5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #127

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. Folsom Prison Blues, by Josh Turner

This is a cover I have REALLY been digging the past few days. Not only do I like the song in this key better, but the vocal harmonies, lead guitar work, and overall vibe just strikes me in all the right ways. Normally I don't think much of hipsters playing acoustic guitars, but this guy and his buddy really knocked this Johnny Cash classic out of the park. I will without any hesitation give credit where credit is due in this situation.

2. Feel Like Making Love, by Bad Company

This is another one of those songs you can't escape from hearing a dozen times per day if you listen to your local classic rock station, but that's ok. This one is over played for a reason. Bad Company rocks and this is one of many of their songs that proves it. It's the perfect blend of laid back acoustic groove and hard rock in your face attitude. It knows when to go into overdrive and when to ease off the throttle. For sure a classic.

3. Careless Whisper, by George Michael

I don't care if this is one of the most overplayed pop songs of the 80's. I don't care if you think this song sucks. I think it's awesome. That saxophone melody is one of the most eargasmic and entrancing things that I have ever had the privilege of having my ears blessed with. Plus, George Michael had a pretty pleasant voice and some decent lyrical chops aside from that. Pro tip: if you want to seem more attractive to the sex you're attracted to, put this song on. It makes even the most mundane activities seem 100 times sexier.

4. Another Way to Die, by Jack White and Alicia Keys

I have mixed feelings about this song, but I still feel it's worth putting in the play list this week regardless. On the one hand, both Keys and White are incredibly talented individuals. This song has that classic Bond swagger to it while also bringing a modern edge. That said, I don't think their vocal styles blend very well. I think this song would sound better with just one or the other singing the whole thing. That aside, it's still a good tune to crank.

5. Born to Be Wild, by Steppenwolf

Another overplayed commercial rock radio song, but I find it irresistible nonetheless. This is THE song people go to when thinking of hard rocking axe pounding songs to crank while raising all kinds of mayhem and hell while tearing up the highway on a motorcycle. This is THE bad boy song. I totally get it. As much as I've gotten tired of hearing certain songs over and over and over throughout the years I'll always go to this song for such things as well.