The Paranoid Squirrel

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.

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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…….

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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.   

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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.  

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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.   

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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.    

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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.

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Happy Chrimbo one and all! As it is the season this week’s show will be littered with festive songs but not the ones that are normally played on “Normal” Radio. The Damned and Vice Squad get things off to a flying start before The Sonic Beat Explosion, thanks to a post on the Hellacopters Community Facebook Page, are the first non-seasonable band with a track from their 2014 “Electrophonic Soul” album. Hanoi Rocks are up next with the Bad Mongos, who are 100% Costa Brava Punk Rock, swiftly following in their wake with something from their “Shoot The Bullet” CD. The UK Subs return us to the festive mood before the Main Grains wish they were in Sunny climes. Playing The Greedies one and only single seems apt at this time of year. For those of you who are unaware The Greedies, or to give them their full title – The Greedy Bastards, featured from Thin Lizzy Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham and Brian Downy and from the Sex Pistols and soon The Professionals Steve Jones and Paul Cook. I air a Hey! Hello! track that was due to be played last Saturday up at the Forum as part of Ginger’s Birthday Bash but was omitted due to the Birthday Boy suffering from a serious case of up chucking. The Young Doctors in Lust debut single, a band that features various members of the Curse and the Shemales, “Christmas Song” once again gets played but this time I know all about it. Dirt Box Disco were my biggest surprise at the aforementioned Birthday Bash having previously avoided hearing them as they looked like a Poundland Insane Clown Posse. Musically though, top draw stuff as you will hear as I play a track from their “People Made of Paper” album. The brothers Davies, that’ll be The Kinks to the likes of you and me, have their Christmas song aired before the Wildhearts take us into the final quarter of this week’s show. No Christmas show would be complete without The Ramones’ take on the subject before I put my two pennies’ worth on the TeamRock administration saga. The Dollyrots have released a Christmas song but I don’t like it so instead I play their Crystals/Ramones medley as it sounds much more Christmassy. But it’s the Flame Pilots who finish this year’s Christmas show with their Seasonal offering.

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This week I try out a new intro by the “DEMONS” which I completely fail to edit correctly. The “DEMONS” also just so happen to be first up with a demo tune. Last Sunday I travelled down to Exeter to see The Damned (who knew?). Support came from Emptifish a track by them I play along with of course a song by The Damned as I review said gig. The Rolling Stones have a track from their just released “Blue & Lonesome” covers album as I talk about Guns ‘n’ Roses ticket prices. Thursday saw me up, or should it be down, at the Underworld in Camden where I fell back in love with Nicke Andersson as I watched Imperial State Electric do their thing with support courtesy of Gentlemans Pistols. A track from each I obviously air. Jo Dog & the Desperados featuring ¾ of the Dogs D’Amour have their debut single played which is followed by the Tyla J Pallas band, well it would be rude not to. Ginger Wildhearts & Ryan Hamilton have just released a charity single with all profits going to the Samaritans, of course I play it. A new band to me are Desert rockers Avon who I’m gutted to report I have missed seeing live. Great stuff as you will hear. Helldivers have a new single out which needs playing so I do. As Hunters latest album is now available on vinyl thanks to Glunk Records I play something from it. Other formats are available, namely CD and probably download. Last week I played Håkan Göstas from the Curse and various members of the Shemales Christmas song. In the interim I’ve been told the name of the band is Young Doctors In Lust and the track is called “Christmas Song”. Check out the video on YouTube. I purchased Enuff Z’Nuff new album “Clowns Lounge” last week, the album that Johnny Monaco quit over. Sorry Johnny but it’s a great album. Although former vocalist Donnie Vie isn’t best please with it to whit has recorded a parody of the first song on the album. Both of which I play.    

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Penetration gets the show started this week as I talk about my Birthday gig up at the Brixton Academy seeing The Damned who I obviously play. I then bring you up to speed with the connection between Los Morüchos and Bone Talk, two bands I played tracks from on last week’s show. New music comes courtesy of Borracho with a track from their just released “Atacama” album before The Prehistorics also hit us with somethingnew. Pledge Round up has me talking about The Damned and Bernie Tormé’s latest inclusions with me playing a track from The Vibrators forthcoming pledge album “Past, Present and into the future” which is swiftly followed by a track from Ryan Hamilton & the Traitors “The Devils in the Detail” pledge album.Normally at this time of year I’m making plans to see Motörhead. Of course, with Lemmy’s passing last December the band came to a juddering halt. I did think about seeing Mötorheadache at the end of last month, but no tribute could ever fill those Cowboy Boots. Instead I’m nailing my flag of allegiance to Asmovel who are playing the Dev next month. The Motörhead song that is the soundtrack to the above is covered by The Lucky Strikes. Tuesday took me up to the Underworld to see Richie Ramone begin his current UK/Ireland tour. Support came from Tequila Mockingbyrd who a few months ago were residing in Australia but have now upped sticks and relocated to Blighty. Mad fools who just so happen to be great! To whit I play a track from their, not quite released over here, debut album “Fight and Flight”. With only 3 remaining Ramones left if one comes to town you better cut along and see them. Since Richie was here last, which was only in February, things have changed; guitarist Alex Kane left shortly after the recording of Richie’s new solo album “Cellophane” had been completed, being replaced by Ronnie Simmons. Ronnie plays with an expression that would sour milk in a true Johnny Ramone manner and jumps and leaps around like Dee Dee. A perfect fit, with Clare still counting in at break neck speed.Straight after a track from “Cellophane” I air my favourite Mike Patton era Faith No More track. In a shock move The Hip Priests have just released a brand spanking new 7” which of course I play. As it is coming up to thee Season I thought I’d get in quick and play a couple of Christmas tunes (Only 3 weeks to go) courtesy of former Hanoi Rocks guitarist Andy McCoy and HIM vocalist Ville Vallo and then winding things up for this week Håkan Göstas and the Shemales and a song so new and downright exciting, I don’t even know what it’s officially called.