5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #35

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. We're an American Band, by Grand Funk Railroad

Every Fourth of July barbecue needs this song blared on the stereo. Even though the holiday just passed you definitely need to keep this in mind for next year if you didn't already. It's straight up down to Earth rock n' roll with a chorus that is fun, catchy, and will stick with you for years to come. Plus, if you have a fever and the only prescription for it is more cowbell then you have definitely put on the right tune.

2. Miss You, Hate You, by Joe Bonamassa

Back before Joe Bonamassa became the big blues titan he is known as all over the world today he was just a young kid with a boatload of talent. In 2000 he put out his first album A New Day Yesterday which contained the rock radio friendly song Miss You, Hate You; a grooving tune about a girl breaking your heart and how it feels. It has some pretty solid riffs and melodic solos. Bonamassa really showed potential and promise even from the get-go.

3. Oh Yeah, by Chickenfoot

Once upon a time there was an absolutely FANTASTIC super group that consisted of ex-Van Halen vocalist and solo artist Sammy Hagar, ex-Van Halen bassist and backing vocalist Michael Anthony, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, and guitar wizard Joe Satriani. Together they made some fun rock songs that at the same time had some flash and technical prowess to them. The song Oh Yeah was their debut single and it pretty much said everything that the band was about. Everyone was giving it their all and just having fun with it all.

4. About to Begin, by Robin Trower

Ever have one of those days where the stress is just too much and you need something to help you get into a more relaxed and comfortable state of being? About to Begin, by Robin Trower ought to do the trick. It combines soft Hendrix-like guitar playing with some soulful vocals. Add in some smooth melodic guitar solos and you'll find yourself drifting off into a peaceful sleep (in a good way) within a matter of a few minutes.

5. Arpeggios From Hell, by Yngwie Malmsteen

Need your quick fix of highly renowned shredder Yngwie Malmsteen? Arpeggios From Hell pretty much sums up what all of Malmsteen's songs are: just him playing through the same scale he uses in every song fast for a few minutes. Despite that, it is kind of neat to listen to him do his thing once in a while when you're in the mood to hear someone dick around on their guitar for the sole purpose of impressing people.