Where most pop-metal bands wrap themselves in neon spandex, Tesla have always preferred frayed denim. Emerging from California's Central Valley in the late '80s, they eschew the genre's glam sheen for an earthy, strapping sound shaded with heartland rock and blues. Their deft mix of '70s-inspired crunch and acoustic twang can be howling and ferocious (“Modern Day Cowboy”), as well as tender and disarmingly authentic (“Love Song”). Tesla also have the art of the cover song down cold; their transformation of the New Wave gem “Little Suzi” into mandolin-laced hard rock is downright radical.