The Paranoid Squirrel

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 528

It’s my Birthday today. Huzzah! To whit I’m not go to spend much time, if not thought, into this week’s show notes as I wish to lounge around in my Tracky Bottoms and Bath Robe being fed peeled grapes until I make way to Brixton to see The Damned who generously are playing at my Birthday Bash.......So, it’s The Divine Brown, The Hip Priests, Andrew J Gallagher, Los Headaches, Radkey, The Meeps!, The Promdates, The Sex Pistols, Los Morüchos,  Bone Talk, Thieves and The Damned who are the Soundtrack to my Birthday this year.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 527

On this Man-flu induced show I start things going, through cups of Lemsip, with The Roolettes who I mistook for The Rubinoos, then the Rubinoos themselves. Last week I had three gigs all on the same day, one of which was on at the same time. The bands in question were The Electric Boys, The Fiascos and Warrior Soul. A track, plus a running commentary, from each is played, with The Fiascos being a live one. Then this week’s pledge segment comes courtesy of a demo recorded in a toilet by Rich Rags for the Role Models. Who incidentally have album number three all written ready to be recorded with a release date of August/September 2017. The Pink Floyd follow swiftly afterwards with a track from their “Early Years” Box Set. A band whose recordings were almost lost in the mists of time is The Ghosts of Lovers. Thankfully their former drummer Steve Pegrum has just released them on his Angels In Exile record label. Very much a band of their time (early 90s) influenced by the likes of The Lords of the New Church and Hanoi Rocks. Up next is Steevi Jaimz and a re-recording of the Tigertailz classic “Living Without You”. As Deathwish are just about to have both their albums re-released on Back On Black I played something by them but end this week’s show with three live songs that were recorded at The Bowery Electric as part of the “Evening of The Heartbreakers – LAMF” featuring Walter Lure, Wayne Kramer, Clem Burke and Tommy Stinson who were aided and abetted by Cheetah Chrome, Handsome Dick Manitoba and Jesse Malin.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 526

As last week I played the Big 3 UK seminal Punk bands I thought it only right and proper to include my top 3 US Punk bands. Obviously The Ramones were at the top of my list, with The Dead Boys and then The Heartbreakers following. However it is Captain Sensible that starts this week’s show, before I turn my attention to the second wave of US Punk in the shape and form of new songs by Poison Idea and D.R.I. Then it’s back to Dear Old Blighty for some American flavoured Wildhearts and Main Grains. I then take you back State side for a track from CRX debut album “New Skin”. Can anybody tell me how CRX is pronounced? JOANovARC, who thanks to The Dark Lord of Barnet I have been hearing about for what seems like years, have just released their debut album so naturally I play you something from it. I was extremely flattered that Black Bombers have just officially released the recording I made of them up at the 100 Club back in July as the “A Smile In The Rearview Mirror” live CD which they gave away free at their gig at the Hare & Hounds in Birmingham last night. To whit I play a track from their self-titled debut album. A band who have been going on and off since the late 70’s are Chron Gen. Up until recently the band had only released one album, well that all changed with the stonkingly good “This Is The Age” album which I purchased and subsequently play something from. I received in the post a French Punk compilation CD called “The First Wave of Punk 1977-80” and once I got past the language barrier I found surprisingly good. Motörhead and “1916” finishes this week’s show as it is Remembrance Sunday tomorrow.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 525

Continuingwith last week’s Punk tinged theme, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damnedstart things off this week with the Urban Dogs, that’ll be Charlie Harper,Knox, Matthew Best and Alvin Gibbs following in their wake. Up next, thanks to Dom Daley of Glunk Records notoriety, are Hunters with a track form their recently released “Dead End” CD then Dee Snider takes me by surprise with his new album “We Are The Ones”. It’s almost as if Dee has written a bunch of songs for other artists and then gone “Nah! I’m gonna keep ‘em for myself”. Bernie Tormé has a new pledge and a new tour inked in for April. The Pledge is for a triple album that will consist of a disc of Acousticness, Rockness and Liveness, with the live album ready for immediate download once you have parted with your hard earned dosh. Sticking with top notch guitarists; Larry Miller, who is still recovering from last year’s stroke, has just put out a retrospective self titled album with the obligatory unreleased tracks. One of which I of course air. Metallica are no strangers to the airwaves whether it’s digital or oldschool AM/FM. Their new album “Hardwired...To Self-Destruction” (cue evi llaugh) is due out soon but the latest track to come from it “Atlas Arise” I really like in a first three albums kind of way, so I play it. Johnny Gorillar, he of erm, Gorilla and the Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, Facebooked a link to Rocket Reducer which the audio I passed on. Great stuff as they come across like Black Sabbath covering the Glitter Band. Robert Pehrsson’s Humbucker released their second (sic) album “Long Way to The Light” yesterday so I obviously play something from it. Moving from Sweden we head towards Brussels where the Missiles of October hit us up with a BandCamp track from their “Better Days” album. I was supposed to be seeing the Hip Priests on the 27^th up in Archway but bizarre as it seems because our Boiler broke down I ended up in darkest deepest Chislehurst seeing Focus and being completely gob smacked by them. In a six degrees of separation I play the new Dowling Poole single before ending this week’s show with some condensed live Focus. How many radio shows do you know that will begin with the Sex Pistols and end with Focus with the host, me, being completely blown away with them both?

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 523

Today marks the 40^th Anniversary release of the UK’s first ever home-grown Punk 7”. Of course it was “New Rose” by The Damned which obviously the playing of which gets this week’s show started. New music comes our way courtesy of the Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell and a track from their 3^rd album “Keep It Greasy” which is swiftly followed by The Mobbs who, even though they’re onto album number 5, make their Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show debut. As the Bad Brains have been nominated for inclusion into next year’s ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame’ I play something by them, which leads us nicely into some live Chuck Mosley recorded down in Canterbury. Unfortunately there is a back story to this involving people persistently talking over Chuck throughout his set, which ultimately leads me to leave and seek solace with Flame Pilots who were playing up the road. The Flame Pilots debut album is due for release early next year but bassist Jon sent me a sneak unfinished mix of one of friend of the show and Squirrel Associate Arkwright, or is it Arcwright. 39 years of friendship and I still don’t know how to spell his name, compositions for your delectation. Facebook band of the week are Rebel Flesh who cite The Damned, Misfits, Dead Boys, Plasmatics, Johnny Thunders and Ramones as weighing heavy in their Record collections. From one internet site to another as this week’s bands from Bandcampland come from Argentina in the shape and form of Bad Motherfuckers Club and Los Bilardos. To celebrate Imperial State Electric playing The Underworld in Camden on the 8^th December I play something by them from their new album “All Through The Night” which is followed in quick secession by Demolition 23. As a tribute to Lenny Thomas who sadly passed away on Thursday I play a track by Trashlight Vision and Sorry &the Sinatras that Lenny contributed his drumming skills to. The Ramones are the last band of this week’s show, which I play for Alex from bathroomwall.com and his, now, good lady wife Emily.  

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 520

On this week’s show it’s The Black Bullets that get things Rockin’ an’ a Rolling with Canterbury troubadour Maximum Martin making his debut appearance on the show following swiftly on. The Breakdowns have just embarked upon a series of unreleased recordings under the “Opening The Vault” banner. Of course a track from “Volume 1” is aired. Up next are two artists that I never in a month of Sundays thought that I would play on The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show. Firstly I give you Morrissey, yes Steven Patrick Morrissey former UK President of The New York Dolls Fan Club and then secondly Shakin’ Stevens. Both, after you listen to them, I think you’ll agree deserved to be played. Getting back on track we have new music from Steve Ignorant and The Paranoid Visions and a track from The Mutants new album “Your Desert My Mind”, a band that features a certain Rat Scabies. Liar Thief Bandit who hail from Malmo ambushed me on The Hellacopters Facebook Page with a track from their soon to be released debut album which gets played. This week’s Crowd Funded, Fan Financed section comes courtesy of Michael Lee Smith/Alex Kane, Deadcuts and Last Great Dreamers. The Mission have just released a new album the title track of which gets an airing. Rounded things off for another week are Trigger McPoopshute and The Hip Priests. Enjoy!

 

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 516

An all Scandinavian show this week. “It’ll be easy” I thought. I thought wrong. Who do I play was easy, but as I was going along I kept remembering other bands that needed to be heard. I think I forgot all about Iceland! So it was a case of “What don’t I play”. Even so this week’s show stretchs to the 90 minute mark and I apoligise inadvance if I’ve left out a band you deemed should’ve been on. Yes I know Turbonegro. Oh the shame. Below is the list of bands that I play. I hope you enjoy them as much as me.
Hanoi Rocks,
The Flaming Sideburns,
The Backyard Babies,
The Hellacopters,
The Defectors,
The Peepshows,
The Turpentines,
The Robots,
The Royal Cream,
The Curse,
Gluecifer,
Bloodlights,
Smoke Mohawk,
Imperial State Electric,
Wrecks,
Midlife Crisis,
Union Carbide Productions,
Soundtrack of Our Lives,
Free Fall,
Mary’s Kids,
The Nomads,
Sator,
Hardcore Superstar.              

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 515

I start this week’s show off with two classic tracks; firstly, Motörhead and then Whitesnake. New music comes in the shape and form of Indoria who feature Chuck Mosley on vocals, who contrary to what I said on last week’s show is now playing a London date this October. Swiftly following on straight after are Suicidal Tendencies and a track from their soon to be released “World Gone Mad” album. Off the back of the Richie Ramone track that I played last week Pete from The Gobshites got in contact with a link to his band’s “The Whistle Before The Snap” album that features Richie Ramone. “Guinness-inspired Celtic rock with a punk-ass twist that gives your pants and pints a kick” is how The Gobshites have been described and who am I to argue? A couple of Facebook nominations lead me to air a track from “Parts Unknown” by The Hydromatics before I home back in on new releases with The Radicals, who celebrated the 1^st Anniversary of their demise by issuing an ep of stuff they wished they’d put out when they were still a going concern. Obviously I play a track from it. Up next it’s the Dead Pirates with a track from their debut album “Highmare” then St. Tropez provide us with the last new track of this week. Thanks to Henry Rollins’ KCRW Radio Show from the 14^th August I play an Alternative TV track which I hadn’t heard for years. However, it’s that little known ex-Croydon based Beat Combo The Damned that takes us to the hour mark and the end of Episode 515.   

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 501

Welcome Episode 501 of The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show and on Friday, which was the 20^th May future listeners, The Damned played the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate 40 years of Anarchy, Chaos and Destruction. This is what happened………

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 500

Blimey O’Riley! 500 Episodes! Well this show is no different from the other 499 as you’ll hear music from bands that you should hear on the Radio but don’t. Getting the celebrations underway are Rumney Rock City’s most wanted The Sick Livers who get a helping hand from Andy Cairns. Texas Terri Bombs in with song then it’s the turn of The Main Grains featuring Danny McCormack to up the ante. It’s then a quick trip over the pond to NYC for The Threads then we return home to Abandon Cause and a track from their debut ep. New singles from Turbonegro and Imperial State Electric unfortunately don’t live up to my expectations. I play them anyway to see if it’s just me. Radio Birdman, who are over here in Dear Olde Blighty next month, have their Record Store Day 7” aired. I recently read that great swaths of Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor’s personal effects were being auctioned off in the States. Surely the estates of Lemmy, Phil and even Würzel could’ve got together for a Motörhead Museum? Obviously a Motörhead track is played which is swiftly followed by The Hydromatics with the very first track I played on Episode 1 of The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show. As Hey! Hello! have announced Hollis replacement, I was surprised in a “I didn’t see that coming” kind of way, I play a track from “Hey! Hello! Too!” which will soon be re-worked, re-recorded with additional songs. The Ruts DC have a stonkingly good new single out which I play, with the last song this week coming from Andy Shernoff written about Joey Ramone who would’ve been 65 on the 19^th May.