5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #93

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week is a feature I run on Young Ears, Fresh Perspective on Sundays/early hours of Monday morning where I pick out 5 tunes that I think are notable and tell you a bit about them. The point is to give you some rocking music to help you deal with your weekday blues. You can either listen to one each day, listen to them all at once, or any other combination that you feel. As long as you can get through the week without the man getting you down, that's all I care about. Without further ado, here are the 5 tracks I've picked out for this week:

1. The Stage, by Avenged Sevenfold

A7X has come back into the fold with the first single to their upcoming seventh album. It's surprisingly not a shorter catchy tune like many of their debut singles have been, but is instead an eight and a half minute epic prog-like journey. It has driving verses, but occasionally a part or two that features classical guitar segments. It flows seamlessly and is just as brutal as anything they have put out in the past. It is definitely a step up from anything that was on Hail to the King.

2.  Can't Get It Out of My Head, by Electric Light Orchestra

If ever you needed something that was relaxing and oozing in warmth and smoothness then this is definitely the musical cocktail for you. It manages to blend classical with baroque, pop, and rock. Like many of Jeff Lynne's creations it is a song that is more than just the sum of its parts. Turning on this song will make you feel like you just put on the most comfy blanket from your childhood and like you're just floating away on a cloud of relaxation and happiness.

3. Party of Special Things to Do, by Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band

Captain Beefheart was definitely an eccentric character, but that only bolstered the amount of creativity he and his Magic Band had way back in the day. I love the bluesy groove this tune has. You really can feel and move to it. Personally, one of my favorite aspects of it is Beefheart's dirty, slimy, hobo-like voice. Like, this is what you would expect a dirty grungy hobo from off the street to sound like if he wrote and sang a rock song. It works really well, though.

4. Barracuda, by Heart

Yes, I do listen to female rockers as well, ladies and gentlemen. This tune in particular is a stereo cranking classic. Although it is rather simplistic, it has that steady chugging/galloping rhythm to it that makes it easy to bang your head to and get lost in. However, Ann Wilson's singing is out of this world. With the kind of powerhouse voice she has, she can definitely keep up with the big boys; maybe even putting some of them to shame.

5. I Remember You, by Skid Row

Like many other bands of the late 80's, it was obligatory for Skid Row to have a power ballad on their record; especially seeing as it was their big debut. They managed to fulfill this 80's hair metal trope by putting out the tune I Remember You. It does have a bit of a cheesy factor to it, but at the same time you can definitely tell with Sebastian Bach's heart felt soulful singing and the band's passionate performance that this was a song they really did give a crap about. Definitely a tune I don't ever regret cranking when it comes on.