Grunge love scream dirty maneater - "Violet" Hole

"Violet" Hole

I hope that you've forgotten about this song, and I'm reminding you. Because to hear it again is a dream! My dear friend was Courtney Love for Halloween, and he reminded me of this amazing song. There is a jazzy snare drum, simple rocking guitar hooks, and obscene disgusting unharmonic screaming! LOVE LOVE LOVE. This song makes me want to be a rockstar, screaming and thrashing around on stage, spitting on audience members and showing my ripped panties (ok maybe not that last part). Girls don't rock like this anymore.

Enjoy.

How you'll feel: Powerful.

How you'll move: Ugly-faced thrashing.

Throaty black dance metal - "Mother" Danzig

"Mother" Danzig

So I spent an hour trying to figure out the name of this song, after hearing it in a bar last night. However, I was confusing "mother" with "woman," so it took me longer than usual. DUH, it's "Mother" by Danzig! This song effin' rocks, and it makes you rock when you hear it. That's it. The song and video are self-explanatory: amazing black rock danceness.

How you'll move: Angry-faced head banging; foot tapping; hand drumming.

When to play it: When you're in a good mood; local air guitar contest; late nite house party (if there's room to head bang).

Side note: This video is nuts!

Raise it up fill it up, your spirits - "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" Florence & The Machine

"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" Florence & The Machine

This song makes me feel like starting off with a walk, trodding into a jog, busting into a run, ripping off my homely secretary blouse to reveal my Superwoman spandex, and flying freely into a powerful state of superhuman being.

How you'll move: Spastic shaking and hair pulling combined with ritualistic arm raising in sync with the lyrics "raise it up!"

When to play it: Solitary moments when you're feeling good and meaty, maybe intently cleaning your room; jogging.

Side note: Ok, so Wikipedia describes Florence & The Machine as a combination of "rock and soul," and you know what, I agree! This is some soulful powerful mind jarring shit from a young UK redhead (yes, she is a psuedo one-woman band). Also, she's 28. Her first full album, "Lungs," is on iTunes. Other good tracks: "Dog Days Are Over" and the familiar "Kiss with A Fist."

Blues rock funk heartbreak gone right - "Tighten Up" The Black Keys

"Tighten Up" The Black Keys

So many things to say here. This is how you make blues rock funky and relatable and enjoyable and edible.

The breakdown at 3:00 mins makes my friend Raf wiggle his body all around.

How you'll feel: Filled up. I feel this song in my soul. That's right, I said it.

When to play it: Living room dance party with your friends while drinking beers; air guitar contest; if you feel like tapping your food and bobbing your head with your eyes closed like you've never tapped and bobbed sightless before.

Side note: Did you see that thing I wrote about my soul? This is from the latest Black Key's album which rocks in general (pictured here). Also, there are 2 videos out there - the official one that I've posted here and another one with a puppet TRex, and honestly, both of these videos ruin the song for a first listen, because they're distracting from the music. I highly recommend that you first try to just LISTEN and NOT watch the video. Then watch the video; it's really cute.

"Living just to keep going, going just to be sane," sing it man, sing it.

Deep dark child rock - "Crying Lightning" Arctic Monkeys

"Crying Lightning" Arctic Monkeys

This sounds like the rock song that indie vampires would sing to me before they turned me. These English child rockers wail in my brain!

What you'll feel: Impending rock doom of those indie rock vampires I mentioned.

When to play it: When you want to feel satisfied in one song; driving in the car to a determined location without pressure of being on time.

Side note: I saw/heard them play last year at All Points West. They were playing it in prep for the release of their recent album, Humbug (pictured here).