The Paranoid Squirrel

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 522

It’s Saturday and once again due to my shifts at work I was able to do my weekly shop yesterday, meaning I got a lie in this morning. Not much of one as we’ve a house full of 15 year olds who are heading off to Fright Night at Thorpe Park and I was on Breakfast duty. Music…..The Hellacopters with a live MC5 track to drown the sound of said teenagers get the show moving this week. Then taking a leaf out of Liar, Thief, Bandits’ book Rebel Harlot put a link to their Bandcamp site on the Hellacopters Facebook page to entice us. Entice they did with me airing a track from their just released “High Energy” long player. The Rolling Stones are up next with a track that I thought would be all over the airwaves like a Presidential Candidate’s hands. It wasn’t, so I do what others don’t. A new band to the show are The Featherz with their brand new single “Forget All You Know” and with a two Girl, two Boy line-up I think I might have finally found a band to realise my ABBA meets The Sex Pistols dream band. Sadly, Germany’s Radio Dead Ones after 12 years are calling it a day, but not before releasing one final album in the shape and form of the Rich Jones Produced “Celebrate The End”. Of course I play a track from it. Another new band to the show are The Citizens of Nowhere featuring former Godfathers Del Bartle, Grant Nicholas and Chris Burrows. If you are thinking “The Godfathers mk.ii” you would be so wide of the mark you could not believe it, as you will hear. Enuff Z’nuff have a new album out any week now. Not a new studio affair but a collection of demos and out-takes from yesteryear, all re-mastered and re-polished. One track has already been set free which I play. Following straight on afterwards it’s Mustasch with their brand new single “Midnight Rider”. The next four artists all have one thing in common; which is they’ve recently released cover albums, well one LP, two eps and a single. The bands in question are; The Dollyrots and The Descendents, Zen Motel and GOD, The Bellrays and Led Zeppelin and Joe Lynn Turner and The Kinks. Finishing things off for this week is a track from Chris Catalyst’s (The Sisters of Mercy, RoboChrist, Anti-Product, The Scaramanga Six, The Ginger Wildheart Band, The Eureka Machines and currently on tour playing guitar with Ugly Kid Joe) first solo album which is probably going to be called “Life Is Often Brilliant”.   

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 518

Well, that’s our Summer over, with supermarkets already stocking up on Christmas cards and the like. So for the next hour I’m going to make it seem like Christmas playing some, in my opinion, stonkingly good songs. The first track to make you forget the gloomy weather here in the UK is by The Ramones which has been taken from their debut 40^th Anniversary box-set. The track in question is in mono. A band whose best work was mixed in mono were The Beatles. To celebrate the new touring film and for the first time “Live At The Hollywood Bowl” on CD, I play a previously unreleased live Beatles song. Last Saturday saw me and other likeminded individuals up at The Blackheart for the launch gig for albums by The Role Models and Brijitte West & the Desperate Hopefuls. Tracks from both records I obviously air. In the course of the gig, flyers for The Cyanide Pills gig at The Nambucca towards the end of the month were spotted, with me during, the course of Sunday, finding out more about them. To whit a track of theirs gets played. The DeRellas first fruits with new recruits Stevie and Bish is all set to be released at the beginning of next month in the shape and form of the “Freakshow” ep. The band are sounding really good as you will hear with the track “Rip It Up”. And they do. In a case of mistaken identity, it seems my body double was over at The Underworld whilst I was at The Blackheart. The band I/he was seeing was Power Quest. Curiosity killed the squirrel and I sort them out on the interwebs. Interesting, not something I would normally play but I could always blame my “twin”. After last week’s show I felt bad that I might have done Todd Youth a disservice. He might not be renowned for long-term comments. However, what he has produced has really impressed me, that’s why I’m still gutted that he and Ginger couldn’t have written more together as both The Chelsea Smiles and The Wildhearts. So to remedy this I play a track by Son of Sam, a band at this time also features future Michael Monroe drummer Karl Rosqvist. Following straight on after is Ghost with a track from their new ep “Popestar” which is getting varying reviews. I personally like it, maybe not in the same league as their last album but this is just an ep. Cat’s In Space have just released a cover of Slade’s “How Does It Feel” on 7” only. I only had the briefest of listens to their debut album but it now looks like I could be seeing them down in Redhill. As Flame Pilots have a hometown gig tonight and guitarist, friend of the show and Squirrel Associate Arcwright will be celebrating his Birthday next week I play a track from the bands last ep. Zen Motel are back in the fray with “Choking on Chrome (Part 2)” with the threat of Part 3 getting to us before the year is out. Of course I play something from Pt. 2. The final band of this week’s show comes courtesy of The Ruts DC featuring Henry Rollins.        

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 517

Welcome to another episode of The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show. Starting this week’s show off are the Bullet Proof Lovers and a 7” track taken from their up and coming new album “Shoot To The Heart”. Turbonegro swiftly follow as I ‘forgot’ to play them on last week’s last week’s entire Scandinavian affair. Another apology track comes courtesy of The Phobics who thanks to the rebuilding of London Bridge Station I missed their gig last Saturday at Fordham Park in New Cross. GBH hit us with a Demo track that would in a finished form be released on “City Baby’s Revenge”.  This week’s Fan Financed, Crowd Funded section features Last Great Dreamers and a track from their third and first new music for 22 years, album “Transmissions From Oblivion”. Also featured are Sharks and their new single which is due for release on the 30^th. Radio Birdman’s Deniz Tek releases his new solo album “Mean Old Twister” on Citadel Records at the end of the month, a track from which I obviously play. Whilst trying to free up space on my external Hard-Drive I found 5 tracks by Todd Youth’s Heartaches. After first checking with Danny Young formerly of Gluecifer, currently of Smoke Mohawk that it was indeed him on drums and Sami Yaffa bass on two of the tracks, I this week air one of them. I have been pointed in the direction of The Old Firm Casuals by Glunk Records el supremo and Uber Rock scribe Dom Daley. On the strength of his word I acquired the band’s last offering “A Butcher’s Banquet”. It’s a mixture of Motörhead, AC/DC and The Cult sporting Lonsdale t-shirts, Doc Martins and Red Braces with a hint of 70’s Glamstomp Rock that Giuda would happily embrace. Naturally I play a track from it for your consideration. Swiftly following on are Dan Vapid & the Cheats and a track from his/there third album “All Wound Up” which is aimed at the Children end of the Rock market. Up next are The Fleshtones with a track taken from their also just released album “The Band Drinks For Free”. Rounding this week’s episode off are Hey! Hello! as the final version of the “Hey! Hello! Too!” album was ready for download yesterday.    

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 511

In a fun filled packed show this week which, fortunately or unfortunately depending on your point of view, exceeds its hour mark by five odd minutes. Getting things off to a flying start are the Watts and a track from their third album which is swiftly followed by The Drama Clubs Rejects a band that features ex Wildheart and an ex Almighty members. Keeping the interconnection going The Main Grains are up next who also sport an ex Wildheart member with a track from their “Don’t Believe Everything You Think” mini album. For the next section we move into the live arena with the debut live performance of Hey! Hello! Mkiii up at the Brooklyn Bowl. As you know Hey! Hello! features Ginger, The Rev, Ai, Toshi and new vocalist Cat. Let’s hope Cat has the staying power of Jeremy Corbyn as she has the vocal ability of Victoria and the stage presence of Hollis. Following Hey! Hello! were Ryan Hamilton & the Traitors. Ryan looked familiar in a Ginger Birthday Bash guest kind of way but two of his Traitors were recognised straight away as Rob Lane aka Laney 74 and drummer Michael Richards played with Johnny Monaco back in 2012. Of course closing the show were The Ginger Wildheart Band that for this tour features Electric Boy and ex Hanoi Rocks guitarist Conny Bloom, Toshi with Denzil sitting on the drummers’ stool. The last time I saw Ginger in full electric band mode was at his re-arranged Birthday Bash in April where I came away disappointed. Nothing could’ve been further from the truth this time around as I came away veritably skipping down the road as it was probably the best I’ve seen Mr. Wildheart in a long-time. Back into the realms of studio land and the Hip Priests, who I saw last night and you’ll probably hear next week, were selling an 8” Record. That’s right, 8”. Obviously I play it. A band that I’ve known all about since 1987 when they played the Clarendon in Hammersmith are Dinosaur Jr. No I didn’t go as I was over the road at Hammersmith Odeon seeing King Diamond. However, I’ve never owned anything by them. That was until “Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not” arrived in my inbox. Bearing in mind I’ve never knowingly heard anything by them I think that Dave Grohl probably spends most of his free time exactly doing that. Great stuff. Perversely I own all (no pun intended) of the Descendents releases but have never listened to any of them, that was until I received “Hypercaffium Spazzinate”. I blame Andy from the very excellent “Fear & Loathing” for me not listening to any Descendents…… It’s a fun filled punk pop album which means I’m going to slowly listen to the rest. Following on from the Descendents are The Reaction who were active between 1980-1981 releasing two eps in the process. Fortunately, these two eps along with a host of demos and live records were made available in 2011 by Cheap Records as the “Saturday’s Gone Wild” LP. Up next more new music in the shape and form a track from the new Bouncing Souls album “Simplicity” and don’t forget to look out for them at Rebellion with UK dates either side. The Sides Eyes and Redd Kross have just issued a split 7” called “Songs That Chargo Taught Us”. The Side Eyes tackle “Don’t Talk To Me” whilst Redd Kross blast us with the Go-Go’s classic “Screaming”. I only play one side, to find out which one you’ll have to listen……Henry Heston, former Virus frontman and rhythm guitarist who now resides in LA has just put together The Henry Heston Hollywood All-stars who also, amongst others, features his former Virus sparring bassist John Hess. Only one song so far has sneaked out which obviously I play. Closing this week’s show, even if I do run over my self-imposed one-hour mark, are The Head Cat that of course features Lemmy on vocals and acoustic guitar, Danny B Harvey electric guitar, Slim Jim Phantom drums and Jonny Bowler on Bass and a track from their live album “Rock ‘n’ Roll Riot on Sunset Strip”.  

Ther Paranoid Squirrel ep 510

Some live acoustic Jesse Malin recorded at The Borderline in London last Friday gets this show underway and then, in a six degrees of separation Brijitte West & the Desperate Hopefuls and an exclusive new track, that features some bloke called Rich Jones, from their still pledgable “From N.Y. With Love” album, which is due out in September, gets an airing. Daniel Lioneye who sport various members of H.I.M. have a brand new album out shortly. Proceeding it the band have just released a single from it which obviously I play. Dave Kusworth is up next as one of his previous bands, TV Eye that also featured Black Bomber Dave Twist, are about to get the re-issue treatment. The track I play ended up being recycled by Duran Duran…..Canada is the next port of call with Billy Talent telling us they are “Afraid of Heights”. Power-Pop joy as I discover an American band called Slick! who take me back to the early 1970’s Top of the Pops and Junior Choice. (Ask your Grandad). Following straight on afterwards are Apache who along with Slick! and the BTs will be playing in London on the 4^th September. I played a demo by the Curse on last week’s show; this week it’s the turn of a full blown, fully mixed track from the band’s 2014 album “World Domination”. As I took ownership of the “We Are Twisted Fucking Sister” DVD last week I discuss it and play a song by them to accompany it. Fantasy Lane make their debut appearance on this week’s show and I apologise to Dead Furies for playing a lo-res version of “Listen To T-Rex” by playing a new track from their soon to be released “Devil’s Musik” ep. As a sequel to one of my all-time favourite films, that’ll “Izzat”, is due out on DVD in September I play some Gluecifer and as we hurtle towards the end of this week’s show it is Forbidden Dimensions and The Right Here that take us up to the hour mark.  

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 502

It’s the Bank Holiday Weekend which means one of two things; it’s pouring with rain and ITV are showing a James Bond film. So to alleviate you from this, well for an hour, for your listening pleasure I have The Damned live in session for BBC 6Music. Then The Witchdoktors unleash a new track from their soon to be released “Voodoo Eye” album. Dom Daley from Über Rock, who I bumped into at The Royal Albert Hall, pointed me in the direction of Mink Daggers and Rough Kids. A track from each band is therefore aired. The Ramones debut album is getting the “40^th Anniversary Box-set” treatment so I get carried away tripping over myself to order it from the most expensive site I could find. Of course to illustrate this a Ramones tune is played. Staying in NYC; D-Generation are all set to release their first new album since 1999s “Through The Darkness”. “Nothing Is Anywhere” is due to hit the real and virtual record stores on July 29^th and features the classic line-up of Jesse Malin, who I’ll seeing at The Borderline on the 15^th July, Howie Pyro, Richard Bacchus, Danny Sage and Michael Wildwood. 13 tracks of well, what D-Generation do best and to prove it I play a track from said album. Swiftly following D-Generation are The Outside Hours who hail from Barcelona and a song from their “Devil’s Right Hand” CD. More new music and Ulysses’ “Law And Order” LP is out next Friday which is guaranteed to keep you “Smiling”. After an absence of maybe one or two years, sorry I mean weeks The Hip Priests have released yet another new single. Of course I play one of the two tracks in question and to be honest this is the finest couple of tunes the band has put out. Adam Bomb’s gear is no longer “Stranded” in Mainland Europe having successful crowd funded enough money to have sent back to the States. In recognition I air an Adam Bomb track which he has just shot a video to. Back to new music and The Claypool Lennon Delirium, who feature Les Claypool from Primus and Sean Lennon, Neil Diamond’s Nephew have a tracked played from their debut album “Monolith of Phobos”. Mrs A. thinks they sound like “Syd era Pink Floyd if he’d taken even more hallucinogenic drugs.” Watts new album “The Black Heart Of Rock ‘n’ Roll” is due out on the 10^th June and to get you in the mood I play a track from it. Wrapping this week’s show up is a track from an album that is already out by one day which comes courtesy of the Black Bombers self-titled debut. Enjoy.