And You Were a Crow (Roadrunner) 

If Led Zeppelin asexually spawned a love-child, it would likely be The Parlor Mob. The band's 2008 debut, And You Were a Crow (Roadrunner Records) marries elaborate guitar riffs to the sensuous, lingering croon of lead vocalist Mark Melicia. The result: unadulterated and unassuming explosive rock 'n' roll. 

While the album is not exactly groundbreaking, it has a definitive rawness that urges to be seen and heard live. Classic-rock fans will dig the predominantly guitar-driven sound and passionate lyrics found on ...Crow, yet the band retains enough sharpness for a current audience by mixing the tried-and-true methods of favorite rock hooks with raw elements of experimentation that keep the album fresh and in the 21st century.

And You Were a Crow flows through the duration of its 12 tracks, from the uncanny resemblance to Zeppelin's 1969 classic "Good Times Bad Times" on the infectious "Everything You're Breathing For," to the heartfelt "Tide of Tears," an epic eight-minute-and-a-half showcase of Melicia's vocal range (reminiscent of The Mars Volta frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala) and finally to the catchy, grassroots appeal of "Can't Keep No Good Boy Down," in which Melicia drones, "This train is leaving / It's rolling down the track / Singing 'ain't no turnin' back." 

Maybe we can't turn back to the days of rock in its almighty prime, but we can move forward with a modern rival. 

Check out Parlor Mob's video, "Can't Keep No Good Boy Down." 

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