Today is a good day to be a member of Lez Zeppelin, an all-female Led Zeppelin cover band.

The media was in a frenzy this morning upon seeing the “Zeppelin” name amongst others in the Bonnaroo 2008 lineup. Problem is, the Zeppelin they hoped for is not playing, unless Robert Plant doing some sort of adult alternative dad-rock thing with Alison Krauss and T-Bone Burnett is considered Led Zep. But no, truth seekers – Lez Zeppelin it is. With a Z.

The truth is, Lez Zep is just your average bar band doing C+ covers of songs you’ve heard your entire life…but with girls! I guess that’s kinda cool, but nothing to get all riled up about.

It’s been 17 years since Led Zeppelin last reunited for a one-off performance, and much has changed in the climate of popular rock. To “rawk” nowadays you must simply grumble in a faux-baritone while chugging guitars steady the pace until the chorus sends the entire affair into a loud, mid-tempo dirge. It’s a sad state of affairs in rock today if you’re not looking in the right places.

In Led Zeppelin’s heyday, the late John Bonham’s caveman stomp supplied the blueprint for every Bamm-Bamm inspired drummer; John Paul Jones anchored the band with seismic bass and keyboard accompaniment; Page’s riffs proved the theory of plate tectonics and Plant’s coyote howl could tear the pasties off a stripper. Yeah…Led Zep was (and is) pretty good.

If you’re gonna go big, you might as well go Zeppelin:

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Wait for the blogosphere to blow up later tonight when the reunited Led Zeppelin performs live to a sold-out crowd in London.

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Old fogies and teenage victims of classic rock epiphanies have reason to celebrate, as Led Zeppelin’s catalog will be on iTunes November 13 in the form of one, downloadable catalog. Priced at $99, Led Zep’s package includes every album the band released, 165 songs in total.

Led Zeppelin is, by all accounts, an essential band. You already know that and therefore have owned their entire discography – or at least their Greatest Hits album – since childhood. So why buy what you already own? Haven’t even the most casual listeners of rock memorized every lyric, every riff?

If you don’t own any album by Led Zeppelin by all means go purchase Led Zeppelin I and IV immediately, then round out your collection with II and III. Houses of the Holy and Physical Graffiti are somewhat patchy by comparison but still worth picking up.

There’s far too much music to be heard for fans of classic rock – especially fans of Led Zeppelin. While music tastes are completely objective, I’ve offered up my four recommendations if you’re a fan of heavy rock with a blues influence…all available for download on iTunes. (more…)

Led Zeppelin are set to announce their reunion gig at a press conference to be held at 11AM EST today in London. Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant has already confirmed rumors that the band would reform but details were thin on the ground.

From NME: “NME.com understands that the show will be held at London’s O2 Arena, possibly on November 26, and is a charity gig being organized by legendary promoter Harvey Goldsmith.”

Watch “Stairway to Heaven (Live)” after the jump!… (more…)