5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #105

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. Sweet Dreams Are Made of Seven Nation Army (Annie Lennox/White Stripes mash-up), by psavdonim1

Mash-ups can be one of the coolest things when done right. I don't listen to them all the time myself, but some times when I hear two tunes I would never have conceived working together get put into one cohesive song and it works out beautifully I am absolutely stunned. Such is the case for this absolutely fantastic White Stripes/Annie Lennox mash-up. Both tunes have been transposed from their original keys to work together, but it creates something quite trippy, hypnotic, and beautiful.

2.  Last Rites/Loved to Death, by Megadeth

After three decades thrash metal legends Megadeth FINALLY won their first Grammy for best metal performance. I kind of wonder what young Dave Musataine would have thought about getting such a main stream award back when he started the band in the mid-80's. That said, I'm posting one of my absolute favorite tracks from their debut album while I am still in this particular frame of mind. Definitely shows the angry raw roots they once had as a band.

3. Feel Good Inc., by Gorillaz

To switch things up a little bit, here is a tune with more of a groove to it. This has been one of my favorite bass centric songs for well over a decade. Not usually a rap guy, but Gorillaz gets so creative with the way they fuse genres that I really don't mind it. Plus, the fact that their lyrics are about things that are meaningful and important helps things too. Probably wouldn't care much for them if it was more bitches, hoes, drugs, and violence crap.

4. We Live in Troubled Times, by Green Day

Green Day definitely got a LOT more political with their most recent album Revolution Radio. Well, more political than they already were to begin with. This single from it probably is one of the most accurate depictions of our modern society that I have heard from any artist. It definitely has a bit of a While My Guitar Gently Weeps vibe to it, but with a bit more balls and overdriven guitar parts and rhythms to it. If you're anti-Trump, then this song will for sure be up your alley.

5. Painkiller, by Judas Priest

Speaking of balls and overdriven music, this Judas Priest classic is kind of the definition of that. From the moment that drum intro kicks in, you just KNOW you're about to be grabbed by the balls and dragged off on a high speed badass ride. This is probably the highest I've EVER heard vocalist Rob Halford sing. I'm amazed that he kept that pitch up throughout 90-95% of the song and to this day can still pull it off live (though it is pretty difficult for him). The guitar riffs and solos are in your face too. Definitely some of the finest work they ever put out.