their sound. It reminds me of something I’ve heard before and yet of nothing I’ve heard before. For maybe 45 minutes The Bridges entertained an unsuspecting audience with their tunes. Brittany Painter’s voice alone is truly worthy of a visit to their Myspace page. And after a few moments of Natalie and Stacey Byrd’s harmonies, in addition to their skills on guitar and keyboard, Isaaca Byrd’s driving basslines and Jeremy Byrd’s drumming you’ll be under the spell of The Bridges.

Do yourself a favor, drop by The Bridges’ Myspace page and take a listen to their songs. In particular, pay attention to “Pieces” and “All the Words.” While I’d say their live performance is better than their recordings, you could do much worse than adding this band to your friends. My only regret after seeing this band’s live show? Not stopping by their table to pick up a copy of their CD. If you get the opportunity to pick up The Bridges’ EP, do it. You won’t regret it.

Next up for your consideration is a band that’s a little closer to home for me. I won’t have to wait long to catch The Loyalty to play a show near me. The Loyalty are a quartet of guys from Saratoga Springs, New York, who offer up alternative pop-rock in a style similar to past Top-40 favorites Mathcbox Twenty and Third Eye Blind. More recently, you could compare them to Rooney on their self-titled album.

The songs on The Loyalty’s Myspace player are radio-friendly and ready for mass consumption. Travis Gray’s vocals are pefectly suited for a Top-10 hit and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find The Loyalty on MTV’s TRL or VH1’s The V-Spot in the next few years. Bass player Adam Brown and drummer Scipio (?) lay the perfect groundwork for these infectious tunes and guitarist Paul Hake layers the track with guitar melodies that make you sit up and pay-attention. Combine their instrumental with the harmonies between Gray and Hake and you’re going to be hooked.

Take a stop by the Loyalty’s Myspace page and give a listen to “On Top of the World” (a song I can’t stop listening to, incidentally with its infectious guitar riff and tight vocal harmonies) and “Coming Clean.” You’ll instantly see why The Loyalty is worth your time, friendship, and, if you’re so-inclined, your dollars.

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