The Paranoid Squirrel

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 431

This week, again, it’s a live show featuring The Von Hertzen Brothers recorded live at the start of their brief three day visit to England promoting their new album “New Day Rising”. Longtime listeners know that I’m not a big fan of Prog. However when something is done so right you can’t help but start tapping your foot and nodding your head in time with it any misconception or prejudice just evaporate. Seeing these Finns is like watching Pink Floyd covering the Foo Fighters, or vice versa. If your quick you can catch them in Wolverhampton tonight, or if your slow at the Download Festival, or if you’re downright lazy just stay tuned…………

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 424

Back into the studio after a two week live break with some top quality Rock and even some Roll. Kicking things off are The Hives with a Hellacopters cover then it’s onto Nicke Hellacopter himself and the James Williamson (Stooges, Sony Vice President) “Re-Licked” track that he played on. I then turn or point you in the direction of three Classic Bands that just so happen to have released new albums. Up first it’s The Scorpions with a track of their 18^th album “Return To Forever” that had me doing a double take as I thought they’d covered The Wildhearts “Sick Of Drugs”. Then it’s onto two of Britain’s finest in the form of UFO and Thunder with a track from “The Conspiracy of Stars” and “Wonder Days” respectively. Saddling up next are Black Star Riders with album number two “Killer Instinct”, still plenty of Thin Lizzy flavours but less former and more current if you catch my drift. Linking a Captain Sensible story to a Beckenham Night Club and Train Station via Status Quo is no mean feet but I manage it and to celebrate the fact I play the Quo song that brought them all together. As rumours of the UK premiere of The Damned Documentary “Don’t You Wish That We Were Dead” fill my head with potential glee a John Peel session Brian James’ Tanz Der Youth track is aired. Back onto new music with Sweden’s Blasting Fondas who had me thinking of The Nomads and The Boys with even a hint, large hint, of The Damned on the particular track that I play. Still in Sweden the Shemales are up next; The Stooges meets The D4? You tell me. The Diamond Dogs have a two CD set out in May called “Quitters and Complainers” which is going to be dedicated to their Sax play “Magic” Gunnarsson who sadly passed away last year. The first track from it has already been let loose on the interwebs so I naturally play it. Diamond Dogs’ vocalist Sulo’s other band The Crunch are also all set to release a new album, “Brand New Brand” in April via PledgeMusic. The rest of The Crunch consist of Terry Chimes formally of The Clash, Black Sabbath and Hanoi Rocks, Dave Tregunna, Sham 69, Lords of The New Church, Mick Geggus, Cockney Rejects and last but no means least Idde Schultz of Docenterna. I sneak you a listen to demo that will in a finished form appear on the aforementioned new album. Friend of the show and Squirrel associate Arkwright tipped me off over the next band who are based in Ashford. The band in question are called The Rash and their 4 track ep “Ashford Royalty” is so catchy it’ll be all over you like a….Rash. Winding up things this week is a classic, in all senses of the word, track from Gillan as The Squirrel and I finally managed, after a 32½ year wait, to hear Mick Underwood in his Glory Road guise play drums live once again.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 421

The only known recording of Black Sabbath Mkii starts things off this week with the over looked Dexter Jones’ Circus Orchestra following with The Robot Lords Of Tokyo in a six degrees of separation, thanks to the BBC, straight after. Danko Jones have just released a new album called “Fire Music” naturally I air a track from it. In this day of the internet and social media when forming a band it’s pretty easy to see if your band name of choice has been already taken. Seattle based instrumentalists Audrey Horne have failed in this and recorded and released an album called “Teledidonics”. I play a track before the cease and desist order is served. I also play a track from Los Bastardos Finlandese sixth album “BMF Ball” which has just been released; no one can ever excuse them of name copying!  A band I’d not heard of until Head Glunk Recorder Dom Daley pointed me in their direction was FUKDUST4 who feature members of Wolfsbane/Jellys, a former UK Sub and  Drongos For Europe. It seems they only have one single out at the moment but what a great start! We pop over to Scandinavia for some Street Punk in the form of City Saints, Sleaze; Hardcore Superstar and emmm Dizzy Mizz Lizzy. Brighton based band Gang return us the UK, with Closer Records Recording artists The Dark Rags, Dum Dum Boys and Three Headed Dog ending this weeks show off.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 420

On The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show; The Worlds Longest running weekly podcast (Allegedly, but prove me wrong) this week the very first single by AC/DC, with only Angus and Malcolm from any AC/DC I know playing on it, is aired. Then Chris Spedding he of “Motorbikin’” and Womble fame has a track from his very excellent “Joyland” played. I almost play a track by The Korgis but don’t instead I fresbie the CD over the houses opposite into the grounds of the the Psychiatric Hospital and play a Reeves Gabrels and his Imaginary Friends track instead. I made the correct choice! The International Swingers soon to be released single originally recorded by The Move gets played in an attempt to get their pledge passed 100%. Finland’s Waltari have a new album out at the end of the month so naturally I play something from it. New to the show are Barnsley Dark Punkers System Of Hate with a track from their very excellent “Insanity” EP. To celebrate The Damned’s “Don’t You Wish We Were Dead” Documentary being screened at next months SXSW festival I play a track from my favourite live Damned album. The UK Subs have a brand new album out called “Yellow Leader” it goes without saying that I play something from it. Then I take you over to Boston for Watts who have been described as “They play in a band built on a bedrock of riff-powered songs that have as much to do with swagger as they do melody. Watts also stoke the twin-engine guitar charge of Keith Richards and Ron Wood, although gruff-voiced singer-guitarist Dan Kopko sings better than both, and lead axe John Blout’s tough, blistering solos are closer in spirit to the knotty workouts of AC/DC’s Angus Young”  Well that was me sold. Chips Enuff bassist with Enuff Z’Nuff has just released a solo album with contributions from Steven Adler, Slash, Robin Zander with co writing credits from Trent Reznor and Paul McCartney. The Hip Priests cover Zodiac Mindwarp before I moan about the Jettblack listening party clashing with Starz at The Underworld. With the whole show finishing up with “Songs That Don’t Rock But Actually Do”.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 413

As it’s coming up to Christmas I kick this week’s show off with Flame Pilots “St Nick’s Lament” and if that doesn’t have you reaching for a bottle of something strong I don’t know what will. The Sonic’s Rendezvous Band come crashing in next with a choice cover before I start to tell you why this week’s show is about 4 hours late in being uploaded (now six thanks to podbean). New music comes courtesy Low Impact Records and Bo-Dogs who sport Chips and Kent from Sator and The Maharajas. Prior to Glunk Record recording artists Crazy & The Brains, (this band have a lead Glockenspiel) and The Sick Livers I share my daughter’s X Factor story combined with a new trip to the Dentist. Up next, thanks to Dom Daley, it’s from LA the Ex-Gentlemen and from Seattle The Cheap Cassettes. I was hoping that Sparks were going to make a guest appearance at Ginger Wildheart’s 50^th Birthday Bash, they didn’t which was shame. Once again though it seems hard to imagine how Ginger will be able top this year’s. However I still play a Sparks tune as a “What if…?” moment. As we speed towards the end of this week’s show I play a track from Motorpsycho’s  “Motorpnakotic Fragments” double 7” package. The last song goes to Sin City Sinners and I mistaking think that there won’t be another show until next year completely forgetting that Episode 414 is actually the last show of 2014.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 409

This week I’m still in the studio, even though my gig tally almost topped last weeks. Up first is some classic Suicidal Tendencies then we get into brand new music from: Mary’s Kids, Imperial State Electric, Lester Greenoski, The BrokenDolls, C.J. Ramone, Sonny Vincent, Faith No More, Johnny Thunders, Santa Cruz, Bend Sinister, Ming City Rockers, Zen Motel with The UK Subs bringing things to a close.

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Welcome to the first “All Studio” show for a long, long time. Musically we have three tracks from the only bands that matter; Ramones, Motörhead and The Damned. We then go old school, I mean really old school with some speed corrected Robert Johnson. New music comes from AC/DC who have been in the news over the last few weeks for the right and sometimes wrong reasons. Then I take you to Stockholm, Sweden for a track from The Curse’s brand new full length offering, “World Domination”. Guy Bailey formerly of The Quireboys and The Peckham Cowboys has a brand new project on the go in the form of Thirsty that once again reunites him with Chris Johstone. Obviously I ply a track from the bands self-titled debut CD. Ulysses, who I caught live supporting The Godfathers, make their first appearance on The Paranoid Squirrel with a track taken from their 2013 album “Kill You Again”. Into cover territory with firstly The BossHoss who I saw opening for Motӧrhead last Saturday and then The Flaming Lips featuring Miley Cyrus. I kid you not. Jake Starr and The Delicious Fullness get things back on track with a song off their just released album “Tastes Good”. Modtastic! A track from Los Pepes’, debut CD “Los Pepes for Everyone” which has been a permanent fixture in my car of late gets you Powerpopping. Compare and Contrast returns with Taylor Swift versus The Supersuckers. Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift on The Paranoid Squirrel……?! The show flows to an end courtesy of Pink Floyd.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 388

As Motörhead have just announced three Arena show for November with The Damned as special guests I play tracks from both with the addition of The Sensible Gray Cells (Captain, Paul Gray & Ant Thickett) as they are also playing a London date in November. Up next is another new track from The Mutants “Rhythm and Punk Review” album. For the next few tracks I seem to be in “Classic Rock” territory with The Dagger, Judas Priest, Uriah Heep and Bullet. The reformed Last Great Dreamers have the first single taken from their soon to be released “Crash Landing In Teenage Heaven” album aired. Gig of the Summer has to be The Drej, Top Buzzer, Cars Like Sharks and Flame Pilots at The Rhythm Factory on the 6^th August. All my favourite unsigned bands in one place all for free! So rounding this week’s show off is a track from each.

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 380

On this week’s show The Squirrel and I travelled up to The Jazz Café to see Progressive, Psychedelic Rockers Motorpsycho who hail from Trodheim, Norway. One of us came away happy, the other not so. This would have been the third time I’ve seen them in three different settings, the first was at the Borderline with the second at the Garage where the band played the whole of their “Death Defying Unicorn” album. This time around it was over two hours of career spanning Progtastic fan and band favourite songs. Enjoy.