5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #142

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. Long Wavy Black Hair, by Led Zeppelin

In 1969 Led Zeppelin went on the radio to do a performance session at the BBC. Included in the set were a number of their own songs as well as renditions of classic blues tunes. This is one of the blues songs that is actually a blend primarily of a Sleepy John Estes tune by the name of The Girl I Love, She Got Long Curley Hair and a number of other blues songs. I'm not sure what you would call this, but it's still some fine, raw, rocking music from one of the best bands to ever exist early in their career.

2. Save Me, by Rival Sons

I've seen Rival Sons live four times and they have never once played this tune, which is sad because it is really driving and uptempo. It would REALLY get the crowd going. I'm surprised that it wasn't made a single from the album. It definitely has all of the elements a good rock single needs: crunchy guitars, a fast rhythm, a charismatic vocal melody, and memorable lyrics. Maybe it will be one of those songs that they retroactively promote at their shows some day?

3. Straight for the Heart, by Whitesnake

This is another one of those songs where I wonder why it has never gotten more attention. It has never been played live by the band, though singer and band leader David Coverdale regrets that. It's another driving and uptempo song in a fairly similar vein to a previous release of theirs, Guilty of Love. This song however has crunchier riffs and more flamboyant melodies. This could have easily been a high selling single in the charts back in 1987.

4. Blue Blood Blues, by The Dead Weather

This was the song that got me hooked on The Dead Weather right from the get-go. The way that opening riff just pounds through your speakers just shakes you in a way that not many songs can. It's powerful. It's deep. Then there is the dual vocals between Allison Mosshart and Jack White, which when harmonized sound like something out of the netherworld. It's dark. It's scary. It's oh so intriguing and tempting you to dive down the rabbit hole that is The Dead Weather.

5. Gold on the Ceiling, by The Black Keys

This is one of the first songs I ever remember hearing by The Black Keys a few years back. This is when the band had REALLY hit the big time with their 2012 release El Camino. The way it blends modern electric keyboard with soulful hard hitting 70's blues rock is impeccable. It's definitely a catchy song and rightfully earned its place among the top ranking songs in the rock and mainstream charts at the time.