5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #49

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. Welcome to the Black Parade, by My Chemical Romance

Were you an emo kid in the mid 2000's? If you were I'm sure you remember this iconic tune. It's big, epic, and the epitome of everything the whole emo movement was about. In some ways it reminds me of a Queen song in some respects musically; at least during the part of the intro where the whole rest of the band kicks in to build atmosphere.

2.  Driver's High, by L'arc En Ciel

Despite the French sounding name, L'arc En Ciel is actual a Japanese rock band. The tune Driver's High is one of their better known tunes and for good reason. It definitely gives you the feeling that the wind is rushing through your hair while you have the window down and are stomping on the gas on a warm summer night. Even though the lyrics are all in Japanese I'm sure you will find this song invigorating nonetheless.

3. The Crystal Ship, by The Doors

This soft psychedelic tune from The Doors is rather under rated in terms of attention from the general public. The vocal melody and lyrics from singer Jim Morrison are on a whole other plane of existence and way ahead of their time. The rest of the band lays down multiple gentle layers of sound that make it feel as though you are floating through another dimension as peacefully as one might float atop a body of water.

4.  Jesus of Suburbia, by Green Day

This 9 minute tune is what introduces listeners to the main story of Green Day's hit 2004 concept album American Idiot. It is a suite composed of at least five distinct musical parts that are put together to form one cohesive song. They would all honestly be good as individual songs, but the way the band put them together is simply remarkable.

5.  New York Groove, by Ace Frehley

This cover of a Russ Ballard penned tune by Kiss lead guitarist Ace Frehley for his debut solo album Ace Frehley in 1978 is pretty well done. It is funkier and more R&B/soul tinged than most tunes that Kiss had been known for doing up to that point. Since funk of that nature was in at the time it is no wonder the song was chosen as the record's main single. It's definitely fun and easy to move along to while cranking it through your stereo at top volume.