Richland band Kill the Drama has won Pittsburgh Rocks, the Post-Gazette's online battle of the bands.

Kill the Drama came out on top with "Close Friends With Sharp Knives," a heavy alt-rock song recorded as part of a prize for winning the Graffiti Rock Challenge in 2006.

Second and third places went to two female-led bands: Donora, with the power-pop song "Shhh," and The Will Kills, with the punk-edged "The Concerned Liberal Society."

More than 10,000 votes were cast for the 12 finalists, narrowed from 134 entries. Obvious cases of ballot stuffing -- i.e., multiple votes from a single IP address -- were weeded out.

Kill the Drama will perform with Joe Grushecky next Friday on the Main Stage at the Three Rivers Arts Festival. Donora, The Will Kills and Justin Morris (of fourth-place finishers Mercury) will perform on the Market Square stage at 2 p.m. June 22, prior to a festival-closing set by roots-rocker Alejandro Escovedo.

Kill the Drama also wins the production of a music video, which will be posted at post-gazette.com/pittsburghrocks.

You can read more about the bands in Thursday's Weekend magazine.

The contest is sponsored by Seven Springs, with additional prizes by Iron City Beer.