The Paranoid Squirrel

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 549

A new band to The Paranoid Squirrel are The Black Angels who are first up this week with a track from their “Death Song” LP. The Chuck Norris Experiment have covered an Adam West track on their up and coming “Chück Me!” album that has also just been released as a 7” which of course I play. Swiftly following on are Jake Starr and the Delicious Fullness as Jake used to be the throatalist with Adam West. Peter Perrett, singer with The Only Ones, is just about to release his first solo album “How the West was Won”, the title track of which I play. TV Eye, a band that Duran Duran owes a couple of their hits to, have just released an album of studio and rehearsal material recorded between 1977-78, amongst their ranks are Dave Kusworth (The Jacobite’s), Dave Twist (The Black Bombers) and Andrew Wickett (Duran Duran). Of course, I play something from it. Over Easter Flash House, Scumbag Millionaire, Bitch Queens and The Hip Priests set off for a four date Tourette dubbed “The Furious, faultless, four headed sexed up, revved up Rock ‘n’ Roll revue that’s guaranteed to lose money” because you could see all four bands, two which had been flown in from foreign climes, for a fiver. And to lose them even more money; the first ten people through the door, at each gig, got a 12-track tour ep for free. Naturally a track form each band is played. Straight after The Hip Priests I play some Body Count. I’ve never really been into them. I think naively I shied away because of Ice-T’s Rap connection. It’s not a bad album to be honest, the Slayer medley sounded like Slayer with Ice-T on vocals, it all right but I was expecting something else/more. In a great piece of linkage, I managed to play the new Black Bullets single whilst talking about early curfews. South African based band Four King Ace, think about it, have a track played from their debut album “Never Aim to Please” but it’s Crazy Lixx and a track from their 5^th and new album “Rough Justice” that ends this week’s show.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 547

A track from one of the great lost NYC albums of the mid to late 1970’s starts this week’s show off. I’m talking The Victims and “Real Wild Child” here. Then two, that’s right TWO tracks from The Chuck Norris Experiment come hurtling in. One taken from the “Ghost Highways” 8” ep and t’other from their “Chück Me!” album which is due out on the 5^th May. The Connection released a covers album late last year a track from which I air which is swiftly followed by The Methadones and a song from their covers LP. Up next are three songs from three bands that now feature ex Sick Livers members; Deathtraps, TenPlusOne and The Broken Bones Gentlemen's Club. Piggyback Riders are are new band to me but three if their members aren’t; Sulo from The Crunch and Diamond Dogs, Idde Schultz also from The Crunch and Chris Spedding, from Chris Spedding. The band released yesterday an album of Americana called “Midnight at the Tenth of Always”. Of course, I play a track from it. Sharing Management with Piggyback Riders are Billy Momo, whose last album “Seven Rivers Wild” came out last year, are according to their bio “a Swedish 7-piece band whose musical roots run deep in the soil of the rural American South as well as cruising the big city streets, combining bluesy feel with gritty sounds and greasy grooves.” It’s a great album, so much so that I’ll be seeking out their other releases. Grande Royale’s have released a new track from their soon to be out album which of course gets an airing. Michael Monroe released yesterday a brand new song called “One Foot Outta The Grave” and it is seriously good and thanks to its writer, Rich Jones, who sent it to me earlier this week I most definitely play it. Now go buy it! I saw Royal Republic up at the Electric Ballroom last Saturday. They are a great live band, always have been, but now mainstream Rock fans are cottoning on. Just great all round entertainers who unexpectedly covered Iron Maiden’s “Fear of the Dark”, which I, being the audio historian that I am, recorded and share with you. White Reaper have just released an album called “The World's Best American Band”. Are they right or telling porkies....? Finishing things off this week are The Clamps with another tune from their “Bend, Shake, Swallow” LP.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 546

First broadcast on Rock Radio UK at 11pm 31-03-17

My favourite Discharge track will kick this week’s show off, which will be swiftly be followed by a track from The Clamps new album “Blend, Shake, Swallow”. On the single front, I’ll be playing new ones from Tommy and the Rockets, The Dahlmanns and Blasting Fondas. If you sign up to Michael Monroe’s mailing list, you’ll be able to download an exclusive live track as a reward/incentive. Obviously, I did, with the fruits being played just before I air the Remu and the Hurriganes track that features Michael from the “Electric Play” album. Los Pepes have a third track from their up and coming “Let’s Go” CD aired with the debut single from Nicotine Pretty getting, the world’s second radio play. Nicotine Pretty, for those of you who are unaware feature one Ginge Knievel formerly of the Sick Livers. Up next it’s The Telephone Lovers before I regale my trip up the Underworld on Wednesday to see Enuff Z’Nuff with support from Venrez, who I play. That’s Venrez not Enuff Z’Nuff. Then I’m going to play another new track from the Biters new album “The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be” which hints of the Rubinoos and to underline this I’m going to play the song in question but a live cover from the Hellacopters, who have just parted company with bassist Kenny. An acoustic song performed by Gary Lammin from the Bermondsey Joyriders recorded last Saturday at Raven Retail in Beckenham is the song that will take us up to the hour mark and the end of this week’s show.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 545

First Broadcast on Rock Radio UK at 11pm 24-03-17

Back in the comfort of the studio for this week’s show with Gluecifer the first band out of the blocks as a tribute to those of us who travel to foreign climes to see bands play live. Then once again it’s the Backyard Babies because…..well, just because. Hey! Hello! are up next which leads nicely into Lupus Dei who feature The Rev and Toshi from the aforementioned Hey! Hello! A band that I meant to play last week if the traffic was bad was Junkyard and a track from the band’s first new album in something like 25 years. That track of course gets played this week. Thanks to Rock Radio UK’s DJ Dropbox folder I have discovered Freedom Fuel from Helsinki. To me their album “Happy People” remains me of The Soundtrack of our Lives playing Ghost, or vice versa. Hard Action have a new single out for us to enjoy, either in ones and zeros or as a limited 7”. I play the digital version. Having already played the new A side from The Fiascos latest offering I opt to play the double A side. No exclusivity at all. I’m missing the Hip Priest playing live up at the Nambucca tonight, I know, sad times, so I play two tracks from them. Both the same, one featuring Gary X-Ray from the lost version of “Full Tilt Bullshit” and the other that we all know and love with Nathan Von Cruz. The Bitch Queens will be one of the bands supporting the Hip Priests during their Easter weekend campaign which I’ll be at London and Brighton dates. The band at the beginning of May will be releasing their third LP “L.O.V.E.”. Which I have……..A single from the album is due to be released in April which I air. Ryan Hamilton & the Traitors are just about to launch a “Fan Club” site not to dissimilar to Ginger’s GASS project, which sounds great. To underline it I play another track from their/his soon to be released “Capital Spirits - an acoustic evening - Live in London” album. A new band to find their way to The Paranoid Squirrel Drey are The Clamps and I think over the coming weeks/months tracks from their new album “Blend, Shake, Swallow” are going to be played on a regular basis. Starting this evening. Rounding off this week’s show are Bullet Proof Lovers with a tune from “Shot Through The Heart” which had me falling over myself to get once I’d read Dom Daley’s Uber Rock review.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 539

On this week’s show, for your listening pleasure I have for you new tunes from; The Dahlmanns and The Reverberations whose singles both come out on the 14^th. The Ruts DC have lifted a track from last years very excellent Pledge album “Music Must Destroy”. Adam Bomb has just set up a GoFundMe page where you can pre-order his up and coming autobiography “911 Is Disconnected …So This Is Rock And Roll”. Obviously as a soundtrack to this, I play something by him. The Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell are up next with a track off their last album “Keep It Greasy” for no other reason than its great. Poison Heart and Bomb The World released a split LP late last year with both bands picking a song to cover. Those songs I play. One by The Ramones and one by Motörhead. I then talk about clashing gigs and even worse bands you really like added to either a sold out show or the headlining band you weren’t going to go to in the first place. To illustrate this I play a track from Biters who will be supporting Blackberry Smoke next month. Julian Cope has just released a new album called “Drunken Songs”, which is forty minutes of Gnostic Drunkenness contained in six tales of belligerent alcohol related drunkenness. I think, like me, you’ve probably detected a theme. The track I air it seems to have been written to be played at the Archdruid’s funeral. Swiftly following on from Mr Cope are the Watts. Classic Rock Magazine is back so I talk about what’s in it (The Damned get a 4 page live feature. Future know how to keep me on board). I realise I only played The Godfathers last week but as I’m mightily impressed with their new album “A Big, Bad, Beautiful Noise” I play them again. Black Heart Breakers make a welcome return to the show before I finish things off with The Phobics but not before I plant the seed of thought that Tom would make an excellent 13^th Doctor…….

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 538

Sadly The Hellacopters start this week’s show off as Robert “Strings” Dahlqvist passed away yesterday at the age of 40. The Damned, who I very rarely play on the show, are up next as I apologise for making a mistake on last week’s episode with regards to The Ruts. Last  Saturday I popped up to The Dev to see Flash House and finally catch Asomvel live, two great bands in a great venue = a great night!  Obviously I play a track from both. CJ Ramone, as well as playing with Richie Ramone in be Buenos Aires this evening, will be releasing a brand new album called “American Beauty” on the 17^th March, a track from which I play. Steve Jones’ Fantasy 7 gets a look in as I’ve just purchased his autobiography. I also shelled out for the Hanoi Rocks “All Those Wasted Years” coffee table book as Amazon are currently knocking twenty quid off it. It comes with a 7” single with two unreleased tracks. One of which I air. Straight afterwards I play another track from Wyldlife’s stonkingly good new album “Out On Your Block”. Deniz Tek (Radio Birdman) and James Williamson (The Stooges) have teamed up for a 4 track “Acoustic K.O.” ep. Of course I play a sneaky song from it. Danko Jones are heading to Europe to promote their brand new album “Wild Cat” and proceeding both is a single. Grande Royale have just signed to erm.... Sign Records who will release their album “Breaking News” in August. A track has just been unleashed so we know what to expect. Following on from said Danko Jones single are Horisont and a track from their new album “About Time”.  A band who I shamefully had never heard of until the middle of last week was Psychotic Youth. After getting hold of their 30 track compilation album “Power Pop to Die For” CD I was compelled to buy their brand new album “The Voice of Summer” and play you lot a track from it. Closing this week’s show are The Godfathers and a track from their new album “A Big Bad Beautiful Noise” which comes out next Friday.   

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 537

Cor blimey Guv’nor, have I a packed show for you this week or what? The MC5 and The Damned kick things off with former Damned members Rat Scabies and Paul Gray re-uniting on the new Professor and the Madman single, then as I’m on the cusp of finishing Roland Link’s “Love in Vain – The Story of The Ruts and Ruts DC” book I naturally play some of the subject matter which is swiftly followed with some Gary Moore that was earmarked for The Ruts. Back to new music in the shape and form of QSP, the Q stand for Quatro, as in Suzi, S as in Andy Scott from the Sweet and P as in Don Powell from Slade. A quick trip to Pledge Music has me informing you that Ryan Hamilton and the Traitors album “The Devil’s In The Detail” seems to have fallen foul of the man. However Ryan has a cunning plan. TSOL, Tattooed Millionaires, Fuckdust4 and The Ringo Jets all have new products for us to enjoy in the form of an album, a single, 3 track single and an album before I go retrospective thanks to Exeter Ray and some Guy Davis. Getting back on track with new music and it’s The Royal Cream and something from their new album “Big Words, Small Talk”, then Heavy Tiger with their Nicke Andersson produced single before I head over to Seattle for some Piston Ready before setting sail to Tallin for a track from the new Dead Furies album “No Talkin’ All Action”. I go all previous with a Watts track that makes me want to pretend to be Joe Strummer (early Clash) playing at being David Bowie. This week’s final song comes from quite possibly the greatest album that’s going to be released this year. A bold statement I know. However, once you listen to Wyldlife’s “Out on your Block” LP, I think you’ll willingly agree.  

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 536

As I’ve just ‘finished’ Mick Wall’s Lemmy biography I kick things off with a Motörhead track. As it seems the right and fitting thing to do. New music comes courtesy firstly from Toulouse based Punkers Les Affektés with a track off their new album “Mode Critique” and then Daggerplay, from Helsinki with the first single from their as yet un-named album which is due for release later this year. Up next it’s the Urban Dogs featuring Charlie Harper, Alvin Gibbs, Knox and Matthew Best, with a track from the “Attack” album that had me snapping to attention. The Mattless Boys who are/were basically The Boys but without Matt Dangerfield have a track aired from their one and only 2010 album which is swiftly followed by an Honest John Plain solo track. Pledge time and it’s the Damned who court us with a pre-order re-issue of their debut which has been this, that and the othered to make us part with our cash, again. Instead of playing something from it I choose a live Damned track featuring King Crimson’s Robert Fripp. Back to new music and Damage Limit, who like Daggerplay are based in Helsinki, have just released their debut, seven track, album “Crank” which was recorded at the end of 2015. I think the band put off releasing it until their line-up had been fine-tuned. Thanks to the Ice Cream Man Power Pop and More Record Label and its wealth of free to download taster albums I got to hear some great bands, one of which, The Mayflowers, I play for your enjoyment. The Mayflowers are swiftly followed by Japandroids whose new album “Near To The Wild Heart Of Life” is out next Friday. New York’s Resistors, to coincide with the inauguration of the 45^th President of the United States of America the 3 track single “This Can’t End Well”, a track from which I play. However it’s The Curse that end this week’s show.   

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 535

Right, let’s get straight into the first Fan Funded segmentation of 2017. I have three artists for you to choose from; Up first is The Sly Persuaders, a London based 4 piece, gnarly, garage, surf, Rockabilly band that on the track I play from their self-titled debut has the most direst bass sound since Lemmy discovered distortion. If we’re talking distortion then Ginger Wildheart and Exit International’s Scott Lee Andrews in their Mutation guise take things to a different level with “Mutation III”. The final piece of the pledge jigsaw this week is Chris Catalyst and a track from his just launched “Life is Often Brilliant” campaign. If truth be told I actually sneak in a track from Hellbound Hearts’ non pledge album “Film Noir” between “Mutation III” and Chris’ tracks. Johnny Moped get honoured by a band called Hamsters, not to be confused with The Hamsters those fine purveyors of Blues/Rock and Hendrix/ZZ Top covers and a track called “Basically, Johnny Moped” which celebrates the legendary outsider status of Johnny himself along with Slimy Toad, Dave Berk, original bassist Fred Berk with his replacement Jacko, the mysterious Rock ‘n’ Roll Robot and Xerxes. Top Riffmeister Tony Iommi has just released a Classical Choral piece that he wrote for the Birmingham City Cathedral Choir. A bit of a departure I think you’ll agree. However, after listening to it, it works really well. I can’t help but think that the icing on the cake would’ve been Ronnie James Dio adding some vocals had he been alive. A Band that you might not be familiar with is The New Piccadillys who were/are to Edinburgh what The Beatles are to Liverpool. Now you may think that they wouldn’t even warrant a foot-note in the History of anything and you’d be right but for two things; 1960’s versions of two songs that The Ramones and The Clash would record for both their debut albums. Of course, as you’re all familiar with the Punk tunes I play The New Piccadillys. As I remembered it is The Backyard Babies that are preventing me seeing The Yorkshire Rats on the 17^th March (listen to last week’s show) I play a track from their “Four By Four” album. A band that got me all in a tis were The Empire Strikes from Finland who had me contacting their record label asking for mp3s even though said Record label had sent me an e-mail with all the links I needed. Naturally I play a track from their soon to be released “High Tide” LP. The Boys round this week’s show off with a track taken from their “Punk Rock Menopause” album whilst I discuss their 100 Club appearance on the 6^th January along with the fall and rise of Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog Magazines.    

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 533

Of course this week’s show could not begin, sadly, without some Status Quo. Also Wednesday marked the first anniversary of Lemmy’s passing which has not gone unmarked with the Bitch Queens, Hip Priests, King Mastino and The Chuck Norris Experiment releasing a split 7” of their favourite Motörhead track and Zen Motel issuing a mighty fine charity tribute song called “L.E.M.M.Y.”. I couldn’t let the show go without some actual Motörhead, even if it is them doing a cover. After a brief story involving a Brewery, the Stalkers CD, the Helltrain LP, Tom from the Phobics and an eccentric on a train, I segue into Aztec Death and a track from their new album “Machines” CD which is reminiscent of early Joy Division and Warsaw. Well it is to me. Following swiftly on is Stiletto Farm who is a new band to my ears even if they did issue an album back in 2014. More new music comes from a new band called Alley Cat LV who features an ex Faster Pussycat and a Cats In Boots. Peter Black from the Hard Ons under took on the 1^st January this year to release a new song everyday for the whole of 2016. Well he did it, with some songs over. We’re not talking rough studio outtake demos but full on studio recordings. Pledgemusic time and the Vibrators let us have a listen to another track from their soon to be released “Past, Present and into the Future” album. However, rounding of this, the last show of 2016, are The Nomads and Sator with a track each taken from their Ghost Highway Recordings split 7” which is due out any second now.